Nola Strand is a pianist based in Oklahoma City for the last few years, and has relocated back to the North Texas area.  She has over twenty years of experience teaching students of all ages and ability levels. Nola was trained in the Royal Conservatory of Music program but has incorporated numerous other methods into her teaching over the course of her career. Her desire to share the joy of making music with others is reflected in her teaching style, which centers around using the student’s interests, background, and learning style to craft an individually tailored study plan.

Growing up in a small town in British Columbia, Canada, Nola was fortunate to have an incredible piano teacher who provided her with the skills to pursue a career in music. She holds a Bachelor of Music with Distinction from the University of Victoria and a Masters of Collaborative Piano from the University of North Texas. From a young age she enjoyed accompanying friends and family and this passion grew to include playing for singers and instrumentalists of all ages for lessons and performing as a recitalist in concerts throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. She also has worked as a vocal coach and repetiteur for opera and musical theater productions and has accompanied and conducted a variety of professional and church choirs. She was the pianist at Wesley United Methodist Church and served as Staff Accompanist at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Nola is extremely fortunate to be able to collaborate with her husband, Dr. Stephen Lochbaum, on works for classical guitar and piano. Together they live with their two cats, Randy and Char. In her spare time she enjoys knitting and crocheting, playing disc golf, gardening, and discovering new foods to enjoy.