Nancy Dietz

Double & Electric Bass, Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Uke, Piano, Saxophone, Composition/Arranging & Improvisation

Pronouns: She/Her

Meet Nancy Dietz, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and arranger. Her musical interests cross many genres, playing for over 40 years in ensembles ranging from southern rock cover bands to jazz ensembles. She currently holds the bass chair in the Columbia Jazz Orchestra (after several years in the saxophone section), has recently begun to play again in the Columbia Civic Orchestra, and plays electric bass with Rochara Knight & the Honey Doves, a Columbia-based Neo-Soul R&B collective.

Nancy understands teaching from music-reading & non-reading traditions, since the first instrument she learned was piano by ear: she wanted to emulate her mother, who would serenade her and her sister to sleep each night by playing classical and ragtime piano tunes. She is classically trained at the college level on piano, saxophones, and bassoon. Her lessons are tailored to each student’s personal goals and passions, and she believes it’s never too late to learn to sing or play. Nancy also has a significant hearing loss, reading lips to help her hear better, so she is well-equipped to assist those with similar challenges. When not working as a pharmacist or playing music,

Nancy enjoys cooking, baking, and sewing. One of her favorite pastimes is watching old TV Westerns with her trombonist husband, Rob, and their “Tiny Dog” Duke, and she has been able to wiggle her ears since she was a young ‘un.