A young pianist cracks her knuckles, wipes a bead of sweat from her brow and takes a deep breath as she prepares to strike her first note at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington, D.C. Luciana Soares, assistant professor of music, now plays a different venue. Her eighth year teaching at Nicholls State University has been one filled with concerts, performances and many eager students.

Soares teaches a variety of courses at Nicholls, ranging from music appreciation to keyboard literature-from the basic to the complex.

Soares was born in Goiania, Brazil, which is about 300 miles northwest of Rio de Janeiro, a little more than 30 years ago. She began her career in the school of Belkiss SpenziŠri Carneiro de Mendonca. She then became a student of Professor Caio Pagano at Arizona State University and, later, Mary Ann Stringer at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she was a graduate assistant.

Soares says she is happy she was able to attend different universities across the United States.

“I like it. The United States has a lot of opportunities to perform. Also, I like how the universities work,” Soares says. “In Brazil, it’s a highly competitive place. I haven’t had the experience of teaching [at a university] in Brazil. I took this chance here, and I think I adapted well.”

Nicholls is not the first place she has taught piano. She used to teach private lessons at a conservatory in Brazil. Her research and performances have allowed her to present lectures and recitals of Brazilian music at universities and conference series across the United States.

Soares has received many awards for her prowess on the piano and her skills in the classroom.

“I won the 2009 Marie Fletcher Distinguished Service Award, which is from the [Nicholls] Alumni Federation,” Soares says. She was also awarded the Nicholls’ Academic Council Salutes award.

Recently, Soares has been involved in organizing the Monster Piano Concert as well as a free concert in St. John’s Cathedral where she accompanied an old friend, cellist Raiff Dantas Barreto, from her home country.

Soares met Barreto at a festival in Brazil while they were students, but they never had the chance to play together.

“I heard he was playing in Massachusetts, so I invited him,” Soares says.

She says the Monster Piano Concert was an interesting experience. However, she did not expect such a good turnout for the event. Soares was involved in every aspect of the concert, from performing to selecting the music and organizing the event.

“I wasn’t expecting so many people [as last year’s concert],” Soares says. “I thought it was a success because of the 60th anniversary celebration.”

That was not the case, however. Soares believes the attendance at this year’s concert was greater than the last.

Soares feels most of her experiences at Nicholls have been wonderful. Most of all, she loves the close, family atmosphere of the University.

“I just think that here you have the opportunity to create something; you want to see it grow,” Soares says. “It’s exciting to be part of that growth. Because we’re small, we give the students a family kind of treatment.”

For her future plans, Soares says she will continue to teach at Nicholls as long as she is able to.

“I’m going to be here teaching. I’m also going to perform as much as I can here, in other states and in other countries,” Soares says. “I like to perform, and I think it’s important for someone who teaches music to make music.”

Soares will be performing in a recital in Talbot Theater on Nov. 3rd at 7:30 p.m.