The KSC Music Department recently welcomed three new faculty members for the 2026-27 school year.
The new department additions include Voice Professors Mellissa Hughes and Nicholas Tocci, along with Staff Collaborative Pianist Icy Nguyen.
Nguyen teaches piano in the Keene State Music Department, and said she began to work at Keene State after finding a connection to both the city of Keene and the music faculty at KSC.
“I was in the last semester of my doctoral degree and job hunting is really daunting. But I really found a connection to Keene,” Nguyen said. “I felt like during the interview, I really connected with [Coordinator of Choral Music Education and Vocal Studies] Dr. Howard and [Coordinator of Composition, Theory and Aural Skills] Heather [Gilligan]. They were really nice and welcoming, and it felt like they were really happy I came.”
Nguyen spoke about her move from Cleveland to New Hampshire, and how hard it was to be away from her piano during the month she had without it.
“I was in my new apartment, and I didn’t have access to a piano for about a month,” Nguyen said. “That was a really long time for me. Then I got a keyboard, but nothing feels as close to touching a real piano.”
“I really missed my piano, and that intimate connection is what I really enjoy about my field,” she continued. “That intimacy is something I really enjoy.”
Nguyen said she hopes to inspire both the younger and older generations of musicians, as well as show people the different aspects of the beauty of music-making.
Hughes is an Adjunct Professor of Voice at Keene State, while also working at Plymouth State University. She said she had many colleagues who worked at Keene, which led her to working in the KSC Music Department.
“The music world is very small,” Hughes said. “It’s pretty common for words to travel very quickly. I’ve known Sandra Howard for quite a while, as well as some of the previous faculty.”
Hughes spoke about her years with a performance master’s degree, and how her bachelor’s in music education intertwined with it.
“With my master’s in performance, coming back to teaching really helps,” Hughes said. “I feel a little more grounded than I did during my performing years.”
“I like inspiring my students, especially inspiring curiosity,” she added. “I’m a big believer in helping the students solve problems and putting the problems that they’re finding in their musical lessons into a context that’s going to help them later down the line.”
Hughes said she hopes to not only help her students be better singers, but to be better musicians.
“I love that Keene State has a Bachelor’s in Arts and Music Ed,” Hughes said. “There’s so much of the curriculum that focuses on just basic training as a musician. Not only are we inspiring teachers, but we’re also creating better musicians.”
Voice Professor Nicholas Tocci did not respond to a request for comment.
Michael Ardita can be contacted at
mardita@kscequinox.com
