Valerie grew up in rural Birdsboro, PA, but always had her sights set on bigger and better things. She was always involved in some sort of music group growing up, whether it was in a band, chorus, church choir, community choir, jazz band, a capella groups, solo performances, or coffeehouses and open mics. She also grew up listening to The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Aerosmith (her mom's favorite bands), which were a definite influence on her appreciation of music. You could safely say that music is a huge passion of hers. This led to her decision to study music in college, where she received formal training in music theory, ear training, sight singing, and composition. After four years of hard work, she completed her Bachelor's of Music in Music Education from Elizabethtown College in 2005. She was even awarded the Theodore Presser Scholarship for outstanding achievement as a music major her junior year! After graduation, she read everything and anything she could about the music business and jumped full-force into pursuing a career in music. After competing at the 2007 American Model and Talent Competition in Orlando, FL, she was awarded 3rd place in the singer/songwriter category. She also had her single "Can't Imagine" accepted by Indie Express to be on their Volume 1 CD in March 2008. This CD was distributed at Canadian Music Week as well as to press and radio stations in Australia! She has been featured in local newspapers and radio stations such as The Reading Eagle, Ticket Magazine (Montgomery Newspapers), and WCHE 1520 AM in West Chester, PA. Not only does Valerie Nicole sing, but she also writes her own original pop/rock material, plays acoustic guitar, and plays keyboard. She has been touring eastern PA and NJ in 2008 along with special showcases at Musikfest, Millennium Music Conference, and SS Cape May. Recently, she formed a back-up band consisting of a drummer, bass guitarist, and lead guitarist. Her new album "From the Heart" is scheduled to be released on January 9th, 2009. Future projects in 2009 include a music video for "Misunderstood", recording her 3rd album, a summer east coast tour, and tv/film licensing opportunities. PRESS: Montgomery Newspapers - Ticket Magazine The PA Musician Reading Eagle - Weekend and Voices sections VENUES PLAYED: Bixler's Lodge - Reading, PA Blandon Lion's Club - Blandon, PA Boyertown Farmer's Market - Boyertown, PA Boyertown Hard Bean Cafe - Boyertown, PA Cape May Singer Songwriter - Cape May, NJ Chile Pepper Food Fest - Bowers, PA Chambers 19 & The Other Side - Doylestown, PA Churchill Inc. - Pottstown, PA Cornerstone Coffeehouse - Camp Hill, PA Covatta's Brinton Lodge - Douglassville, PA Crave Coffee and Gelato - Womelsdorf, PA Creekside Cultural Center - Lenhartsville, PA Crossroads Coffee House - Roxborough/Manayunk, PA Evergreen Miniature Golf - Douglassville, PA Exspresso Yourself Cafe - Douglassville, PA Family Time Farm - Oley, PA The Flying Dog - Earlville, PA Fraternal Order of Eagles events - Stroudsburg, PA Get the Word Out - Mt. Airy/Philly, PA Global Libations - Kutztown, PA Goggleworks - Reading, PA Greater Reading Expo - Reading, PA Hard Bean Cafe - Hamburg, PA It's A Grind Coffee House - Paoli, PA Kutztown University - Kutztown, PA Lickety Split - Philadelphia, PA Marie's Hard Bean Cafe - Fleetwood, PA Max Crema's - Fleetwood, PA Millennium Music Conference - Harrisburg, PA Musikfest - Bethlehem, PA Neena's Brick Oven - Sewell, NJ Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Fine Craft Fair - Richboro, PA private parties - Berks County, PA private weddings - Berks County, PA Sample Somerville - Somerville, NJ Sidewalk Expo - Boyertown, PA Starbuck's - Wyomissing, PA Steel City Coffeehouse - Phoenixville, PA Stonersville Hotel - Birdsboro, PA Summit Bar & Grille - Macungie, PA REQUEST Valerie Nicole's SONGS ON THESE STATIONS: 88.5 WRKC FM: King's College, Wilkes-Barre, PA 91.3 WXAC Albright College Radio: Albright College, Reading, PA WEXP La Salle Radio: La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA 88.5 WXPN Philly Local: UPenn, Philadelphia, PA WQHS Student Radio: UPenn, Philadelphia, PA 91.7 WIXQ FM The Ville: Millersville University, Millersville, PA WCLH: Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA WWEC 88.3 FM: Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA WCFA 101.5 FM: Cape May, NJ Q94 Classic Rock: Altoona, PA WCHE 1520 AM The-Dixon.com Radio Show: West Chester