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Valerie grew up in rural Birdsboro, PA, but always had her sights set on bigger and better things. She always jokes that she practically came out of the womb singing and knew at a very early age that music would be a significant part of her life. As a kid, she listened to The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Aerosmith (her mom's favorite bands), which were a definite influence on her appreciation of music. She began singing in choirs at age 6, playing piano at age 7, and playing flute at age 8. Involvement in numerous music groups throughout her entire primary, intermediate, and high school years soon followed.

Her passion for music led to her decision to study music in college, where she received formal training in music theory, ear training, sight singing, and composition. This is when she picked up a guitar for the first time and fell in love with it. She also discovered her natural talent for songwriting shortly afterwards. 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 spent a few years teaching general/vocal music in the elementary schools, but decided teaching was not for her. So, 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 eastern PA newspapers and radio stations such as The PA Musician, The Reading Eagle, Ticket Magazine (Montgomery Newspapers), Berks-Mont News, and WCHE 1520 AM.

Valerie Nicole writes and sings her own original pop/rock material and plays acoustic guitar and keyboard. She has been touring eastern PA and NJ since January 2008, including special showcases at Musikfest, Millennium Music Conference, and SS Cape May. She now performs solo acoustic shows, and sometimes acoustic duos with lead guitarist, Keith Privigyi. Her most recent album "From the Heart" was released on January 9th, 2009, which has opened up several opportunities for Valerie. She was also nominated in the Best Female Vocalist category for the 717 Music Awards held in Harrisburg, PA in June 2009 and again in January 2010. Future projects in 2010 include recording several new songs, tv/film licensing opportunities, getting into the college market, new web design and marketing plan, and college/local radio airplay.

Keith Privigyi, the lead guitarist for Valerie Nicole, was born in 1969, in Newport News, VA., and moved to the Shenandoah Valley at a very early age. He was mesmerized by the raw emotional power of music early in his life. He would sit and listen outside the door of his big brother when his stereo was cranked up. He knew then that music would always be a major part of his life.

At 11, he was told to pick an instrument for school band, and chose the saxophone, which he played for 2 years in school band. While he had learned to read sheet music and developed basic music skills, the saxophone and school band did not satisfy his desire to play rock ‘n roll. Songs such as “Jukebox Hero” and “Eruption” called to his desire to play the guitar.

Keith learned to play on his brothers old beat up electric guitar with no amp or even pics (he used spare change and shirt buttons!). He would watch & learn intently when friends or relatives played, and would ask how to do things he didn’t understand. He improved at a breakneck pace. He got his first guitar as a gift from his mother at age 14, joined his first band at 15, and continued upward progress.

At 18, Keith joined an original band that was re-tooling. The band had management, and played all over Philadelphia at venues such as The Electric Factory and The Trocadero Theatre. The band eventually dissolved; however, Keith maintained a relationship with one of the members who owned a studio, where he learned recording techniques and engineering methods, and assisted in several recording projects.

Keith spent the next several years writing and recording music, but not actively playing in bands. His musical style was transforming from his roots of hard rock and heavy metal, to more of a light-rock and progressive style, incorporating some of the light rock and new wave stylings from the late 80’s and the alternative music styles that led into the grunge era.

Getting caught up in a career and starting a family life in the mid 90’s, Keith played less and less over the course of several years. He never stopped thinking and dreaming about music, and even continued to write songs in his head. One day it struck him that he just wasn’t happy without music being a dominating factor in his life. He bought some new gear, practiced, and began looking for bands to play with.

In early 2008, He teamed up with a local drummer and formed the cover- band “Autagetit”, and later that year moved on, joining “My Last Day”, which eventually changed its name to “Episode 4”. In summer 2008, he met a local singer/songwriter named Valerie Nicole, and was impressed with her style and determination; and eventually became her lead guitarist when she formed a backup band.

Today, Keith continues to play with his cover-band, and also continues to write music, and performs regularly with both Episode 4 and Valerie Nicole.