He started playing drums at the age of 13. By 16, he was already touring the province of Quebec with various rock and progressive bands. At 21, he discovered Jazz Fusion, which allowed him to grow as a drummer. Nicolas formed a jazz-fusion band covering jazz-fusion artists of the day. He's also a drum teacher at a music school.

His first Genesis concert experience was the 1980 Duke show at the Montreal Forum. He was immediately hooked on the strong melodies, the heavy driven bass pedals and the complex rhythm patterns.