Nora Hoffmann grew up in Germany. She became involved with music at age 5 and started playing classical violin at age 6. In her early twenties, she moved to Berlin and performed with a variety of bands, visual artists, dancers, poets, and DJs.

In 1999, Hoffmann moved to Oakland, California, to pursue her BA majoring in composition/electronic music at Mills College. She completed her MFA in composition/new media at the California Institute of the Arts in 2004 and currently resides in Berkeley, California.