How she got here
Nicki's musical education began seriously at Dominican College of San Rafael, where she earned a degree in piano performance. She went on to complete a master's in music education at Boston University, studying piano with Robert Hagopian, Robert Shultz, and Sylvia Jenkins — three teachers whose influence shaped not just her playing but her approach to passing music on to others.
She became a piano teacher quite by accident while still in college. Someone needed a teacher, she said yes, and something clicked. What she discovered was that teaching and performing weren't two different things — they were the same impulse. Both are about communication, expression, and meeting another person where they are musically.
In parallel with teaching, Nicki built a substantial performing career. She served as a pianist and accompanist at Max's Opera Cafe in San Francisco, performed with the Redwood Symphony, and played for the Mountain Community Theater and Cabrillo Stage. She spent years as a staff pianist at Nordstrom — back when department stores employed live pianists in the store. And she has performed at hundreds, if not thousands, of private parties, weddings, and other events as both a solo cocktail pianist and a jazz bassist.
Along the way, Nicki picked up a few other instruments. She plays string bass, electric bass, clarinet, organ, and voice — she's an alto. This breadth of musicianship informs everything she does in the studio. She doesn't just teach piano; she teaches music, and she brings a performer's ear and a multi-instrumentalist's perspective to every lesson.
Today, Up Scale Music is home to students of all ages and levels in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Some are kids building their first musical foundation. Some are adults who always meant to learn and finally decided to start. Some are returning players picking up where they left off years ago. What they all share is a teacher who genuinely loves what she does — and brings real-world professional experience into every single lesson.