Saideh Eftekhari, M.A.
​Founder, violin and piano

Saideh Eftekhari is a multi-instrumentalist (violin, setar, voice), performing and teaching artist based in San Francisco. Her work is inspired by the years she spent studying and living in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. She is trained in classical violin as well as the Persian setar and holds a certification in Sound Healing from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Since first offering lessons many years ago while in high school, Saideh delights in helping her students best express their unique musical voices as they develop their skill and confidence. Her students range in age from 4-18 and many are in local Bay Area youth orchestras and jazz and folkloric ensembles. Saideh has also established after-school group music enrichment programs at the French American International School of San Francisco  and Cielito Lindo Montessori. She is fluent in Farsi, Spanish, French, and English. 
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In addition to teaching, Saideh was awarded a 1Beat Fellowship, where she joined musicians from 17 different countries in both a residency and West Coast tour, creating collaborative, original music as a form of cultural diplomacy and educational outreach. She was also a Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Fellow and a Caldera Artist in Residence. Saideh's greatest joy is helping more children spread the love of music around the world. 

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​Leah
Voice and Piano

Leah (she/her) is a musical theatre and opera performer and actor based in San Francisco. Leah holds her Bachelor’s of Music degree in vocal performance and music theatre from James Madison University and a Master’s of Music and Professional Studies Certificate in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Leah grew up singing and dancing around her living room to movie musicals and taking piano lessons. She was first introduced to opera in middle school and began taking voice lessons in high school. Some of the most impactful people in her life have been her voice and piano teachers and she is committed to passing that forward and inspiring the next generation of performers while providing a supportive and positive environment for her students!

In addition to teaching at Nurture Music School, Leah is also an operatic and musical theatre performer in the Bay Area. Some of her favorite roles have been Cenerentola (Cinderella) in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Zanetto in Mascagni’s Zanetto, and Serse in Handel’s Serse. Leah is interested in all styles of music including classical, musical theatre, pop, jazz, k-pop, and more! Some of her favorite musicals are Hairspray, Wicked, Parade, and Les Miz!  

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Jillian​
​Piano, Voice, Ukulele

Jillian is a versatile musician and teacher, specializing in piano, voice, choirs and world music. Her inspiration comes from getting to know her students’ unique personalities and tailoring lessons to fit their diverse learning styles and needs. Jillian’s degree in Music Education from Western Washington University, as well as her 16 years of experience, have equipped her with tools and expertise to create engaging lessons for all kinds of students, including preschool and elementary children, students with special needs, advanced college students, and adult beginners. ​

A world traveler, Jillian began her career teaching music and providing music therapy in Quito, Ecuador for 7 years. She also directed a cappella choirs who traveled internationally and brought music to unconventional venues, including hospitals, children’s homes and rehabilitation centers. Though she is now based in Portland, Oregon, Jillian maintains her Ecuadorian residency and sometimes teaches her online music students from Ecuador! Jillian’s international teaching experience formed in her a deep enthusiasm for music of other cultures. When her students ask to work on world music, Jillian relishes the opportunity to dive into learning the music along with them and is diligent to continue developing her expertise through attending frequent world music workshops. Her students are currently singing music in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Farsi, Hindi, Amharic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Russian! Finally, Jillian’s delight is creativity and she brings an open-minded, interactive approach to all of her teaching. She plans opportunities to create music games with her students, helps them write and produce their own music, and incorporates art, movement and literature in her lessons. In music lessons with Jillian, you can expect encouraging guidance, enthusiasm for your specific goals, a commitment to excellence and a healthy dose of creativity and fun! 

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Tiera
Early Childhood Group Music, Piano, Musical Theatre, Voice

​Tiera is a vocalist, musical theater performer, and early childhood education teacher with 21, 5, and 3 years of experience respectively. Tiera fell in love with music and singing at the age of 2 and has been practicing ever since. She studied piano, dance, and choral music throughout childhood and eventually musical theater as well. At age 14, Tiera began working with children professionally and 9 years later is now a music teacher for early childhood education students. She is currently working on her Bachelors degree in Psychology and minoring in music.
Tiera is highly passionate about teaching music to children for both creative expression and cultural knowledge, and she immensely believes in the cultivation of safe environments and communities for students. Music was, and continues to be, a safe space for Tiera throughout her life, and she hopes to create that space for other children as well. 

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Ruge 
Piano, Music Theory, Composition

Ruge is a pianist and composer based in San Francisco with 15 years of piano experience. Her piano teacher encouraged her to take her passion for composition to new heights and study in a conservatory. Ruge then enrolled in and earned her master’s degree from the esteemed San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the summer of 2023. Ruge's compositions have breathed life into several short films, creating musical tapestries that have resonated across the world, from San Francisco to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Athens, and beyond.

With a remarkable 15-year journey on the piano, Ruge brings her patience and kindness to the realm of teaching beginner and intermediate students. Ruge likes to sing in her piano class and always strives to keep lessons engaging for young students. Her strong foundation in music theory and piano performance is the cornerstone of her teaching prowess. As a pianist, composer, and educator, Ruge continues to compose the harmonious chapters of her musical story.

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Neil
Trombone, Piano, AP Music Theory

​A versatile musician, Neil has been playing brass instruments for 11 years, including trombone, euphonium, and tuba. Formerly a student of the Juilliard pre-college division, Neil is currently earning a Bachelors of Music in Trombone Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Additionally, he received high marks in the keyboard skills program at SFCM while deepening his piano practice. Neil also takes advanced level theory courses and frequently tutors his peers at all levels of theory and musicianship. As an educator, Neil is passionate about teaching brass, piano, theory, and musicianship to students of all ages, and has an encouraging yet methodical teaching style.

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Tessa
 Early Childhood Music Education

Tessa started her musical journey in elementary school and absolutely fell in love. She chose the flute as her tool and before she knew it, she was practicing everyday, insatiable for the beauty and joy it brought into her life. Tessa then began teaching lessons as a teenager and never stopped! She eventually earned a BA in Child Development, concentrating on Early Development, Care, and Education, as well as a minor in music. She has taught preschool since 2018 and in recent years has combined her two greatest loves: early childhood education and music. This inspired her to go back to school to earn another BA in Music at SF State where she's loving being a student again! Tessa believes that music is a universal connector and one of life's deepest joys. Young children experience a deep, profound, and enthusiastic connection to music, (just like adults!) and she LOVES being their guide into discovering this power within themselves.

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Andrew
Piano, Composition, Voice, Music Theory

​Andrew is a recent graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of music. He earned his Bachelors in Music Composition, studying composition and theory with David Conte, David Garner, and Scott Foglesong. Before studying at the conservatory, he has had experience with a wide variety of musical styles, including choral music, orchestral standards, jazz big bands, marching bands/drum corps, and chamber music. He studied piano with organist/harpsichordist Guy Whatley, who pushed him to pursue music with drive and curiosity. 

​Now, as a teacher and performer in the Bay Area, he works with several ensembles, including singing for the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and the Archbishop’s Schola chamber choir, as well as conducting and accompanying for the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
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His favorite composers are Chopin, Mahler, Ravel, and Francis Poulenc.

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Gene
 Piano and Jazz Improvisation

Gene is a jazz pianist based in San Francisco, California. He is currently a student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying under Helen Sung and Edward Simon. Gene has performed with notable jazz musicians such as Ulysses Owens Jr., Matt Wilson, and David Sanchez.

Gene began teaching his fellow students as a teaching assistant for his high school jazz band and is excited to share his passion for piano with the next generation of musicians. 

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