Jan Nichols-Franz Piano Studio

Jan is simply an awesome piano player and teacher.
Jan fosters an understanding and appreciation of music and allows students to play pieces from various genres while providing a solid musical foundation. This is a key to success IMHO as the students enjoy the music they are learning and performing.
It’s not uncommon for piano instructors to have yearly recitals, but what is unusual is that Jan and her husband host a wonderful recital each year that not only allows the students to showcase their talent and skill’s, but also for their parents and families to meet and socialize with a fantastic buffet!
Our son has been studying with Jan for several years and he loves both the piano and Jan. The piano started as something he was interested in at age six and with Jan’s guidance and support, the piano and music have become an integral part of his life.

When my 6 year old son announced he would like to learn to play the piano I came to Unilocal to see who was in Alameda. After reading Jan’s review I decided to check her out. On the phone I could tell Jan was an experienced teacher by her questions. Once my son and I arrived at her home studio she made us feel right at home. My son, who is often shy with strangers, had no problem engaging in conversation with Jan. She kept him on task and gave him just the right amount of information. She treated him like a mature student who was ready to learn. When we got home after the lesson he was so excited that he wanted to immediately practice. I am very happy with her teaching and interactions with my son. More importantly, he is excited about his next lesson and eager to practice and learn more. THAT takes a good teacher!

I took lessons from Jan as a child. Considering how resistant I was to learning (constantly insisting that I already knew whatever it was she was trying to show me, which, of course, I did NOT) it’s amazing that I got as much out of the lessons as I did.
Jan has been a professional jazz musician for decades. She started playing as a child in Chicago and was a band geek all through elementary, junior and high (back then they actually had MUSIC PROGRAMS in the SCHOOLS, can you believe it?!). When she graduated she went on to study piano at DePaul University but after spending a summer on the road with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars (fancy, eh?) felt there was a disconnect between scholarly piano and the reality of being a professional musician so she left school and went back on tour. She traveled all over the US and Asia in various bands and eventually settled in San Francisco.
With the complete demise of the live music (especially live jazz) scene in the 90’s, Jan took up teaching, approaching each student in a learning-​style and interest-​specific way. If the kid loves blues, they learn blues. They love Death Cab for Cutie? Fine, bring it on. Celine Dion? Jan will make it happen. She makes sure they get their basics down, that they’re doing their exercises and learning to count time, but she really allows the kids to have a say in what songs they use to learn this stuff with, and that’s so important because if the kid isn’t having fun, they won’t want to practice.
Jan also attacks the daunting task of teaching adults to play piano. I use the word daunting more in terms of the adults’ reaction to the learning process than her reaction to teaching them – adults have a much harder time absorbing info than children do and they tend to progress more slowly, get frustrated more often, and have much more trouble finding the discipline to practice. Jan doesn’t scold them though because she understands that life is busy and that it’s hard to find time for unnecessary activities like music.
No matter what her students’ age, Jan is unfaltering in her support of their learning process and progress. She nurtures their desire to play, honestly tells parents when the kid is just not feeling it, and even hosts a lovely recital for students of every level in the spring. We should all be so lucky to have this level of instructor in our lives.