Erika Paul Carlson, NCTM, NAC AIR, BMI, HFA, AFM



Music Performance and Instruction


Singer, Pianist, Songwriter, Bandleader & Jazz Specialist

Born, raised and trained in the San Francisco Bay Area and now living in Sparks, NV, Erika is a unique, consummate and versatile career music performer, teacher and bandleader on piano and vocals.

Her degrees include an A.A. degree at College of San Mateo and a B.A. at San Jose State University, CA in general music and theory and jazz performance and jazz theory. Erika also completed credential coursework and student teaching at San Francisco State University.

At a time in the Bay Area when classroom music teaching jobs were numbered and declining, Erika chose to teach privately along with performing with her jazz quartet, and joined the MTNA National and the State & Local California & San Mateo Branches of the MTAC and has never looked back.

In 1990, Erika transferred to Northern Nevada to join the NMTA and NNMTA Branches were she now resides.

In 2007, Erika received permanent national certification in teaching excellence and in 2010 was awarded the 20 years of national service award and the local 15 years of service award.

Erika is also a resident artist in music for the Nevada Arts Council since 1998, and works with classroom teachers to plan, organize and carry out learning goals through residencies up to 16 weeks long. Erika also stays involved with teaching summer music and art camps.

To date, Erika's trio has visited over 65 schools, introducing jazz to more than 60,000 students, teachers and parents in Nevada and California through school assemblies.

In 2005, Erika composed, produced and performed on an interactive learning cd she created to introduce children to jazz entitled, "Scat's My Bag". This cd won three national awards: The Parents' Choice Award of Approval (2006), The Children's Web Award for Best Recording for older children ages 8 to 12 (2006) and the prestigious NAPPA Parenthood Magazine Honors Award (2007).

Erika later created a songbook in concert key with band leadsheet transpositions for 5th to 8th grades and a coloring/drawing storybook for K-4th grades to accompany the interactive audio cd.

Erika is also an author arranger of two original early level solo jazz piano pieces, "Clean Your Room To The Trumpet Tune" and "Clarinet Claire" for Neil A. Kjos Publishing Co. in San Diego, CA that were inspired by the Scat's My Bag project. Erika is also an artist member of Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), a publisher member of the Harry Fox Agency (HFA) and a lifetime member of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).

In 2001, Erika worked as a mentor teacher for, and also had the opportunity to perform with world-acclaimed trumpet player and educator Wynton Marsalis and saxist Ted Nash, during a Jazz@Lincoln Center big band clinic and community concert that took place in the Truckee/Tahoe City area involving talented music students from Bear Creek, Truckee and Tahoe City high schools.

In 2003 Erika also had the opportunity to sing with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) advanced big band and alongside saxist/arranger Bill Liston from the award winning movie musical "Chicago". In 1984, Erika performed the National Anthem with 200 singers in Galen Marshall's Masterworks Chorale at the U.S. Soccer Olympics at Stanford University in Palo Alto for a crowd of 85,000 sports fans.

In 1982, Erika performed one of her first compositions (Farewell Till Summer) with the legendary saxist Stan Getz, whose positive comments and encouragement inspired her to continue writing and performing music.

Erika's trio performances include many jazz festivals, clubs, art galleries and special events throughout the west coast including performances at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society opening for Bay Area trombonist Si Perkoff, concerts for the Smithsonian Institute's traveling Duke Ellington Exhibition and the Miles Davis/John Lennon/Gerry Garcia traveling art exhibition.

Erika's groups have also given numerous concerts for the nationally known Concours D'Elegance Wooden Boat Show event in Carnelian Bay, CA for the last 10 years and for the national Artown event in Northern Nevada since 1998, including a night of Gershwin film and music for over 3000 spectators in Wingfield Park Amphitheatre.

Locally, Erika and her trio work for the Pioneer Center Youth Program, visiting schools with her interactive live jazz assembly concerts and Erika is also a favorite touring artist over the last 8 years for the Sierra Arts Elder Care Concert Series (ECCS), an important community music program for the elderly, originally created by consummate music artists Dallas Smith and Susan Mazer.

Erika's jazz groups also go back to 1996, performing Concerts in the Atrium and Concerts in the Gallery for Sierra Arts. Erika also spent 15 years sharing her musical talents on a regular basis with many local churches as a performer and music director.

Erika has also had the opportunity to perform and teach throughout the U.S. including L.A. & S.F. CA, CO, UT, WA, NYC, and overseas in Paris France, Venice Italy, Zaragoza and Barcelona Spain and in Frankfurt Germany.

All 14 of Erika's current cd recordings and books are available for sample listening and purchase on her website at www.ErikaPaul.com. Please click on the CDs/Books page to print out a mail order form or use the convenient and secure Paypal payment service to order.

Visit Erika's Home Page and What's New page for links, samples and most current information.

Erika's performing and teaching schedule and Contact page can also be found on her website. Erika's individual mp3 song tracks are also available through iTunes.

Please direct all questions and booking inquiries to Erika's Contact Page at www.ErikaPaul.com or write to:

Jazz Q Music Education Services


P.O. Box 51701


Sparks, NV 89435-1701