Guest teacher profile: Nik West

Bassist, vocalist, & model, Nik West, a force of nature, known for her versatility, cool & calm, confidence & passion for life has been perfecting her gifts all of her life! Challenging and changing the industry around her and all those who come in contact with are left astonished and amazed as she captivates audiences everywhere! Words she lives by, “Talent does what it can, Genius does what it must!” and these words have taken her all over the world, and all before her 22nd birthday. Phoenix, Arizona, her hometown was her first hand introduction to music & her love for the arts! At an early age was where it all began. T. West, an accomplished guitarist, also her father, was inspirational in her love for playing the bass! He taught her a few runs on the guitar and she learned it quickly. He also noticed she had great dexterity with her fingers, even being left handed, playing a right-handed guitar. It didn’t stop there, this love ignited in her a passion to vocalize & verbalize what she felt as her hands began to quickly adapt to the strings. From this union a singer was born! Growing up in a household filled with music and creativity really cultivated and shaped her into the young woman she has become today. Music has been a blessing in disguise as it has carried her through humble beginnings in her family, which includes her sisters (keys, drums, violin, guitar) who were her first band and singing act, and an older brother! However, without her very supportive mother, she would only be 2/3rds of the package she is today. Fender took a liking to Nik’s eclectic voice and soulful bass playing and gave her an artist endorsement. She was one of the first to get her hands on Fender’s first 6 string bass. Recently, she has been chosen to be the face of SWR’s Black Beauty Amplifiers. Bass legend, Marcus Miller hand-picked the photo for the SWR ad that runs in Bass Player Magazine. While working on her first album, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics called Nik and asked her to play bass for him and work on a project that he was putting together with Glen Ballard and other great musicians. Nik’s resume includes appearances in Coca Cola, Ipod, and MTV commercials just to name a few.. Although she has been blessed to grace the stage with many talented artists and has subdued runways from the US, to Japan, to Capetown, she still continues to keep her cool! The future is looking astonishingly bright as new ventures and opportunities are opening up for this young, talented artist. Currently, Nik is working on her first solo album. Stay tuned for release dates.