Nanette Pietroforte Marcus has built a life tuned to imagination, community and family
If you ask Westchester resident Nanette Pietroforte Marcus where her story begins, she’ll take you back to Visalia, a Central California town where farmland stretches toward the horizon and the pace of life moves just a little slower. The Central Valley is the breadbasket of the world, a place where the days feel steady and grounded, like a familiar bassline. It’s where her father grew up, and where he returned after serving in the Air Force. While stationed in the Philippines, he met Nanette’s mother, and the two married just weeks later. They kept that whirlwind romance quiet for years, worried their daughter might follow their impulsive lead. Her wide-eyed shock when she finally learned the truth assured them she wouldn’t.
Born in a year that makes her a Xennial, Nanette grew up during what she fondly calls a “classic 80s childhood.” The kind where kids roamed the neighborhood until the streetlights flickered on, where bikes and scraped knees and long summer nights were the norm. Her home life was a vibrant blend of cultures: her father’s Italian heritage, celebrated through gatherings at the Sons of Italy Lodge, and her mother’s Filipino family, whose warmth and traditions shaped her just as deeply. She and her younger brother grew up surrounded by food, music, and a sense of belonging that would follow her throughout her life.
The First Notes: A Spark of Imagination
Imagination showed up early for Nanette, almost like a melody she couldn’t help but follow. She devoured Shel Silverstein’s poetry, eventually writing her own collection in sixth grade. When she shyly shared it with her teacher, something magical happened: her teacher secretly bound several copies, turning Nanette’s childhood poems into Christmas gifts for her family. It was the first time she saw her ideas reflected back at her as something real, her first published “album,” in a way.
Music was another constant. The Pietroforte name carried weight in town, and people would ask if she was a singer like the rest of her large Italian family. She wasn’t, but she found her own musical lane through instruments. She learned trumpet on the same horn her father played as a boy, then switched to French horn, and later mastered mallet instruments like the xylophone, vibraphone, and marimba. In high school jazz band, she earned outstanding musician awards at every competition. Though she eventually stepped away from performing in college, music never stopped shaping her identity. It simply shifted from center stage to the background score of her life.
Changing Keys: Discovering Her Path
Nanette began her college journey at Cuesta College on the Central Coast, initially imagining a future in psychology. But one uninspiring intro class nudged her toward a different calling. Inspired by roommates attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she transferred and majored in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. She wanted to understand the media from the inside out, an instinct that would serve her well.
Her early career took her through a range of public relations agencies, working with clients from Krispy Kreme’s Southern California debut to the California Department of Health Services, Avery Dennison, Nature Made Vitamins, and Beach Body. Each project added a new “track” to her professional playlist, teaching her how to adapt her voice to different audiences and industries.
Eventually, she crossed the aisle into journalism, writing for an online marketing trade publication until it was acquired and folded. That unexpected pause in her soundtrack led to her current role: Senior Writer for Lakeshore Learning Materials, where she has spent the past nine years crafting catalog copy, website content, emails, and social media for the beloved educational supply company. She credits her seasoned colleagues, some with nearly three decades at Lakeshore, for helping her refine her “instrument” as a writer. And she still laughs at the serendipity of how she found the job: through a local mom, Stacie Palka, whom she met at their daughters’ school.
Working from home has been a gift, she says, offering a work/life balance that finally feels like the perfect tempo.
A Westchester Homecoming: Finding the Right Ensemble
Nanette and her family moved to Westchester in 2013 after a brief stint in Portland. Her husband, Brent, is a rare native Angeleno, and the couple had previously lived in Santa Monica before heading north. When they returned to Southern California, they discovered Westchester, a community that felt like a small town tucked inside a big city, the kind of place where everyone knows the chorus.
They spent a combined 10 years at Kentwood Elementary, where their daughters thrived and where Nanette and Brent met educators and families who became lifelong friends. But it’s their immediate neighborhood that truly feels like home.
“We hit the lottery,” Nanette says. “Our neighbors on all sides feel like our own little village.”
It’s the kind of block where everyone’s in tune.
Family, Music, and the Everyday Joys
Nanette and Brent met as journalism majors at Cal Poly. She admired his witty, sharp columns in the school paper long before they ever spoke. Today, she describes him as intelligent, thoughtful, kind, and the kind of father who sets the bar high. They recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.
Their daughters, Quinn (17) and Nora (13), are both guitarists and students at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. Nanette lights up when she hears them practice; music is once again threading itself through her life in a new generation. The family also includes Buddy, their beloved pandemic pup adopted in 2020.
Hobbies and Harmony: Keeping the Beat
One of Nanette’s favorite hobbies is being active with the Beachside chapter of the National Charity League, a mother–daughter philanthropic organization. Through NCL, both her girls and Nanette regularly volunteer with local charities, giving back to the community through programs like Project Linus, Miriam’s House, and Portraits of Hope.
In recent years, Nanette has embraced a health journey that led her to strength training, something she never expected to enjoy but now looks forward to. She’s also a devoted live music fan, having seen John Mayer 16 times. Sharing concerts with her daughters has become one of her greatest joys, whether it’s Foo Fighters, Taylor Swift, or Billie Eilish. For a lifelong music lover, there’s nothing quite like watching your kids fall in love with the same songs.
Every so often, she dusts off the xylophone she bought secondhand years ago, teaching herself new songs by ear.
“It’s like teaching an old dog new tricks,” she jokes, but the joy is unmistakable.
It’s her way of keeping her own melody alive.
Rooted in Community, Lifted by Imagination
From her childhood in Visalia to her life today in Westchester, Nanette’s story is one of imagination, reinvention, and connection. Whether she’s writing for work, cheering on her daughters, lifting weights, or tapping out melodies on her xylophone, she brings the same spirit she had as a kid: curious, expressive, and always ready to make something meaningful.
Her life may not mirror the whirlwind romance her parents once hid from her, but it’s full of harmony, happiness, and excitement all the same, proof that the best songs aren’t rushed; they’re composed over time, one beautiful note at a time.
By Sylvia Wilson