Private Lesson
Private Lessons
The Hopkinton Center for the Arts offers quality private and group music, art, theater and dance education for all ages and skill levels. Our professional instructors provide individually tailored instruction for artists, dancers, and musicians. Information about our talented teachers is below, within the Art, Music and Acting tabs. At this time many instructors are offering online private lessons. Please email info@hopartscenter.org if you would like to learn more.
Music only: Students study with these instructors on location at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. Rates for Private Lessons (30 min. or 1 hr.) and lesson schedule are determined by the individual instructor. For more information, contact the HCA main office at (508) 435-9222 or email info@hopartscenter.org. Private lesson forms can be found on the Student Information page.
Dance/Theater/Art: For these classes visit our youth or adult class listings. To inquire about private lessons, contact us at info@hopartscenter.org.
Acting
Alyssa is thrilled to be on the teaching staff at HCA. With an extreme passion for the performing arts she has been performing, teaching, directing, and choreographing all over MA and RI for the past several years. Alyssa is a Boston-based actor working the past five years for companies such as New Repertory Theatre and Reagle Music Theatre. Credits include Me and My Girl, Singing in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof and many more. She is also no stranger to the New York stage as her credits include performances at Alvin Ailey and Carnegie Hall. Alyssa received her BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts majoring in theater as a high schooler. In addition to private voice and acting, Alyssa teaches Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, and Storybook Theater here at HCA.
Kelly is an original founder of Enter Stage Left Theater, has served as its Executive Director for 7 years, has taught classes, and directed numerous shows for the company. For the past two years she has functioned as Executive Director for the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. As an actress, she has performed for ESL theater as well as several other theater groups in the Boston area and California. Kelly has a Bachelor’s degree in theater from Providence College. She has worked with high school students to prepare for college as well as community theater actors who want to work on professional auditions, improving technique, and those who need coaching for a performance.
Maureen Regan has been performing in plays and musicals since she was eight years old and has recently returned to the Boston area after living and working in New York City for the last five years.
Maureen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Baldwin Wallace University, and a Master of Music degree in Musical Theatre from New York University. She has performed with theaters across the Midwest and Northeast, with some of her favorite roles including Rizzo (Grease), Marion Thayer (Titanic the Musical), and Belinda Blair (Noises Off).
Theater
Alyssa is thrilled to be on the teaching staff at HCA. With an extreme passion for the performing arts she has been performing, teaching, directing, and choreographing all over MA and RI for the past several years. Alyssa is a Boston-based actor working the past five years for companies such as New Repertory Theatre and Reagle Music Theatre. Credits include Me and My Girl, Singing in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof and many more. She is also no stranger to the New York stage as her credits include performances at Alvin Ailey and Carnegie Hall. Alyssa received her BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts majoring in theater as a high schooler. In addition to private voice and acting, Alyssa teaches Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, and Storybook Theater here at HCA.
Melissa is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. She began teaching voice lessons at UMass where she also studied Vocal Pedagogy or the study of the art and science of voice instruction. There she learned key teaching techniques that incorporate breathing, placement, posture, diction, among many others, to produce healthy singing. Her expertise lies in Musical Theater and Classical singing.
She is currently a music teacher at a private school and is also involved in various theater productions in the greater Boston area as a Director, Music Director, and Choreographer. Recent shows include The Addams Family, Honk Jr., Aladdin Jr., The Lion King Jr., Seussical Jr. and many more. Audition preparation is a specialty of hers as she is an experienced director.
Performance credits include, soloist with the Metrowest Symphony, soloist in George Crumb’s The River of Life with the UMass Percussion Ensemble, and soloist with the UMass Chamber Choir, as well as various jobs as a voice actor. She is also an avid Musical Theater performer and in the summer of 2012 she was a member of the College Light Opera Company. Recent roles include Olive (Spelling Bee), Greta Fiorentino (Street Scene), Hope (Urinetown), Fiona (Brigadoon), and Fraulein Kost (Cabaret).
Melissa’s style of teaching includes a warm and supportive environment that motivates students to grow as musicians and performers. This is done by not only encouraging proper vocal technique, but the ability to emote while performing, and the learning of music theory and aural skills. She believes that music is essential to a student’s overall growth as a person and hopes to continue spreading music education wherever she can!
Maureen Regan has been performing in plays and musicals since she was eight years old and has recently returned to the Boston area after living and working in New York City for the last five years.
Maureen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Baldwin Wallace University, and a Master of Music degree in Musical Theatre from New York University. She has performed with theaters across the Midwest and Northeast, with some of her favorite roles including Rizzo (Grease), Marion Thayer (Titanic the Musical), and Belinda Blair (Noises Off).
Art
Catherine Howe is a pastel artist from Hopkinton. After earning a BFA in Art Education from Indiana University, Catherine worked as a fashion illustrator, graphic designer, and was then art director for American Trans Air Airlines and for American Art Clay Company.
She is a member of the Pastel Society of America as well as the New Hampshire Pastel Society and shows and sells her work at galleries in New England.
Catherine is available for private art lessons.
Marion was born in France in an artistic family. Academically, she oriented herself towards science. She received a masters in Geophysics in Paris and worked in the environmental field. In 2001, she moved to the US with her family and decided to try her hand at painting. She took classes with painting teachers before becoming one herself, earned a modern art certificate at the MOMA, became a docent at the Worcester Art Museum and continuously keeps on learning. In 2011, she became a painting teacher where she combines her love for teaching art and art history. With her scientific background and artistic skills, she is able to offer art students different approaches to their art making and help them feel confident in their art projects.
Dance
Cathy Fallon
Ballet, Certified Pilates, Certified Alexander Technique
Cathy Hazeltine Fallon B.S. M.AmSAT, received her classical ballet training from Melissa Hayden, Laurence Rhodes, Christina Bernal, and Maggie Black. She danced with Garden State Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, where she performed in ballets by George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, Todd Bolender and Peter Anastos. She also danced with Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, Mark Morris, and other modern choreographers, and studied and rehearsed with Twyla Tharp and her company members. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesthetic education and dance. She began her Pilates training in New York with Kathy Grant, one of only two teachers certified by Joseph Pilates’, and completed her mat certification through the Physicalmind Institute. In 1993 she completed the three-year training to become an AmSAT certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. She incorporates her Pilates and Alexander training in her dance teaching, which is especially helpful to students with strength and alignment issues.
Tina has trained in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) from the age of 3 years, completing examination levels Pre-Primary through to Advanced 2. She enjoyed being part of numerous touring productions as a child and also enjoyed being part of dance competitions. Her love for ballet and contemporary dance continued at the university level where she studied a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Dance)/Bachelor of Education (Secondary - English). With this achievement, Tina taught dance as an elective subject for 7 years at an Australian high school. Missing the technique of syllabus work, Tina went back to study the RAD's Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies (CBTS) allowing her the privilege to teach using the RAD approach. She is looking forward to sharing her love for ballet.
Cello,Viola,Violin
Rebecca graduated from Stetson University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Music Education specializing in instrumental music. She currently teaches strings and general music in Milford Public Schools. She studied cello under the tutelage of David Bjella as well as Tom May. In her undergraduate career Rebecca was awarded the William E. Duckwitz Talent Scholarship as well as the Olivia T. Rosa Music Scholarship. Among those awards she was named Outstanding Performer by the 2009 Naples Bach Festival and also the 2009 winner of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra’s concerto competition.
Currently Rebecca performs in orchestra pits and other ensembles. Rebecca holds the Massachusetts Teaching Certification for Music, grades Kindergarten through 12th. She is a member of the American String Teacher’s Association as well as the New England chapter of the National Orff Association. Rebecca approaches string pedagogy from a passionate standpoint. Her goal as an educator is to inspire and foster the love and the appreciation of music. When she is not teaching music, Rebecca resides in Franklin with her fiancé and two miniature dachshunds.
has taught strings and piano privately and for a number of school systems since 1979. Ms. Feldman plays the violin in numerous orchestras and ensembles including the Worcester Symphony Orchestra, Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, and the MetroWest Symphony Orchestra of Hopkinton
Guitar
Jack Byrne is a vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston, MA. Jack holds a Bachelor’s in Music from UMass Amherst, and a Master’s in Voice Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College. Jack is well versed in playing a wide variety of styles from Rock, Folk, Bluegrass, Metal, Classical, and Jazz. He has performed as a guitarist on tour with Indie/Pop band, “The Narrative,” and has been performing and recording his own music for about 15 years.
Jack teaches lessons in Voice, Guitar, Piano, Bass, Banjo, Ukulele, and Mandolin. His teaching philosophy is that you are the artist, and he is simply nudging you along to find your own voice. Whether you are an absolute beginner or a more seasoned player, it is Jack’s mission to help each of his students find the confidence to achieve their artistic goals through fun and upbeat lessons.
A guitarist since the age of ten, T.J. began his studies in traditional music theory and notation on classical guitar, and was then introduced to new styles such as rock and metal styles shortly afterward. T.J. discovered his calling and passion for Rock guitar and continued his studies all the way to his college career. T.J. is also versed in teaching students on piano and drums (beginner level)
An active performer and studio buff, T. J.’s guitar skills and talent for studio production helped to secure him a spot at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he earn a B.M. in Music Production and Engineering as a principal guitarist. Studying under guitar greats such as Bret Wilmott, Freddie Bryant and Shaun Michaud, and renowned MP&E faculty such as Susan Rogers and Prince Charles Alexander, T.J. has had hands-on experience with some of the best guitarists and studio experts anywhere in the music industry. Joining the BSM faculty to share his love of guitar, T.J. encourages students of all ages to explore the music that drives them, from indie to alternative, rock and metal, both on the guitar and in the recording studio.
Anna Freitas was raised on the pop and rock music of the 70's and 80's. She would sing along with the top 40 hits of the day, her ear pressed firmly against the speaker in the "way back" of her parents' station wagon. Her love of music remained strong and led Anna to first pick up a guitar at age fourteen. Before long, she became a member of her high school jazz band.
Anna's studies continued at Berklee College of Music as one of only a handful of female guitarists. At Berklee she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music with a focus on songwriting and music business. She also had the honor of one of her original songs being nominated for a Berklee student CD release.
Anna began honing her vocal chops as a member of the Berklee Reverence Gospel Ensemble. Being accepted into this vocal group as a guitar major gave her the spark to pursue singing further. After college she continued to study voice privately for several years.
Anna has performed consistently throughout New England since the mid nineties as a guitarist and vocalist with various projects. She was lead guitarist for the rock/funk group Dr. Overseer, which caught a local buzz in the club scene. Anna Also had a brief weekly gig at the renowned Wally's Jazz Cafe where she had the opportunity to play with some of Boston's best funk musicians.
Anna continued on to form her own original project as guitarist and vocalist drawing from a range of influences, including classic rock and contemporary and classic RnB. She has been a fixture in the Boston club scene, has toured and done live radio appearances throughout New England, and continues to perform at various private events in the area.
In addition to performing, studying music, and being a Mom to a young daughter, Anna truly enjoys working with kids of all ages teaching private lessons. She feels great satisfaction in knowing she had helped to encourage an interest in music for a student, whichever direction it may take!
Jodi Stevens earned a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1997 with a concentration in Education and Electric Bass performance. She has taught in Massachusetts for over twenty years, everything from private to small group lessons. She also co-directed a youth choir for 5 years.
Ms. Stevens has played and continues to play in multiple bands including The Mix ‘Em Ups, 8 Misbehavin’ (an 8 piece jazz band) and also plays in multiple musical theater pit orchestras. Jodi was one of ten featured performers at Brandeis University's Alive By Her Own Hand women's music festival in 2011 where she was selected to perform her original composition Simpatico. Her song 34268 was selected as the theme song for the independent film Quest For the Indie Tube and two other compositions were used in the soundtrack for the Great College Radio Hoax. Ms. Stevens draws from her vast experience teaching students of multiple ages, instruments and learning styles to design lessons towards the individual client
Robb offers guitar, (acoustic, Electric, slide, etc) Bass Guitar, and Mandolin lessons. He started his guitar/bass-playing career in 1965 at the age of 10, (5th Grade), and has been performing as a solo artist and in bands in and about the Boston/Metrowest area since 1971. During 1978 through 1982, as a member of the Hot Dates, he wrote and recorded several songs included on the Singles and eponymous vinyl LP “Hot Dates” released in 1981, which went on to receive varied amounts of local airplay on WBCN, WERS, WAAF and several college stations – These days, the album can be found in its entirety on YouTube. In the early 90s, with “The United Snakes”, Robb (as the bassist for that band) wrote and recorded several of the songs released on the CD “Lighten Up! This Ain’t Brain Surgery” to local critical acclaim. Since 1995, Robb has been the front man/protagonist/ringleader of the Spock Goes Mental floating pick-up band. Over the course of his career as a guitarist/bassist/songwriter/musician, Robb has played in many bands of varied genres, including Rock & Roll, Metal, Punk, New Wave, Fusion, Blues, Folk, Jazz and Avant Garde. He is fluent in many styles, from Drop-C Thud to Folk fingerstyle, slap-and-pop bass, and Mandolin improv.
Robb tailors the lessons to the student’s interest and ability, from traditional sight-reading and scales, to improvisation techniques, and even song writing. Students are encouraged to bring in music they like, to work towards as a goal. Overall emphasis is on the enjoyment of making music with the instrument. As Robb likes to say, “Guitar is supposed to be fun.”
Percussion / Woodwinds / Brass
Jodi Stevens earned a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1997 with a concentration in Education and Electric Bass performance. She has taught in Massachusetts for over twenty years, everything from private to small group lessons. She also co-directed a youth choir for 5 years.
Ms. Stevens has played and continues to play in multiple bands including The Mix ‘Em Ups, 8 Misbehavin’ (an 8 piece jazz band) and also plays in multiple musical theater pit orchestras. Jodi was one of ten featured performers at Brandeis University's Alive By Her Own Hand women's music festival in 2011 where she was selected to perform her original composition Simpatico. Her song 34268 was selected as the theme song for the independent film Quest For the Indie Tube and two other compositions were used in the soundtrack for the Great College Radio Hoax. Ms. Stevens draws from her vast experience teaching students of multiple ages, instruments and learning styles to design lessons towards the individual client
graduated Magna Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Percussion and Music Synthesis, and has toured extensively throughout the US and the world. Phil has opened for the Spin Doctors, Van Halen, BB King, Indigo Girls and Rusted Root, as well as performed and/or recorded with artists such as Evan Goodrow, Todd Thibaud, Barbara Kessler, Jimmy Buffet, Bob Malone, Jennifer Tefft, Geoff Bartley, Jennifer Kimball, Buskin & Bateau, Tim Mason, Signs Of Life, John Fulbright, Shecky and The Pimp Monkeys, Stephanie Corby, Amy Fairchild, Zach Brooke, Timothy Rirdon, Gracie Fan Brunt, Charlotte Sands Berking and many other artists.
In addition to his performance career, Phil founded and developed multiple music companies including Nimbit Inc., Artist Development Associates and Johnny Brock Management. From Harvard Business School to Belfast Music Week, Phil has presented and motivated audiences around the world with his unique perspective of the real business of music.
A guitarist since the age of ten, T.J. began his studies in traditional music theory and notation on classical guitar, and was then introduced to new styles such as rock and metal styles shortly afterward. T.J. discovered his calling and passion for Rock guitar and continued his studies all the way to his college career. T.J. is also versed in teaching students on piano and drums (beginner level)
An active performer and studio buff, T. J.’s guitar skills and talent for studio production helped to secure him a spot at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he earn a B.M. in Music Production and Engineering as a principal guitarist. Studying under guitar greats such as Bret Wilmott, Freddie Bryant and Shaun Michaud, and renowned MP&E faculty such as Susan Rogers and Prince Charles Alexander, T.J. has had hands-on experience with some of the best guitarists and studio experts anywhere in the music industry. Joining the BSM faculty to share his love of guitar, T.J. encourages students of all ages to explore the music that drives them, from indie to alternative, rock and metal, both on the guitar and in the recording studio.
Piano
A guitarist since the age of ten, T.J. began his studies in traditional music theory and notation on classical guitar, and was then introduced to new styles such as rock and metal styles shortly afterward. T.J. discovered his calling and passion for Rock guitar and continued his studies all the way to his college career. T.J. is also versed in teaching students on piano and drums (beginner level)
An active performer and studio buff, T. J.’s guitar skills and talent for studio production helped to secure him a spot at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he earn a B.M. in Music Production and Engineering as a principal guitarist. Studying under guitar greats such as Bret Wilmott, Freddie Bryant and Shaun Michaud, and renowned MP&E faculty such as Susan Rogers and Prince Charles Alexander, T.J. has had hands-on experience with some of the best guitarists and studio experts anywhere in the music industry. Joining the BSM faculty to share his love of guitar, T.J. encourages students of all ages to explore the music that drives them, from indie to alternative, rock and metal, both on the guitar and in the recording studio.
Jodi Stevens earned a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1997 with a concentration in Education and Electric Bass performance. She has taught in Massachusetts for over twenty years, everything from private to small group lessons. She also co-directed a youth choir for 5 years.
Ms. Stevens has played and continues to play in multiple bands including The Mix ‘Em Ups, 8 Misbehavin’ (an 8 piece jazz band) and also plays in multiple musical theater pit orchestras. Jodi was one of ten featured performers at Brandeis University's Alive By Her Own Hand women's music festival in 2011 where she was selected to perform her original composition Simpatico. Her song 34268 was selected as the theme song for the independent film Quest For the Indie Tube and two other compositions were used in the soundtrack for the Great College Radio Hoax. Ms. Stevens draws from her vast experience teaching students of multiple ages, instruments and learning styles to design lessons towards the individual client
has taught strings and piano privately and for a number of school systems since 1979. Ms. Feldman plays the violin in numerous orchestras and ensembles including the Worcester Symphony Orchestra, Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, and the MetroWest Symphony Orchestra of Hopkinton
Soprano Victoria Bartolomeo holds a Master of Music (M.M.) in Vocal Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.
Ms. Bartolomeo's partial roles include: Ilia (Idomeneo), Blanche (Dialogues of the Carmelites), and the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte). In April of 2014, Victoria participated as a chorus member in MetroWest Opera's production of Hansel & Gretel. In October of the same year, Ms. Bartolomeo gave the modern-day premiere of vocal selections by Boston-based composer Salvatore Arnò (1884-1963). In September of 2017, she performed the role of Dodo in The Merry Widow with Worcester Schubertiade. Additionally, during the holiday season, Ms. Bartolomeo returns to the Church of the Good Shepherd in Acton, Massachusetts, to perform in their Lessons & Carols Service.
Along with being an active vocalist, Victoria performs as a pianist. She could be seen most recently performing with the Westford Historical Society during a fundraising event titled An Evening at the Abbott Estate, in June of 2017. Ms. Bartolomeo performed selections by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Donaudy, and Andrew Lloyd Webber on the home’s antique Steinway piano.
For the past seven years, Victoria has been teaching voice and piano lessons in the Greater Boston area. During voice lessons, she guides students in improving their breath management skills, resonance, diction, range, and vocal timbre. During piano lessons, Victoria focuses on note reading, rhythmic accuracy, and nuances such as dynamics and articulation, in order to build the strongest musical foundation for her students.
have been teaching music for 45 years. My musical journey began when I studied violin in the third grade. By the time I was twelve I was studying with a teacher from the Boston Symphony. When I was 16, I started studying classical piano. I graduated Boston University School of fine arts with a double major in strings and musical education grades k-12. I was the director of elementary music in Stowe, Morrisville, and Elmore Vermont from 1968-1973. I then returned to Hopkinton to raise my family, teach general music in many surrounding towns, became the church organist for the Woodville Baptist Church for 25 years and also played violin in the Hopkinton Chamber Orchestra. I also played fiddle with the Vermont Fiddlers of Massachusetts for over twenty years.
My students are exposed to every avenue; classical, improvisation, composition, technical skills, sight reading, theory, and new pop music. Music is an art and I hope all my students will enjoy music as part of their adult lives.
Richard Romiti earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Boston University’s College of Music and a Doctor of Music degree (in music theory and composition) from the University of Toronto. He has received grants, awards and fellowships in music composition from organizations that include the National Endowment for the Arts/American Music Center, Eastman School of Music (Eastman-Hanson Composition Prize), Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (two grants in composition), the University of Toronto and the Pittsburgh Flute Club.
He has musical works published by Southern Music Co. and Oregon Catholic Press.He served as Director of Music at St. John the Evangelist Church (Hopkinton, MA) from 1991-2015 and has taught music at many levels and at several schools and colleges, including Providence College, Rhode Island College, the University of Rhode Island and the University of Toronto. He has also served as Artist-in-Residence with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, teaching music theory and composition at No. Smithfield (RI) High School. He has been a piano instructor at HCA/ESL Theater and director of the Treblemakers vocal ensemble since 2009.
Voice
Jack Byrne is a vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston, MA. Jack holds a Bachelor’s in Music from UMass Amherst, and a Master’s in Voice Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College. Jack is well versed in playing a wide variety of styles from Rock, Folk, Bluegrass, Metal, Classical, and Jazz. He has performed as a guitarist on tour with Indie/Pop band, “The Narrative,” and has been performing and recording his own music for about 15 years.
Jack teaches lessons in Voice, Guitar, Piano, Bass, Banjo, Ukulele, and Mandolin. His teaching philosophy is that you are the artist, and he is simply nudging you along to find your own voice. Whether you are an absolute beginner or a more seasoned player, it is Jack’s mission to help each of his students find the confidence to achieve their artistic goals through fun and upbeat lessons.
Alyssa is thrilled to be on the teaching staff at HCA. With an extreme passion for the performing arts she has been performing, teaching, directing, and choreographing all over MA and RI for the past several years. Alyssa is a Boston-based actor working the past five years for companies such as New Repertory Theatre and Reagle Music Theatre. Credits include Me and My Girl, Singing in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof and many more. She is also no stranger to the New York stage as her credits include performances at Alvin Ailey and Carnegie Hall. Alyssa received her BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts majoring in theater as a high schooler. In addition to private voice and acting, Alyssa teaches Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, and Storybook Theater here at HCA.
Anna Freitas was raised on the pop and rock music of the 70's and 80's. She would sing along with the top 40 hits of the day, her ear pressed firmly against the speaker in the "way back" of her parents' station wagon. Her love of music remained strong and led Anna to first pick up a guitar at age fourteen. Before long, she became a member of her high school jazz band.
Anna's studies continued at Berklee College of Music as one of only a handful of female guitarists. At Berklee she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music with a focus on songwriting and music business. She also had the honor of one of her original songs being nominated for a Berklee student CD release.
Anna began honing her vocal chops as a member of the Berklee Reverence Gospel Ensemble. Being accepted into this vocal group as a guitar major gave her the spark to pursue singing further. After college she continued to study voice privately for several years.
Anna has performed consistently throughout New England since the mid nineties as a guitarist and vocalist with various projects. She was lead guitarist for the rock/funk group Dr. Overseer, which caught a local buzz in the club scene. Anna Also had a brief weekly gig at the renowned Wally's Jazz Cafe where she had the opportunity to play with some of Boston's best funk musicians.
Anna continued on to form her own original project as guitarist and vocalist drawing from a range of influences, including classic rock and contemporary and classic RnB. She has been a fixture in the Boston club scene, has toured and done live radio appearances throughout New England, and continues to perform at various private events in the area.
In addition to performing, studying music, and being a Mom to a young daughter, Anna truly enjoys working with kids of all ages teaching private lessons. She feels great satisfaction in knowing she had helped to encourage an interest in music for a student, whichever direction it may take!
Mark is a Boston area musician and director, and life-long music enthusiast. Having studied classical voice at New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory, he now works mostly in musical theater and jazz. In addition to his private voice studio, he has directed musicals and workshops for many local theater companies and also works as a writer/arranger for original concerts and musical revues. His passion for song also finds an outlet in his own work as a vocalist. A dedicated interpreter of the American Songbook, he has performed standards in concert as a guest soloist with the Claflin Hill Orchestra summer concert series and as a tenor for Boston Musical Theater, with whom he recorded the album “Blues in the Night: The Songs of Johnny Mercer.” Roles include Camille in The Merry Widow, Jason in Bare: A Pop Opera, Joseph inJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors. He also won first place in the 2010 National Association of Teachers of Singing musical theater vocal competition.
Tenor Eric Balboni teaches voice with a comprehensive approach. Eric is a graduate of New York University’s Steinhardt School, having earned his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance (Opera) as well as an Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy. During his time at NYU he began teaching voice lessons to undergraduate students as an adjunct voice instructor. His teaching method is strongly based in an understanding of the science of the voice. Eric helps his students to form good vocal habits and technique that will grow as their voices develop.
Eric enjoys teaching all styles of singing including classical, musical theater, and pop. He believes in a comprehensive approach to technique using various genres of repertoire to help his students grow as singers and musicians. He is currently a professor of voice at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts.
Eric has undergone extensive Vocology training with Dr. Ana Flavia Zuim in collaboration with doctors at the NYU Langone Voice Center.
Eric is also a skilled accompanist and plays for lessons and performances.
Eric Miller (Voice Teacher)
Eric’s experiences studying at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in both undergraduate and graduate careers influenced his teaching heavily. Eric has trained primarily in classical singing, and has performed with the New England Conservatory Summer Opera Studio, but also loves musical theater, performing in musicals throughout high school and college - notably at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts! Eric has taught all ages and across many settings. In graduate school, Eric was the assistant conductor for both Freshman Chorus and Choral Union, working with collegiates and adults from the community. He completed part of his student teaching at Lexington High School, where he worked with all five choirs, and most closely with the Madrigal Singers, the Tenor and Bass Chorale, and Concert Choir. He has been a K-2 music specialist at Brookside Elementary School in Milford, MA, and a K-4 music specialist in Methuen, MA, at Timony Grammar School.
Eric’s teaching philosophy is built around what he refers to as “sustainable musicianship”. Such things as learning how to practice music effectively, how to read music quickly and efficiently, how to analyze music from a theoretical standpoint, and how to apply healthy singing technique to practice and performance are just a few parts of creating a lifelong musician. With every student, Eric takes the time to understand their reason for seeking out private voice instruction. Whether a student wants to become a professional musician, simply learn how to sing a little higher for school choir, pick up singing again after years of not singing, he wants to help each student meet their own goals and works hard to create a personalized approach that will best serve his students.
Melissa is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. She began teaching voice lessons at UMass where she also studied Vocal Pedagogy or the study of the art and science of voice instruction. There she learned key teaching techniques that incorporate breathing, placement, posture, diction, among many others, to produce healthy singing. Her expertise lies in Musical Theater and Classical singing.
She is currently a music teacher at a private school and is also involved in various theater productions in the greater Boston area as a Director, Music Director, and Choreographer. Recent shows include The Addams Family, Honk Jr., Aladdin Jr., The Lion King Jr., Seussical Jr. and many more. Audition preparation is a specialty of hers as she is an experienced director.
Performance credits include, soloist with the Metrowest Symphony, soloist in George Crumb’s The River of Life with the UMass Percussion Ensemble, and soloist with the UMass Chamber Choir, as well as various jobs as a voice actor. She is also an avid Musical Theater performer and in the summer of 2012 she was a member of the College Light Opera Company. Recent roles include Olive (Spelling Bee), Greta Fiorentino (Street Scene), Hope (Urinetown), Fiona (Brigadoon), and Fraulein Kost (Cabaret).
Melissa’s style of teaching includes a warm and supportive environment that motivates students to grow as musicians and performers. This is done by not only encouraging proper vocal technique, but the ability to emote while performing, and the learning of music theory and aural skills. She believes that music is essential to a student’s overall growth as a person and hopes to continue spreading music education wherever she can!
Monica Anderson Spencer, soprano, has performed with such diverse organizations as the SpeakEasy Stage Company, the Heritage Chorale, Enter Stage Left, Opera Southwest, the Goldovsky Opera Institute Summer Workshop, the Wolf Trap Opera Training Program, the Nevilla Ottley Singers, the Joffrey Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the Oscar Micheaux Theater Program and with jazz greats Donald Byrd, Max Roach and Oscar Brown, Jr.
She has also appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Takoma Park Symphony Orchestra and in recital at the U. S. State Department, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Danforth Museum, the Sumner Museum, the National Gallery of Art and several other venues in the Metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., and the Metrowest area of Boston, MA.
Having earned Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education (Vocal Performance) from Howard University in Washington, D.C., Ms. Spencer has served on the voice faculty of the Trinity College (Trinity Washington University), the Ottley Music Studio, the Sewell Conservatory of Music, the former District of Columbia Youth Chorale Program, the Oscar Micheaux Family Theater Company Program and the Suitland High School Visual and Performing Arts Program where she established an opera workshop. She has also taught on the music faculty of Bellingham High School, Bellingham Memorial Middle School and is a frequent substitute music teacher in the Hopkinton Public Schools.
With over two decades of working with high school and college singers, she has a great deal of experience with the care and training of developing voices, paying attention to vocal health in students of all levels and ages. Learning to sing is a slow, patient process. It is a learned skill and those with sufficient motivation and patience will improve their performance considerably. Ms. Spencer’s teaching approach is based on a vocal technique pyramid with Posture as the foundation upon which Breathing , Tone Production, Diction and Resonance are built.
She is a resident of Hopkinton, MA., and a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the American Choral Directors Association, and the National Association for Music Educators.
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