Meet Our Team

Lacey V. - Office Admin & ACTING/AUDITION COACH

Lacey has always been an advocate for performing arts and music education. As a child growing up in Northern California she studied piano, singing and drama and helped to create and expand a new drama department at her own high school. After starring in productions in musical theatre and classical theatre locally she moved to Boston to attend Emerson College and earn a BFA in Performing Arts.

After college she spent time working in Boston theatre at the Emerson Majestic, as a member of the Gypsy Mamas theater group, and at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. She subsequently moved to NYC, where she worked in theatre at venues such as Rose’s Turn, PS 122, Sidewalk Cafe, Galapagos Art Space, as well as writing and performing her own cabaret and solo performance shows in fringe festivals throughout the U.S. She has also worked in musical theater and theater as a director, assistant director, dialect coach, production manager, stage manager, and dramaturge in theaters throughout New York and New England. She has worked in administrative and personal assistant roles with music directors, cabaret producers, theatre educators, Museum educators, and theatre professionals working on and off Broadway.

More recently she took some time away from theatre to raise her 2 children who study singing and piano at Colleen Nicholas Music Studios. She is excited to be working with performers again and is available for audition coaching in general performance technique (for singing or acting),monologue selection & individual coaching on theatre sides, monologues (classical & contemporary), and text analysis for auditions. She also acts as the studio office administrator and assists with all scheduling and general planning for the studio.

Jessica S. - Instructor

For Jessica, music is a constant source of comfort. Since her musical journey began as a vocalist 8 years ago, Jessica has also become a skilled piano and ukulele player. Jessica has found that an important piece of creating her music is sharing it with others. Along with teaching, Jessica is continuously finding places to perform. Some of these include open mics, seasonal concerts and recitals, and the Town Tavern restaurant in Arlington. She has also volunteered to share her music at many different nursing homes throughout the years. Because of the variety of performances and venues, Jessica’s music repertoire ranges throughout several decades and genres. From Frank Sinatra to The Lumineers to Taylor Swift, Jessica Smith can cover any song and make it uniquely her own. When it comes to teaching, Jessica loves to guide her students to finding their own joy of making music. Whether she is leading a segment during a performance workshop, or working individually with her weekly students, Jessica finds a way to share her knowledge that sparks interest and excitement.

olivia M. - Instructor

Music has always been a meaningful part of Olivia’s life. At an early age, she completed Dalcroze studies at Longy School of Music. When she was 6 years old, she began to study piano and later added music theory at the Winchester Community Music School, where she continues to advance her studies. Olivia discovered her passion for singing when she was cast as Mufasa in her middle school production of The Lion King, which motivated her to audition for and obtain the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast the following year. Olivia continued pursuing her love for singing by joining a number of choral groups, including Canto at Lesley Ellis School and Cantare (part of Boston City Singers), as well as joining a local band as one of the lead singers. With these groups, Olivia had the opportunity to perform in several venues and explore both the choral classical and popular repertoire. Currently, Olivia is a member of several choir groups at Arlington High School and will participate in their spring musical, Tommy. While her formal choir groups focus on classical music, Olivia also enjoys a wide range of musical genres and prefers to sing popular music at open mics, porchfests, and local venues. Olivia loves to share her passion for music with her students and enjoys being a part of their own evolving musical journeys.

Caroline L. - Instructor

Since Caroline could remember she's always had a love for music. Growing up surrounded by music is something she will always be grateful for as it has shaped the musician she has become today. From piano lessons beginning at age five, to cello at age 10 and picking up guitar during the pandemic, she has accumulated an even stronger love for making music. Music has become a source of home and comfort. Caroline enjoys listening to and playing music from many different genres and composers from pop artists like Taylor Swift and The Beatles to modern composers like Patrick Watson to classics by Bach and Beethoven. In addition to playing music Caroline has performed at private recitals, local nursing homes and with school groups. When it comes to teaching, Caroline enjoys channeling a student's interests and leads them to find their own joy in creating music. She loves sharing her own passion for music with her students and seeing them grow musically.

Elyse M. - Instructor

Elyse Montoya has been performing since the age of seven and is beyond excited to get back to her artistic roots. Elyse grew up in California where, from ages seven to sixteen, she participated in a community theatre that allowed her to perform in musicals year-round. She juggled school, soccer, church, and theatre all throughout her childhood, and once she reached high school, she became a prominent member of the drama club. During her junior year, she began performing with the local colleges; once she entered college, she began performing professionally. Some of her favorite roles include “Cathy” in The Last Five Years, “Ariel” in Footloose, “Olive Ostrovsky” in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, “Princess Winnifred” in Once Upon a Mattress, the female swing in Snoopy!, as well as performing in the ensemble in Les Miserables and Rent. Elyse has also competed at many musical theatre competitions, most notably winning National Female Vocalist of the Year in 2008.

In 2017, Elyse moved to Massachusetts with her husband and began exploring her second passion: teaching English. Elyse taught at Acton-Boxborough HIgh School for four years before realizing that her true passion is helping students learn one on one. Elyse is now a private tutor who believes that every student learns in their own way. She tutors students of all ages in reading and writing as well as SAT and College Admissions Prep. After a brief hiatus from the entertainment world to explore education, Elyse is beyond thrilled to be back teaching singing, something she enjoyed in California as well. Her goal is to create a safe, fun space to help her students grow and explore their passions in a way best suited for them.