Staff, Board & Advisors
STAFF
Jane E. Money is a native New Zealander who has lived in Dorchester for over 35 years. She co-founded Boston City Singers in 1995 as a division of Youth Pro Musica. Jane’s professional interest lies in crafting outstanding opportunities and outcomes far beyond the structure of a traditional community youth chorus. A frequent workshop presenter and adjudicator (Chorus America, American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists). Jane holds master’s degrees in music from Auckland University, in music education from Trinity College of Music in London, and in engineering from Boston University. As a former engineer and project manager, she has brought a wide-range of skills to support the growth of Boston City Singers. She is a member of the Celebrity Series of Boston Community Engagement Committee, Boston City Singers Board of Directors, and American Choral Directors Association where as a former Repertoire and Standards chairperson for Children’s Choruses she co-founded “The Big Sing,” annual festivals for young choirs from around New England. She has been recognized for her work with urban youth from numerous civic, educational and arts organizations. (Dorchester)
Melissa J. Graham joined Boston City Singers in 2011 to manage business, development, communications, government relations and human resources while serving as staff liaison to the Board of Directors. Previously she was a Founding Director of The Boston Guys, a Boston-based event planning, fundraising and marketing collaborative, the host of Commonwealth Journal, a radio talk show on WUMB, and Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for the Boston Five Cents Savings Bank. She was a senior advance person for former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Clinton White House years and had the privilege of traveling throughout the United States, Europe and South Africa on her behalf. She has been Vice President and General Manager for Nathan Tyler Productions and Director of Local Fundraising for WGBH/Boston. Her first fundraising experience was at age seven during her father’s candidacy for US Congress in Cincinnati, Ohio. A New Yorker by birth and raised in Ohio, Melissa has lived in Dorchester since 1996 with her husband Stephen and their two rescued dogs - Elvis Pressley and Whitney Houston. Melissa attended William Smith College (Hobart / New York) and Miami University (Ohio), where she earned her Bachelor's Degree. (Dorchester)
Dr. Matthew W. Leese is a conductor, baritone, stage director and educator based in Keene, New Hampshire. A master of versatility, Leese received his Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Otago, Graduate Diploma in Historical Performance from the Longy School of Music, Masters's in Early Music from Indiana University, and Doctorate in Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Illinois. As Director of Vocal Music at Keene High School, he conducts KHS Choir, KHS Voices, and Unified Music, as well as teaching various levels of Class Piano and Solo Voice.
Recent projects include co-founding and directing Zenith Ensemble, Northern New England's new professional choir, directing and conducting Hans Krasa’s ‘Brundibar’ for the Redfern Arts Center Voices of Terezin series, Benjamin Britten’s ‘The Little Sweep’ with Keene State Opera and the Colonial Theatre, Voices of the Bay in New Brunswick, period performances of Bach’s ‘Johannespassion’ with Monadnock Chorus, and designing an Ewing Arts Award-winning season with the Chamber Singers of Keene. At the university level, Matthew enjoyed directorships of the Millikin University Women’s Choir, Keene State Concert Choir, and Keene Vocal Consort. Additional regular conducting responsibilities include directing the Keene High School Choirs, the St Andrews Spring Sing in New Brunswick, and serving as an artist in residence with the Boston City Singers. As a baritone, Leese appears as a concert soloist and professional chorister, performing with medieval ensemble LIBER, SPIRE (Kansas City), and TACTUS (Oklahoma City). Matthew has studied voice with Cynthia Haymon, Robert Harrison, Paul Elliott, Laurie Monahan, and Judy Bellingham and conducting with Fred Stoltzfus, Chester Alwes, Jack Speirs, and Michael Joel. He has performed in masterclass and coachings with Tony Thornton, Wayne Abercrombie, Joseph Flummerfelt, Simon Carrington, Håkan Hagegård, Nigel North, Dana Maiben, Frances Conover Fitch, and Karen Grylls.
Wendy Silverberg is an accomplished vocalist and pianist who joined the staff of Boston City Singers’ in 2011. In 2012, she co-founded the Cambridge Children’s Chorus division. Wendy retired from the Cambridge Public Schools after four decades of teaching music to young children. She earned a degree in music education from the University of Rhode Island, a Master’s Degree in Education from Antioch College and a Certificate from the Kodály Musical Training Institute, New England Conservatory of Music. Wendy has served on the board of the Boston Area Kodály Educators and has sung with The Boston Cecilia since 1972. Since 2013, Wendy has traveled to Argentina, China, Norway, South Africa and Puerto Rico with Boston City Singers. (Cambridge)
Jaime Alberts joined Boston City Singers in 2022. Additionally, Jaime teaches three choirs and general music at Bigelow Middle School and is the co-director of the All City Troubadours in the Newton Public Schools. Jaime is also very involved in theatre, actively producing and music directing at Bigelow Drama, and has run a summer program for young musical theatre writers called Making the Musical. Originally from Illinois, Jaime came East to receive her Master’s in Music Education from The Boston Conservatory and her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Brown University. She loves to travel and is an accomplished expert at finding the best ice cream in any town.
Kimani Lumsden joined Boston City Singers in 2012 as World Rhythm Ensemble Director. He is a vibrant music educator who is passionate about the percussion and dance traditions of West Africa and the African diaspora. He performs with a variety of musical groups including the Haitian Drum and Dance Company, Fantezi Kreyol, the Art of Black Music and Dance, Silimbo African Dance Company and Lamine Toure with Group Saloum. Kimani grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, where he studied classical piano, and traditional Jamaican and Caribbean drumming at the Jamaica School of Music. Currently, Kimani teaches music and traditional percussion at the Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, an independent, college preparatory school for girls in Grades 1 through 12. (Providence, RI)
Debbie Slade joined the Cambridge division of Boston City Singers in 2014. Formerly a music specialist and arts department chairperson at Buckingham Browne & Nichols Lower School for more than 35 years, Debbie taught Pre-K to 6th grade music classes, chorus, orchestra, recorder ensemble, co-directed sixth grade musicals, and taught 5th grade math. Active as a choral singer, Debbie has performed with New World Chorale, Chorus pro Musica, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus with the Boston Symphony. She received a Music Education degree at UMass-Amherst and a Masters in Elementary Education at Lesley University. Besides her commitment to Cambridge Children’s Chorus, she is a Collections Assistant at Longyear Museum in Chestnut Hill. She lives in Concord with her husband, an organist, choral singer, and retired systems analyst, and enjoys photography, gardening, cooking, and being on or near the water in Maine and Cape Cod.
Emma joined the Boston City Singers staff in July 2021. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Music from St. Lawrence University, she moved to Cork City, Ireland. She completed a Master of Arts in Ethnomusicology at University College Cork (UCC), where her passion for community outreach and inclusion by way of singing was fostered. In October 2019, Emma founded and began directing Cork Sanctuary Singers Youth Choir, a creative and expressive outlet for asylum seekers and refugee children, and youth living within the Direct Provision system in Cork City. During her time in Cork, Emma was very active in the Irish choral community as a 2018-19 member of UCC Singers, chorister and soloist for St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork City, and 2019 member of the Irish Youth Choir. Emma is currently singing with Chorus Pro Musica and UU Church of Medford Choir. In her non-singing free time, Emma enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing in her native NH, volunteering at the Medford food pantry, cooking and baking, and dunking in the ocean any day of the year!
Hailing from upstate New York, Ruben joined Boston City Singers in the fall of 2022 to serve as the administrator for the Cambridge Cantare program and Recruitment manager. He is a violist, string pedagogue, and arts administrator living in Greater Boston. Ruben holds bachelor’s degrees with Summa Cum Laude honors in Viola Performance and Music Education from Penn State University, and a master’s degree in Viola Performance from The Catholic University of America. As a violist, he has held positions with the Williamsport Symphony, Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. Passionate about music education and arts administration, Ruben also works as a Department Coordinator of Academic Affairs at the Berklee College of Music. He previously worked as a string teacher in various public-school districts in Northern Virginia from 2018-2022. Ruben also worked with the DC Youth Orchestra Program from 2018-2022, and has taught private Viola & Violin Lessons through his Personal Studio since 2013.
BOOKKEEPER
Joseph Penella
ACCOMPANISTS
Sepehr, the accompanist for Cambridge Children’s Chorus, is a pianist, opera coach, and aspiring conductor, currently pursuing an opera coaching degree at the New England Conservatory of Music. He holds a master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Tehran. Throughout his studies, he has studied with many renowned teachers in the field, such as Rita Sloan, Martin Katz, Kathleen Kelly, and Cameron Stowe. He has attended various summer programs, including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Dandelion Opera Institute, and Miami Music Festival, in order to learn new skills, further develop his craft and make music with a diverse group of people.
Sepehr has played for various choirs throughout his studies, the most recent of which would be the “Opera Chorus” and the “Men’s Chorus” at the University of Maryland. He has also taken advanced choral conducting classes with Edward Maclary in Maryland. Moreover, he has taught piano, harmony, and solfege at various music schools and institutions throughout his studies, teaching a very diverse group of students from very different age groups and levels. Most recently, he has served as a teaching assistant at the New England Conservatory, teaching piano lessons to non-major students.
Emi Nishida, born and raised in Japan, is a composer, conductor, pianist and percussionist. She joined Boston City Singers as the collaborating accompanist for the Tour Choir in 2022.
In 2014, she moved to the United States to study Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music. She worked for several short films and as a member of exclusive composers and conductors for a commissioned feature film “The Man Who Laughs” by Universal Studios. After graduating, she began working as a composer for multimedia, films, and concert works, both in the U.S. and Japan. She was selected as Top 10 composers at Oticons Faculty Film Music Competition in 2022.
She also works as an assistant for a Boston based cmposer, YUKI KANESAKA for his animation works as well. Besides composing, she has a passion for collaborating and performing with other musicians as a pianist.
She has been working as a lead pianist in the Voice Department of Berklee College of Music, where she covers multiple genres like: classical, jazz, pop, R&B, ballet, and musical theater. She also performs her original pieces. For her duo project, Kakinishi, formed with an award-winning pianist Takumi Kakimoto, she wrote “Ganymede, the Cupbearer” for 1 piano 4 hands piece which was acknowledged by Oscar winning composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Additionally, she is a member of a female duo, Streepz with a Japanese actor and singer Saya Suzuki.
Ruth Ross has been the staff accompanist for our Jamaica Plain division for many years. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master's Degree in Piano from Boston University and is an accompanist for the Newton Public Schools. She has a private teaching studio and is the pianist on Aline Shader’s CD “Singing to Benefit Children.” Ruth has performed as a soloist and also as accompanist for many instrumentalists and singers.
TEACHING FELLOWS
Conservatory: Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Teaching Assignment: Vocal coaching for Grades 6-12
April Lisette Ball was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico graduating with a B.A in Music Performance from New Mexico Highlands University in 2002 on athletic and music scholarships. She studied voice under Danya Tilleand Dr. Andre Garcia-Nuthmann and piano under Dr. Deborah Wagner and Dr. Joseph Gonzales. She has worked professionally on stage, in film, television, commercials and training videos, has taught voice, piano and acting with several music schools and children's theatre programs, as well as maintaining her own private studio. April has also accompanied students in various recitals including Carnegie Hall, internationally in Toronto at the Royal Conservatory of Music and in various venues in Albuquerque and Denver. April is currently pursuing an MFA in Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is thrilled at this wonderful opportunity to be working with the students and staff at Boston City Singers!
Conservatory: Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Teaching Assignment: Vocal coaching for Grades 6-12
Bryan is a 2nd-year M.F.A. student at Boston Conservatory studying Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Bryan is trilingual (English, Cantonese, Mandarin), and pursued his bachelor's at the University of Michigan ('20) in classical vocal performance. Bryan prides himself as a versatile performer, performing in productions of opera, musical theatre, plays, pop music showcases, and college a cappella. Bryan is excited to incorporate his teaching experience in voice with his knowledge of multiple genres of music to provide students of Boston City Singers with a diverse education in music!
Conservatory: Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Assignment: Vocal coaching for Grades 6-12 and Tour Choir
Natalie Ehrensbeck- Natalie is a singer and teacher originally from Binghamton, NY. She is a recent grad from Fredonia State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and is now pursuing her MFA in Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Natalie has a lot of performance experience in both Musical Theatre and Opera. Select credits include Songs for a New World (Woman 1), Il Matrimonio Segreto (Elisetta), and Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play (Colleen). Besides performing, Natalie also loves teaching young people how to sing and dance! She has been working with Camp Lindenmere for the past two summers as an instructor and a Division Leader. Natalie is so excited to be joining the Boston City Singers family!
Conservatory: Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Teaching Assignment: Tour Choir and Vocal coaching for Grades 6-12
Alexander is a Roanoke, Virginia native and pursued his BS in Music with an emphasis on clarinet and voice from Radford University. He is currently in the MFA Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Alexander has experience conducting and teaching both band and choir. He also has experience performing musical theatre, opera, classical singing, choral singing, pop singing, classical clarinet playing, and pit orchestra playing. Alexander is very passionate about educating anyone who wants to learn and is welcoming to all!
Conservatory: Longy School of Music at Bard College
Program Assignments: Cambridge Cantare, Dorchester Kodály and Melody Makers, and Jamaica Plain Melody Makers
Sydney is pursuing her master's degree in vocal performance at the Longy School of Music, studying with Dr. Christopher Sierra. She earned her Bachelor's in Music Education at the University of Texas at Austin, sharpening her skills as both a performer and educator. Upon graduation, she taught Elementary Music in Round Rock, Texas, Sydney is thrilled to begin as a Teaching Fellow this semester. She hopes to facilitate positive, unforgettable music experiences through her work with the Boston City Singers.
Conservatory: Longy School of Music at Bard College
Teaching Assignments: Jamaica Plain Training Chorus, World Rhythm Ensemble, and Tour Choir
Jessica Sanz is a soprano who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She graduated from the University of Miami achieving her Bachelor's in Vocal Performance from the studio of Sandra Lopez-Neil. While at school, Jessica was part of the Frost School of Music Opera Ensemble, where she performed as Geraldine in Barber's “A Hand of Bridge” and was part of the cast of Ravel's L’Enfant et Les Sortilege. In 2018, Ms. Sanz performed the leading role of Radamisto in Handel's “Radamisto” with Miami Music Festival. Currently, Jessica continues her studies at Longy School of Music to achieve her master’s degree in Music with an emphasis on Vocal Performance.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jane Money (Founding Artistic Director, Tour Choir and Dorchester Training Chorus Director) is a native New Zealander and has lived in Dorchester for nearly three decades. She co-founded Boston City Singers in 1995 as a division of Youth Pro Musica. Jane’s professional interest lies in crafting outstanding opportunities and outcomes far beyond the structure of a traditional community youth chorus. A frequent workshop presenter and adjudicator (Chorus America, American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists). Jane holds master’s degrees in music from Auckland University, in music education from Trinity College of Music in London, and in engineering from Boston University. As a former engineer and project manager, she has brought a wide range of skills to support the growth of Boston City Singers. She is a member of the Celebrity Series of Boston Community Engagement Committee, Boston City Singers Board of Directors, and American Choral Directors Association where as a former Repertoire and Standards chairperson for Children’s Choruses she co-founded “The Big Sing,” annual festivals for young choirs from around New England. She has been recognized for her work with urban youth from numerous civic, educational and arts organizations. (1995, Faculty/Dorchester)
Mary Perry Alexander, MD is a primary care pediatrician who is committed to social justice. As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill she helped lead the APPLES service learning program as president and board chair. After completing her Master’s Degree in Public Health at UNC, she worked on addressing drug resistant tuberculosis in Peru with an inspiring team from Partners in Health. She went on to complete her medical degree at Harvard Medical School and her pediatric residency at Mass General Hospital for Children, serving for an additional year as Chief Resident. Mary loves to hike in the New Hampshire mountains, bike around Cambridge and teach young children about the human body with her model skeleton. (2019, Parent Representative/Cambridge)
Joe is a management executive with years of experience as principal, mentor, visionary, teacher, and team player in a variety of positions. Previously he served as President/Executive Director of the Paraclete Foundation and Academy, Director and VP External Affairs of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston, VP External Affairs of Stewart Health Care System/Carney Hospital; Director of Development for DotWell, and a partner in several Public Relations firms in Boston. (Community Representative, Dorchester, 2021)
Alex is the Senior Director, Regulatory Strategy, Global Regulatory Affairs at Sarepta Therapeutics in Cambridge. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Tuft's University and Master of Science Degree in Chemical and Process Engineering and the Development of Electrochemical Biosensors from the Universitat Rovira I Virgili in Spain. Alex has pursued a career as a scientist at Shire Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Adnexus and Bristol Myers Squibb of Waltham, and has served in numerous capacities at Sarepta since 2018. A resident of Boston's Brighton neighborhood, Alex is the father of a Boston City Singers' Tour Choir member. Parent Representative, 2023
Madie is the Senior Managing Director, Partner, and Co-Head of Technology for Wellington Management, Boston, a private, independent investment management firm with client assets under management totaling over US $1 trillion. As Co-Head of Technology, Madeleine jointly leads the global department responsible for all technology for the firm. Madeleine moved to the US from her native France to attend Columbia College, where she earned a BA in mathematics. Her bilingual education at an international school in France enabled her to develop fluency in both English and French. (Parent Representative, Winchester)
Yasser, a Boston City Singers 2011 alumni, and Posse Scholar is an Execution Trader at WorldQuant in New York City. He was previously a member of the Global Markets team at State Street State Bank Corporation as a Trading and Algorithmic Strategist in Boston and a Quantitative Analyst within State Street’s Global Liquidity Risk Management team. Yasser is a graduate of Union College (NY) which he attended through a Posse Foundation Leadership Merit Scholarship with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and a minor in Economics. A native of Morocco, Yasser speaks Arabic and standard Moroccan Berber. He joined Boston City Singers as a young teen. (Community Representative and Boston City Singers Alum, Quincy and Somerville, 2019)
Kara is passionate about serving the greater good and has found tremendous joy throughout her career in nonprofit work. With nearly 25 years of experience, Kara has been proud to hold leadership fundraising positions for organizations such as the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago Foundation for Women, and Storycorps. Prior to returning to her Northeastern roots, Kara served as the first Executive Director for the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, a fund that began at a community foundation. Under her leadership, the fund was established as an independent nonprofit organization and is still serving the needs of women and girls in Chattanooga, TN today.
Kara has an undergraduate degree in Fiction Writing from Columbia College Chicago, and a Masters of Nonprofit Management from North Park University. She has served on the Board of Directors for the New York Shakespeare Exchange, Chicago Women in Philanthropy, and the Vestry of Thankful Memorial Church. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Commonwealth Kitchen in Boston.
Kara is enjoying her seventh year as the Senior Director of Annual Giving and Development Operations for Epiphany School in Dorchester. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, writing, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. She lives in Braintree with her wife and daughter and their two furry companions.
Faye is a primary care pediatrician and educator. She works at Boston Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center and provides high-quality care emphasizing prevention and management of chronic diseases to a diverse patient population. She is medical director of the Primary Care Asthma Program and established an award-winning asthma population management program. Faye also serves as the medical director of Community Primary Care in the Office of Community Health. Additionally, Faye teaches Harvard medical students and pediatric residents in primary care. Hailing originally from Barbados, she migrated to the US with her family. She earned degrees from Wellesley College, Dartmouth-Brown Medical Program, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and completed medical residency training at the University of Michigan. (Parent Representative, Arlington)
Maureen is a special education teacher for students in grades 3-8 with Boston Public Schools. She is a licensed PreK 9 and grades 5-12 moderate special needs professional with an SEI Endorsement. Her passion is working to ensure all children have equal opportunities in school is evidenced by her membership on the Roosevelt Equity Roundtable and the Roosevelt School Re-Imagine Task Force. Previously Maureen was the Inclusion Facilitator for the Lawrence School in Brookline as well as their Learning Center Teacher for grades K-7. (Parent Representative, Hyde Park)
Isabelle is a program coordinator II at the Boston Area Health Education Center (BAHEC) within the Boston Public Health Commission. She is a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health and Society with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies with a magna cum laude distinction. At her time in college, she was a highly devoted and engaged student leader participating in various organizations from being a resident assistant to co-founding an organization called STEMming While Black. She was recognized for her efforts within her University community having been presented with awards for her efforts. Isabelle is an alumnus of the Boston City Singers having been a member of Cantare and the Tour Choir for several years. She performed at several locations including an international tour in South Africa. Isabelle has always wanted to give back to BCS, a community that has had a great impact on her growing up. She is finally able to do this as the secretary on the Board of Directors. (Boston City Singers Alum, Dorchester, 2017)Jaap’s two children sang with Boston City Singers for many years. As an IT professional focused on Data and Analytics, he came from the Netherlands to the US in 1997. He has lived and worked in Boston ever since, and is currently the Director for Business Analytics for Road Scholar. Jaap is active in the school community of his children, having served as the registrar for the Boston Latin School crew team and treasurer for the Philbrick Parent Council. Through his church, Jaap is actively involved as a Summer Search mentor to college students. (Boston City Singers Alum)
Jack is an experienced finance administrator with public and private sector perspectives and an eye for detail who as an entrepreneur is a general partner at Homestead Bakery & Café and can advise on business creation and management.
He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Boston Uncornered, a non-profit that equips young people with the attitude, skills, and experience to graduate from college, focusing on engaging gang-involved youth to become positive leaders in their community.
At the same time, Jack is the principal of Jack Wu & Associates, a minority-owned small consulting firm specializing in restoring, maintaining, and improving nonprofit and government clients’ financial health.
Previously Jack was the Director of Finance at the Pawtucket Housing Authority, a public agency dedicated to providing affordable rental and homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income families in Pawtucket, RI. While at City Year, a non-profit organization that unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, with the goal of ultimately boosting graduation rates and furnishing the youth with skills and opportunities to change the world, he served as the Senior Grant Accountant/Senior Financial Analyst. He served in a similar role at the District of Columbia Housing Authority.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Mirena Bagur, Marketing Consultant
Maureen Forry, Dorchester Reporter/Haitian Reporter
Anne Gillespie, Esq., Attorney
Steve Gross, Life is Good Playmakers
David Hodgkins, Coro Allegro
Dr. Joanna Horobin, Verastem
Jill LaMonica, Leahy Holloran Community Center
Jen Erbe Leggett, LICSW, The Leggett Group
Timothy Nichols, Suffolk Construction
Sean Rogers, Consultant