Nicole Becker is the Artistic & Executive Director of Every Voice Choirs, which she co-founded in 2012. At Columbia University, she directs the Teachers College Community Choir and teaches piano and conducting. Dr. Becker received an undergraduate degree in Biology from Yale University, a masters in Piano Performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and a doctorate in Music Education from Columbia University Teachers College. Dr. Becker’s academic research focuses on student-centered teaching approaches in ensemble settings and developing racial literacy through music education.
Joelle Mendoza is a music educator and vocalist from Santiago, Chile. She received her Master's in Music education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was introduced to Every Voice Choirs. In addition to directing the Kids Choir she is an elementary music teacher at PS 99 in Brooklyn. She is passionate about the power of music and singing in the lives of young people and looks forward to continued work with EVC.
Chelsea Kutner is a music educator originally from Long Island. She holds a B.A. in Music and Linguistics from UNC Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Music and Music Education from Teachers College Columbia University. Chelsea worked with EVC while completing her master's degree at Teachers College and returned as the Program Manager, after teaching elementary school music in North Carolina for six years. She is thrilled to now also direct the Hunter Voice Classes. When not working, Chelsea enjoys reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time outdoors.
Feisheng Liu is a composer, pianist, and educator. She holds a B.A. in Music Composition from the China Conservatory of Music and is currently pursuing an Ed.M. in Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Feisheng is committed to creating spaces where students can explore their unique voices and contribute to a shared harmony. Her vision extends beyond cultivating skilled musicians; she aims to help individuals find joy, purpose, and connection through music.
Hiya is a former educator currently getting their Masters of Education in Sociology of Education from Teachers College. They were introduced to Every Voice Choirs through TC's community choir and have fallen in love with teaching young children and children with disabilities to grow musically. They received their Bachelors in Sociology and in Political Science from Tufts University, after which they taught middle and high school English for a few years in Dallas, Texas. Outside of EVC, Hiya engages in Disability Justice advocacy and is an avid reader.
Mallory Elliott is a music educator originally from Connecticut. She holds a BA in music and psychology from Wesleyan University, and is currently pursuing her MA in music education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her previous work in disability inclusion has made her passionate about creating environments where everyone can learn and grow. Outside of EVC, Mallory enjoys reading, boxing, and brushing up on their ASL.
Kiki Porter is a choral conductor, vocalist, and music educator based in New York City. She is currently pursuing an Ed.M. in Music Education and New York State Initial Teaching Certification at Teachers College, Columbia University. Kiki holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Butler University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oberlin Conservatory. Her passion for choral music began as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus, where she performed for eight seasons. She currently works with young musicians as a Music Teaching Assistant at Teachers College Community School and as a child chaperone and substitute Pre-Chorus teacher at the Metropolitan Opera. Kiki is passionate about creating joyful, supportive musical spaces where young people can grow as singers, musicians, and individuals, and she is excited to continue that work with Every Voice Choirs.
As an educator, parent, and certified MNDFL Sound Practitioner, Elizabeth brings a practical and versatile skill set to her role as an assistant at Voicability. Her background includes an MA in French from NYU, teaching English at the American School of Paris, and teaching elementary and intermediate students within the NYC Board of Education health programs. As a steward of her own children’s musical journey, she managed their auditions, rehearsals, and performance schedules for nine years at the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus. She is in her fifth year singing with TCC and has led weekly sound-based meditations at the Ronald McDonald House New York since 2017. At Voicability, she uses her classroom skills and experience to collaborate with the team, grateful for the opportunity to encourage the young musicians.
Sarah Perry, EdD, MT-BC, is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Westminster Choir College, Rider University. Dr. Perry is a board certified music therapist and music educator, receiving her masters and doctorate degrees in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University and her music therapy degree from Elizabethtown College. Her specializations include music in special education and integrated arts learning, focusing on addressing the needs of special learners in music, visual arts, and dance settings. Dr. Perry is a frequent clinician leading teacher training workshops for teachers of visual arts, dance/movement and music in both public school settings and various arts outreach programs in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Dr. Perry is the founder and advisor for EVC’s VoiceAbility.
Drew X Coles is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator, as well as a lecturer at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also serves as the director of the Hybrid Masters Degree Program in Music & Music Education. His scholarly interests include; the construct of success as it applies to post-secondary music students, culturally responsive pedagogy in the music classroom, the use of technology in the applied studio, Jazz pedagogy, improvisation pedagogy, comprehensive musicianship coursework and curricula, and quantitative research methods in music education. Drew earned his Doctorate in Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University after defending his dissertation on the perceptions among musicians on the construct of career success as it applies to them as well as their peers.
Alvin is currently the associate music director of Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, as well as the music supervisor of the second national tour of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Other Broadway credits include Tina as well as the recent revivals of Once On This Island and The Color Purple. Alvin has also worked on numerous films and TV series, from “Schmigadoon 2” and “Spirited” to “Annie Live!” and the South Park 25th anniversary commercials. Classically trained by a private teacher from the age of 5, Alvin has had the privilege of performing at the Kennedy Center, at the Capitol and at the White House while growing up in Washington, DC.
One of the more important things Alvin likes to pass on is that there is no special formula to end up on Broadway. As proof, even though he's currently not using them, Alvin has a Bachelor’s from Harvard College in Earth and Planetary Sciences and a Master’s in Meteorology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He sends love to his wife Rebecca and their two young children, Samuel and Camille.
Scott is a freelance percussionist and teacher who recently retired after 32 years from the music faculty at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where he built the program to include seven percussion ensembles, for which he arranged and conducted. As a drummer, he studied with Jazz great Joe Morello while still in high school, and went on to receive a degree in Jazz Studies at Indiana University under acclaimed professor and bandleader David Baker. Currently, Scott is a sought after percussionist in a wide range of genres and has been around the world both as a player and as a teacher. He has had the pleasure to play and/or record with many of “the greats” including music legends Tito Puente and Lionel Hampton, as well as Bob Dorough, the creator of Schoolhouse Rock. His musical palette is constantly expanding, most recently to include Indian tabla, Balkan drumming, and clawhammer banjo. Scott was also awarded a year long sabbatical from Fieldston in 2022-23 to travel and study music throughout Africa.
Chelsea Kutner is a music educator originally from Long Island. She holds a B.A. in Music and Linguistics from UNC Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Music and Music Education from Teachers College Columbia University. Chelsea worked with EVC while completing her master's degree at Teachers College and has returned as the Program Manager, after teaching elementary school music in North Carolina for six years. When not working, Chelsea enjoys reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time outdoors.
