Ms. McQueen is the Executive Director of SmARTSunlimited and works in all areas of management including grant writing, fundraising, program development, hiring, marketing and public relations. She is a member of the American College of Musicians, National Guild of Piano Teachers, Theatre Bay Area, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA), National Association of Music Educators (MENC), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and is a member of the East Alameda Branch and contributing member of the Contra Costa Branch of the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). She has training in both vocal pedagogy and piano pedagogy, including the Suzuki and Kodaly music methods. She has been performing and teaching individuals of all ages for over twenty years. She has performed in a variety of venues, including opera, musical theater, choral, church, stage, dinner theater, revues, commercials, radio, TV, and film. Ms. McQueen holds an undergraduate degree in Music from the University of Massachusetts and a Master's in Music from California State University East Bay. She has trained for over twenty years in vocals, acting, and dance, with instructors from coast to coast.

Ms. McQueen is a gifted Teacher and has helped hundreds of children and aspiring teachers in the Tri-Valley gain a deeper understanding of piano, voice, acting, film, opera, and theater.

Ms. McQueen enjoys collaborating with fellow SmARTSunlimited instructors to write child centered curriculum that meets National Standards while remaining fun and innovative.

Ms. McQueen has experience directing and producing operas, workshops, small films, & large recitals. Her students have performed with the Tassajara Symphony and Opera Singer Frederica von Stade, The Heritage Estates Retirement Community, Rosewood Gardens, and she has helped produce fundraisers for Fremont Bank and Livermore Valley Opera. Some of her credits include Hansel and Gretel, Annie, The Magic Flute, Camelot, Into the Woods, and Willy Wonka.

Ms. McQueen is active as an instructor in KinderSmARTs, PianoSmARTs, ReelSmARTs, ActSmARTs, & VocalSmARTS programs.

You can contact Ms. McQueen by email Here.

Nick Haemker is a resident of Lathrop, California. He has been trained on piano and percussion for over ten years and has played in the Las Positas College Orchestra for two years. Nick has played drums in his church youth group for four years and has played drums in different alternative bands. Nick has completed his A.A. in Music and also holds a Certificate in Beginning Piano Pedagogy, which he received in the Spring of 2011 at Las Positas College. He plans on transferring soon to a CSU to obtain his B.A. in Music. He has also been learning violin and pipe organ for the last two years. Not only a piano teacher, Nick also composes modern classical music. He has written music for solo piano, string orchestral works, chorals, piano trios, and guitar songs. His compositions have been played at local piano recitals in Livermore, CA and at Las Positas College. Nick currently teaches piano, drums, violin, and composition.

You can contact Mr. Haemker by email Here.

Alex Flores has been working in music education for nearly 8 years. Alex received his Bachelor's of Arts degree in 2006 from The Master's College in Santa Clarita, CA; studying Classical guitar and playing Jazz guitar on the side. During that time in school, Alex began his journey in music education as a private and group-class guitar and bass instructor at a local studio. For two years Alex enjoyed teaching a full roster of up-and-coming guitar and bass players of all ages from elementary to adult. Since moving back to the Bay Area in the summer of 2006, Alex has continued to grow as a guitarist and music educator. For the past 6 years Alex has worked in the field of school Concert Band music, developing nearly every kind of band from Jazz Bands, Pep Bands and Concert Bands to Church Worship Bands and even a Hardcore Band. Though Alex has a wide breadth of musical experience, his true passion is playing and teaching guitar. When he isn't teaching music you will find him performing wherever and whenever he is able or at home working studiously on better understanding and being to able to communicate the guitar. Most frequently Alex has been performing as a guitarist in the Neighborhood Church Jazz Band, at local bay area churches, and will soon be seen in late April performing on Guitar and Mandolin in an upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof.

You can contact Mr. Finley by email Here.

Ashley is an actor, singer, and dancer who has taught children and adults in the Bay Area over the past 10 years. Her professional experience ranges from L.A. and regional theater to performing for some of the country's most notable companies and organizations. Past credits include Demeter in Cats (Cabrillo Music Theatre, FCLO), Rosalia, u/s Anita in West Side Story (Producers Associates), Marta in the L.A. Ovation Award-winning Kiss of the Spider Woman (Havok Theatre Company), and performances for Musical Theatre West, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, Smuin Ballet, Disney, Royal Caribbean, Dance Masters of America, and the Miss America Organization. Ashley holds a B.F.A. degree in Musical Theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association. Her classes are focused on exploring the imagination and helping students express their unique voices in a safe and extremely fun environment!

You can contact Ms. Ogle by email Here.

Lori Paolini has been a music and theatre professional for over 25 years. She has performed, directed and instructed in a variety of community and educational venues. She has taught private voice and piano to students from age 5 through adult, and is also a group instructor and choir director. Lori has directed music for many bay area theatre productions. Some of her most recent shows are "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", "Godspell", "Lucky Stiff" and "Anything Goes". She has been a teaching artist and music director for Palo Alto Children's Theatre as well as several elementary, middle and high schools. Lori was a teaching artist at American Musical Theatre Company, where she was the vocal teacher for their intensive classes. She is very excited about working with such a professional and passionate team here at Vocalsmarts.

You can contact Ms. Paolini by email Here.

Randall Benway is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where at the age of 10 he was accepted as the youngest piano student of Theodore Lettvin and later as a student of Arthur Loesser and Eunice Podis. While in Cleveland Mr. Benway also studied composition with Starling Cumberworth. At 16 Mr. Benway collaborated in piano concerto performances with conductors James Levine and Robert Shaw. While an undergraduate student at Hartt College of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut, Mr. Benway was the four-year recipient of the Alfred C. Fuller Scholarship. Mr. Benway received a Master of Music (Piano) degree from the University of Michigan where he studied piano with Gyorgy Sandor and Louis Nagel and composition with William Bolcom.

Mr. Benway spent considerable time in Europe, including living in London, England, while studying piano with Balint Vazsonyi, and living in Fontainebleau, France, while studying composition with Nadia Boulanger. As a student, Mr. Benway attended and performed in master classes of some of the great European artists, including Balint Vazsonyi, Clifford Curzon, John Ogden, Jean-Marie Darre, Nikita Magaloff, and Soulima Stravinsky. In addition Mr. Benway was the winner of two piano competitions, one in the United States and one in Switzerland. Mr. Benway has performed in the United States and Europe as soloist, soloist with orchestra, and chamber musician, including live radio broadcasts on National Public Radio. He is a founding member of The Redwood Trio.

You can visit his website to learn more.

You can contact Mr. Benway by email Here.

Ms. Little is a California native, born and raised in the bay area. Ashley began her career in 1989 when she started dancing tap, jazz and ballet. Shortly after Ms. Little also began to study voice and stage, she now has over 11 years of training, both on stage and off. Ashley is a professional actor in her bay area home, having worked with numerous theatrical companies, and also a proud candidate of Actors Equity. Ashley has been teaching dance to youth (ages 3-21) for 5 years for theatrical productions and technique training. Her favourite past performing credits include: Luisa (The Fantasticks); Green Girl (SHOUT); Ashley (SWING); Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz); Mary Magdalene (Jesus Christ Superstar); Fantine (Les Miserables); Chiffon (Little Shop of Horrors); Dorothy (The Wiz); Annie (Chicago); Lady Larkin (Once Upon A Mattress); and many more. Ms. Little has attended elite training facilities such as TAI and TSA at the late American Musical Theatre SJ, where she received the Triple Threat Award for her outstanding work in all areas of performance. Ms. Little is also a proud alumni of Janie Scott's Company One at San Jose State University.

Melissa Ott lives in Lathrop, CA with her three children and fiance, Nick, but has lived in Livermore most of her life. She has an Early Childhood Development teaching certificate and an Associate of Arts Degree for Administrative Assistant from Las Positas College. Melissa started playing violin and cello in middle school and played with the East Avenue String ensemble. In the fifth grade, she received a scholarship to buy a violin and her instructor made her first chair because she picked up music quickly and had a good ear. She has played violin and cello in the Las Positas orchestra ensemble, and has also studied piano and guitar. She also enjoys playing the electric bass and hopes to get an upright bass. Melissa enjoys drawing, painting, and writing poems and short stories in her free time.

Melissa first began working with SmARTSunlimited three years ago as a KinderSmarts instructor, and has since expanded her involvement to include other class types. She has also worked with children in local schools, including participating in programs to assist disabled students.

From 1997-1998, Melissa coordinated small events hosting local bands to play throughout Livermore's halls such as Dania Hall and Eagle's Hall to help promote getting a skateboard park in Livermore and to support Livermore's effort to build a youth center. These events proved successful as the city of Livermore agreed to build the skateboard park and it was around that time that Livermore also obtained a grant to build the Livermore Community Center on East Avenue. Melissa was a member of the design committees for both the skateboard park and the Community Center by request of the Livermore Area Recreation and Parks District, LARPD. She was also asked to be an adult member of the Livermore Youth Committee.

Shana Scott is a junior at Livermore High, an AP and Honors student with a 4.25 GPA. She takes pride in the fact that she is a quick learner, hardworking, and independent. Shana is known for her creative side and has won multiple contests because of her art projects in AP Art. Shana played guitar for a period of time and still writes songs every once in a while, and was in choir from age 6-12. Shana is a people person and good with children, she started working at SmartsUnlimited over the summer, during the Alice and Wonderland musical production and now as a KinderSmARTS assistant and assistant bookkeeper. . Shana has a passion for musicals and has seen Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Godspell, Spring Awakening, Annie, and Jesus Christ Superstar, and has been in a few school drama productions and if it was up to her, her life would be a musical.

You can contact Ms. Scott by email Here.

Erin McQueen is the 15 years old daughter of Ms McQueen, and works as a student apprentice. She has been studying music since she was 2½ and plays the piano, violin and sings. She is a Level 5 student in Piano and Voice, and a Level 6 student in Violin. Erin has extensive performing experience. She has grown up within a musical teaching environment and makes an excellent student apprentice in our KinderSmarts Classes. Erin is also a natural born lyricist and has composed many songs. Erin recently composed the music to Love is Blind, ReelSmARTS Iron Film Maker 2009 submission which won "Peoples Most Popular Choice" for second place in the Iron Man Film Maker Contest.

Jim Hutchins is the husband of Ms. McQueen and has an undergraduate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UC Santa Barbara, and a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley. He has held a full time position at Sandia for 24 years. Jim graciously helps with all the technical aspects of SmARTSunlimited including sound, set building, computer software and hardware, and webdesign.

You can contact Mr. Hutchins by email Here.