NEWPORT SINGS STAFF

Elise graduated from the University of Rhode Island where she earned her BA in Music Education. She is the founder of Voces Excelsis, the treble chorus at the University of Rhode Island. She started her career teaching Middle School Chorus and General Music in the public schools. Along with teaching at Newport Sings, she co-teaches a music course at MCI-Norfolk in Massachusetts. She currently serves on the leadership team of the artists collective Voices21C in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2019, she interned at the Casterbridge Music Development Academy in White River, South Africa. While in South Africa, she also taught General Music at Mshadza Disability Center. 

Kristin se graduó de la Universidad de Rhode Island, donde obtuvo una licenciatura en Educación Musical y se graduó Magna Cum Laude. Actualmente enseña música desde jardín de infantes hasta tercer grado en la Escuela Nayatt en Barrington, RI. También pasa parte de su tiempo trabajando con niños de 3 a 5 años en el Centro de Desarrollo Infantil de URI. Kristin se desempeñó como líder seccional y cantora en la Iglesia St. Gregory the Great durante cuatro años. Kristin es la fundadora y directora del nuevo Coro Comunitario de RI, "Better Together", que conecta a cantantes de 14 a 22 años.

Julia works in the Office of Undergraduate Studies at Salve Regina University. She
graduated from Salve in 2017 with a BA in English Literature and Religious Studies.
She attended graduate school at Boston University and previously taught Religion at
Salve Regina. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, and crafting, and loves
trivia nights with friends. Julia began singing in elementary school and continued
through college. In 2022, she joined Aquidneck Singers. Since then, she has been
loving Tuesday evenings with Aquidneck Singers!

Jan moved to Aquidneck Island from Seattle, Washington in 2020. She has enjoyed a lifelong love of music since the age of 4, singing in churches and schools, and playing piano all throughout her youth. She majored in K-12 vocal/instrumental music education with a piano performance minor at Northern State University in South Dakota. Jan's musical career spans over 35 years. During that time, she has maintained her private piano studio, and accompanied soloists, choirs, and Musical Theater shows. In addition to her work with Newport Sings, she also teaches piano at Portsmouth Abbey, and is the current Director of Music Ministry at Channing Memorial Church in Newport. When not in a music rehearsal, Jan can be found in nature, by the ocean, spending time with her dogs.

Anik (they/them) has been a musician their whole life, starting with the violin at age 4. They have played lessons in many instruments, including viola, piano, bass, and trombone, but love singing the most. In high school, Anik was part of many musical groups, and took private lessons. Now, they are the Tenor/Bass Section Leader for Quorus and a board member of Musica Dolce, another non-profit in southern RI. Professionally, Anik is a software developer and program manager, and in their free time, Anik enjoys cooking and knitting.  

Melanie (she/they) has loved music for as long as she can remember. She grew up singing and playing the violin and toured Europe twice with her orchestra before the age of 18. She rediscovered her love for choral music in adulthood through Aquidneck Singers and found herself wanting a place for the LGBTQIA+ community to rediscover their voices through song. She has been in Quorus, Newport's first Queer chorus, since its inception in 2023.

Melanie is Community Programs Manager at the MLK Community Center and a long-time resident of Newport. She is a Pan/Bi parent of two amazing children and will forever be an advocate for her community.