Faculty
Cody Qualls
Kristin Henry
Kristin Henry trained to be a classical singer and voice teacher at the celebrated College of Music at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, receiving Bachelors degrees in both Vocal Performance and Music Education. After Master-level work in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance at the prestigious University of Colorado at Boulder College of Music, she opted to use her vocal talents in a more commercial venue, as a founding member of local R&B cover band, Girls On Top!, with whom she continues to rock Boulder over the last 18 years. In addition, she has lent her considerable talents to many area bands and musical groups, including The Jacob Larson Band and Boulder Big Band. She has also performed in theatrical productions with Actors Ensemble in Boulder, CO, including the award-winning regional premier production of Quilters.
Making the transition from high soprano to belter provided Kristin with a full appreciation of the variety of vocal registers and productions, and convinced her that a solid vocal foundation is necessary for any style of singing. In her teaching, she integrates her experiences in a safe, fun, and energetic environment, combining the best techniques from both the classical and commercial worlds, to promote singers’ confidence in the beauty of their instrument, regardless of musical genre.
Tyler Hall
Tyler is a truly versatile vocalist and musician with performance experience in genres as diverse as collegiate a cappella, rock, pop punk, folk, and church worship. He has covered vocal roles from tenor to bass, and musical roles as lead singer, guitarist, and bassist.
Tyler graduated from CU-Denver with a music degree with an emphasis in recording arts and owns a mastering studio. He already has mixing, production, and mastering credits on a post-hardcore/indie album, and mixing credits on an indie pop album that has garnered airplay on Denver radio stations 93.3 KTCL and 107X. One of his recent recording and mixing clients is The Little Ravens, whose lead singer/guitarist is also one of Tyler’s voice students.
In lessons, Tyler’s students enjoy his attention to their specific needs and goals. Depending on students’ skills, needs, and interests, he teaches by drawing from varied schools and approaches, as well as suggesting directions in which to stretch their skills to serve their long-term interests. His years of classical voice lessons, university study in vocal pedagogy, varied performance experience, and his very finely tuned ear for all types of sound make him a versatile and natural teacher for most singers of popular styles.
Tyler enjoys rock climbing, songwriting, and spending entire days and nights in the recording studio perfecting his mixes and masters.
RaeLynn Martinez
Justin Long
Justin Leighton Long is a musician, engineer and record producer who has worked in various styles including blues, country, rock, rap and pop. Justin was a founding member, lead guitarist and songwriter for the band No Address. No Address released Time Doesn’t Notice on Atlantic Records, with their debut single “Sadie (When I’m Gone)” standing at #11 on the Billboard Radio charts for 22 weeks. No Address toured North America extensively and Justin’s compositions have been featured in feature films and television series, as well as continuing to maintain airplay around the world, (as a fun fact) recently reaching #1 on the college radio charts in Bosnia.
As a recording engineer and producer Justin has worked for bands signed to labels including Atlantic, Elektra, Immortal, Wind Up, Curb, Blind Bat, S-Curve, Victory, Blues Legacy and J Records.
Wellington Bullings
Wellington majored in vocal performance and songwriting at Berklee College Of Music and since then has performed with several different bands as a lead vocalist, written and placed music in film and TV, worked with Grammy-nominated producers and musicians, and was recruited by the producers of American Idol to perform on the show.
Wellington’s goal as a vocal instructor is to teach the importance of healthy vocal technique without compromising artistic preference. Her intention is to give students the proper tools they need to stylize intentionally, without limitation. Many singers spend most of their careers imitating the greats – which can be helpful as an exercise, but unnecessary for discovering their own unique sound. She loves to aid singers in exploring the unique character of their own voice in a healthy way.
Stephen Ross
Stephen Ross is a high tenor and music director for Face Vocal Band. He has been a performer on NBC’s The Sing-Off and is an award-winning choral conductor.
Stephen attended the University of Colorado at Boulder in the fall of 1999 on a vocal performance scholarship. While studying with world class mezzo-soprano Julie Simson, he was a finalist for the Anderson Scholarship Voice Competition in 2000 and 2001, and won the award in 2002. Stephen received his Bachelor of Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis from CU in 2003.
From 2003 through 2015, Stephen was the Choir Director (and eventual Fine Arts Department Chairperson, and Visual & Performing Arts Academy Coordinator) at Skyline High School in Longmont, CO. As a high school choir director, Stephen directed five choirs and taught Voice Performance, Music Technology, and Beginning Guitar. His choirs received regular scores of “I – Superior” in multiple competition settings, and many of students were accepted into All-State Choir, Colorado All-State Jazz Choir, and prestigious music university programs around the country.
Since joining Face, the group has released five albums, and won many awards including “Best Band” from The Denver A-List in 2016 and “Best Local Musicians” from The Boulder Weekly in 2009, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Stephen is also a highly sought after contemporary a cappella arranger, having completed arrangements for middle school, high school, college, amateur, and professional vocal groups around the world. To learn more about Stephen, check out StephenRossMusic.com.
MaryLynn Gyllaspie
MaryLynn is a founding member of the Grammy nominated vocal jazz group, Rare Silk. The group got their start in Boulder, CO. Their very first album, “New Weave,” flew to the top of the Billboard Jazz charts and received 2 Grammy nominations.
MaryLynn and the group toured the world singing in the US, Europe and Japan. Rare Silk received acclaim working alongside artists such as Miles Davis, Branford Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and opening acts for Spyro Gyra and BB King. Their touring took them to some of the best venues in the country – The Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Blues Alley in DC, New York Jazz clubs, and Boston Globe Jazz Festival, to name a few.
MaryLynn’s return to singing began about six years ago. Performing at Lannie’s Clocktower, she sold out the club twice and has had great success creating a vocal showcase series at both Lannie’s and Dazzle Jazz Nightclub. She performs locally in Louisville, Boulder and Denver with different musical configurations. She also produced a series of Jazz House Concerts at her Louisville Main St. Photography Studio. Her self-produced CD ‘Starlight’ received solid airplay on Denver’s Jazz station KUVO.
MaryLynn loves to sing an eclectic assortment of music: everything from 1940’s standards to straight-ahead jazz and updated versions of 60’s pop tunes arranged and performed with the top-of-the-crop of the area’s local musicians.
MaryLynn’s vocal coaching technique is called Jazz Vocal Stylings. It’s designed for experienced vocalists who want to improve their understanding of Jazz phrasing and expression of the idiom. Interpreting words, moments… interpreting the music!
- If you love to sing and want to find your personal vocal expression, MaryLynn can guide you in finding your true voice.
- If you started in Broadway or Musical Theater or Pop genres and want to approach Jazz,
MaryLynn can help you find that expression thru lyrics, phrasing, and note choices.
Prerequisite: some knowledge of jazz standards
Connie Hong
Connie Hong has taught private lessons, choirs, vocal ensembles, and other small vocal groups for over 10 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in voice for K-12 from the University of Northern Colorado, as well as a minor in Theatre Arts. She has extensive performing experience in Classical, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and contemporary music (Pop, Rock, and R&B). Some of Connie’s students have won local talent shows, been selected for All-State Choir, gotten leads in musical productions, and/or pursued music in college and beyond.
As a songwriter, Connie has been co-writer for the band Ivory Circle since 2013. With Ivory Circle, Connie has garnered local and national recognition with placements on VH1 and Showtime, radio airplay (including OpenAir CPR, KBCO and KTCL in the Denver-metro area), and press in several publications for her dynamic vocal abilities and heartfelt songs. Ivory Circle was a finalist in KTCL’s annual Hometown for the Holidays contest in 2014 and 2017. They have multiple Westword Music Award nominations and have opened for and/or collaborated with notable artists such as Son Lux, San Fermin, Caroline Smith, Moda Spira, Copeland, and Haley Bonar. Most recently, they were featured as a favorite in NPR’s All Songs Considered blog for their 2018 Tiny Desk Contest submission.
Marie Hayden
Marie Hayden-Huerta is privileged to have an esteemed a cappella career spanning over 25+ years. Her vast vocal experience encompasses not only performing, but directing and arranging also. Her soulful voice has been heard and seen in the likes of 5280 A Cappella, the Snap Shot Band, Dragonfly Jones, and as the lead singer of Johnny Rock’it for the past 10 years. She has a bachelors degree in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma Baptist University and also another in music education from Metropolitan University of Denver. In 2018, Hayden-Huerta earned a quarter final slot for consideration as the Grammy Music Educator of the year due to her contribution to students and the community. She is thrilled to continuously be working with wonderful individuals and groups to helping them grow musically!
Rachel Irvin
Rachel is an active performer in Denver, as well as a former DPS music teacher. She has over a decade of performance experience in musical theater and in the Denver music scene. Rachel is passionate about all types of music and performing; specifically, she performs in jazz and rock.
Rachel (a.k.a. Aurehlai) is the vocalist for 1920’s acoustic jazz group, Déjà Swing; energetic-rock cover band, The Love Electric; and for dream-rock band, Echoes in Reverie. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Vocal Performance and is pursuing a master’s in Speech Pathology. As part of her philosophy, Rachel believes music and the art of performing is a skill waiting to be learned.
Jan Williams
Jan has been a catalyst and driving force for vocal music in Colorado for many years. Her extensive experience as a musician has afforded her performance appearances across Europe and beyond. As a proven leader of both the arts and business, she is a “go to” for many Colorado music educators as support to further develop programming and concerts for their students. However, her real gift is helping people remember the music inside themselves (which has been demonstrated year after year by her very successful adult community choirs). “Many of my choir members had given up on themselves as far as singing and performing. Our groups have brought that all back to life for them. That makes me really, really proud of what we are up to. I know that we have helped them achieve that goal for themselves.” – Jan Williams, Master Director of Rock Choir Colorado
Adrienne Osborn
Adrienne teaches mix singing to clients in Colorado and around the world via Skype, including an American Idol participant who reached the top six, and various professional musicians. She has been certified as a Live Music Method teacher by Tom Jackson Productions / Onstage Success in Nashville and is pursuing accreditation with the International Voice Teachers of Mix. She is also the creator of an extensive online vocal training program called Nail Every Note and the author of instructional DVD set The Zen of the Stage: Performing in the Zone.
Adrienne’s published discography includes three albums with her rock/pop band Adrienne O: Elevation (2016) Lines (2014) and SUPERCHROMATIC(2013), Oceans Closer (2011), a full-length jazz standards and originals album with UK violinist Pete Hartley; The Phoenix, The Flame (2010), with funk-rock project STAR (spontaneous thin air radio), including a video for the single “Star Shine”; and a 2010 EP with Soulful World Jazz trio Dois. One song from Adrienne O’s first album was featured in the full-length film A Remarkable Life. She is also signed with New York-based boutique production music licensing company Sway, and has music licensed to Flavorlab Records, Triple Scoop Music, the Play Network, and others. Some of her original jazz music has been licensed to Japanese television shows and, most recently, to the Fox TV series Rosewood.
Adrienne is the lead vocalist – and previously the bassist – for her indie pop band Adrienne O, and is also the keyboardist in the duo lineup of that project. On the side, she enjoys playing Stevie Nicks with the Tom Petty Project or singing backup for the Jacob Larson Band. In the past, she has performed with – and in some cases, founded and managed – Spontaneous Thin Air Radio (original soulfully energized funk rock), Girls on Top! (funk/R&B/Motown), Bola Abimbola and Wazobia (Afropop), Dois (soulful world jazz), That 80’s Band (80’s cover tunes), and The Fever (wedding cover band), among others. She also was the keyboard player for the Jagermeister-sponsored live karaoke band Guitar Villains and the bassist for original rock band Driving Karma. She has performed live in the US and England, with Denver area venues including Coors Field, Hard Rock Cafe, Gothic Theatre, Bluebird Theatre, Ameristar and Isle Casinos and the Hi-Dive, among many others.
Adrienne O (the band) was the winner of the Best Pop Performance category, and Adrienne herself was the winner of the Best Music Teacher category, in the 2016 Colorado Rock Awards.
Joe Mondragon
Joe Mondragon is a Denver based professional musician with 7 years of teaching experience and 15 years experience as multi instrumentalist. He has received vocal instruction at both Pepperdine University, where he studied musical theater, as well as UCDenver where he received his BA in music industries studies.
Joe’s musical projects have included groups who have been featured on KTCL Channel 93.3 as well as playing sold out shows around the Denver Metro area. Specializing in performance and songwriting (signed to Consonant Productions Publishing), Joe’s teaching style focuses on the individual creativity and strengths of his students. Students will learn music according to the genres and methods they favor and be challenged to achieve their full potential. Joe expands on the traditional methods by introducing ear training and musicality/performance, preparing students to create and collaborate to encourage long term growth.
Some of Joe’s students include members of local bands Viretta (CAM Artist, KTCL), Rocket Surgeons (Multiple Finalist for KTCL’s Home Town For The Holidays) and LaRissa Vienna & The Strange (Music Connection’s Top 100 National Acts). You can follow Joe’s current musical career by checking out his band Creature Canopy on all social media platforms and streaming services.
Emma Wallingford
Emma Wallingford, known as Emma Mayes onstage, is a singer known for her brazen, edgy voice and bold stage presence. She sings soul, funk, r&b, jazz, pop, rock, and more. She received a double major in Vocal Performance and Music Business from the University of Colorado Denver.
She is involved in an award winning a cappella group, MIX. This group been involved in many competitions nationally and internationally, and were crowned champions of three. MIX has performed with Grammy winning artists such as The Swingle Singers and Todd Rundgren. Emma recieved the award of “Best Lead” at Boston Sings in 2013. One of their most exciting shows was performing for a crowd of 120,000 people. They have recieved awards for their single “Hildepunk” and also were recognized for their full length album “Edifice”.
Emma is the lead vocalist of her own band – Emma Mayes & The Hip. She has also been a singer in her old band Drop Switch, where she honed her writing skills, and the band’s song “Lust Keeps Burning” was endorsed by Able Planet headphones and played in listening stations at Costcos nationwide. She was also involved in a 12-piece funk disco cover band called Wash Park and frequently does freelance and solo gigs around Colorado.
Emma has shared the stage with acts such as Brother Ali, Asher Roth, The Wailers, The ReMinders, Todd Rundgren, and more. She’s performed on stages around the world as well as popular Denver Venues such as The Fillmore, The Bluebird, Coors Field, and more.
Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer has been a professional musician for over 30 years. He has appeared on global television both as a solo artist and in groups. He has shared the stage with many high profile artists in that time. His experience on large stages like Red Rocks and McNichols arena, as well as most of the major theaters and stages in the region, give him a solid perspective on the challenges that await his students.
As a studio musician, he has several album projects to his credit as well as countless sessions working with other performers. As a studio vocal producer, he can coach on the nuances of phrasing or just help you get that extra range you need for a stellar studio performance.
Having been a vocal teacher and voice coach for well over a decade, Chris has experience with students of all ages and experience levels. He has trained singers in all musical styles from R&B to screamo, from voiceover artists to public speakers. He studied and apprenticed with Dr. Scott Martin of Juilliard School of Music, and has not only the performance and stage experience but the solid background of tried and tested technique that allows him to help his students develop quickly as live performers.
Many of Chris’ students are the highest paid and most frequently working musicians in the region.
Areas of focus for his training are:
- Vocal stamina
- Improved range
- Singing through voice breaks
- Improved power with less effort
- True voice singing