Staff

After over 20 years as a performing bassoonist, 15 years as a music professor, and 10 years as an arts administrator, Lecolion Washington has established himself as a leader for the next generation of arts entrepreneurs; and he has been a staunch advocate for the relevance of music as an agent for social change.
 
Lecolion is the Executive Director of Community Music Center of Boston. Prior to moving to Boston, Lecolion was the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the PRIZM Ensemble in Memphis from 2009-2017, and he was the founder of the PRIZM International Chamber Music Festival. In 2015, he was named as one of the Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40. He was selected as a 2019 Musical America’s Top Professional of the Year honoring Innovators, Independent Thinkers and Entrepreneurs, celebrated as a 2020 Boston HUBWeek “Change Maker”, and he is the 2020 Chamber Music America Conference Planning Committee Chair. Lecolion was a recipient of the Sphinx’s Organization’s MPower Artist Grant to support a mentorship initiative for young artists and entrepreneurs in 2020-21.
 
As a bassoonist, Lecolion has performed solo recitals and master classes at colleges and universities all over the world. He has been a featured solo and chamber musician throughout the U.S., Brazil, South Africa, Canada, and Switzerland among others. As an orchestral musician, Lecolion has performed as guest principal and/or co-principal bassoon with orchestras such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra. He served on the faculty of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in South Africa from 2006-2013. His CD entitled “Legacy: Music for Bassoon by African-American Composers” was released on the Albany Records label.

Cori is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received a M.S in Music Industry Leadership from Northeastern University where she was an MLK Graduate Fellow and a B.M. in Violin Performance and Music Industry Studies from Loyola University of New Orleans. Prior to joining CMCB she worked in youth development and higher education as an advocate for educational access and diversity and inclusion programs. Outside of work she plays violin in the Warwick Symphony Orchestra in Rhode Island where she participates in several ensembles and serves on the Board of Directors for JP Kids Arts. In her freetime she enjoys baking, riding her bike, exploring the amazing food scene in Providence, RI. 

With over 20 years of leadership roles spanning financial services, e-commerce and the non-profit sector, Meghan brings deep finance, operations and strategic planning expertise to CMCB. Meghan graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Pennsylvania State University before obtaining her MBA from Columbia Business School. Prior to joining CMCB, she spent 13 years at JPMorgan, working in the Treasurer’s office, Investment Bank, and Securities Services businesses. Meghan also worked in a strategic planning role at Vistaprint, and consulted for a FinTech startup. Meghan currently serves on the Boards of Project STEP and WBUR, and on the Board of Advisors for Boston Public Market. While Meghan is undoubtedly the least musically accomplished member of the CMCB staff, she is passionate about music and arts education and the transformative role it can play in the lives of students of all ages of backgrounds.

Zach Sheets is a musician and arts administrator with a long history of advocating for funding in the arts. He has secured major funding partnerships in the public and private sectors at the 5-, 6-, and 7-figure levels, for work spanning music education, arts-sector workforce development, racial equity, arts and health outcomes, and the creation of new artistic works. He has spoken on the importance of youth development, cultural equity, and arts education before the Massachusetts Legislature, the Mass Cultural Council, Chamber Music America National Conference, Council for Advancement and Support of Education National Conference, and the National Guild for Community Arts Education. Zach held various senior leadership roles with performing arts ensembles in New York City before joining CMCB in 2018. Zach has taught music throughout New York and New England, including in the NYC Public Schools, and currently mentors students in CMCB’s youth employment program. Throughout his philanthropic and pedagogical work, Zach is a strong advocate for centering the voices of youth and communities in the conversations that most impact them.

As a flutist, Zach has performed with the Boston Pops, Boston Ballet, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, Phoenix Chamber Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and many more. At 23 he won a tenured role as Principal Flute in the Cape Symphony Orchestra, a post he held for 8 seasons.

Jessica received her M.A. in Child Development from Tufts University and worked at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras before starting at CMCB. Although she now works in Arts Administration, her past musical experience includes playing piano, flute, and singing. Outside of CMCB, she is actively involved in the contemporary a cappella community, serving as the Executive Producer for the NE Voices Festival and participating on the Board of Directors at the Contemporary A Cappella Society. Some of her other interests include playing video games, watching football, and petting all the dogs.

Christopher Perry is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in music therapy.  Whether working with adults with developmental disabilities, children with special needs, Early Intervention, or children with autism, Christopher has a passion for connecting with others through music.  He has experience practicing music therapy with groups and individuals, in classrooms, homes and community spaces.

Marcela is a jazz composer, arranger, pianist, and educator. Before joining CMCB, she received her bachelor’s degree in Jazz Composition and Piano Performance from Berklee College of Music in 2020 and has been teaching and performing throughout the Boston area. Growing up in Mexico, Marcela got deeply interested in jazz artists who would inspire her to pursue a music career in the United States. Following her passion, she moved to Boston in 2016. Soon after starting her studies at Berklee, she began working in the assistive music technology program at the school, which provides adapted music software instruction and assistance with projects to blind and visually impaired students. This experience soon became a crucial step in her career, leading her to share her experience and collaborate to improve fellow blind musicians’ technology resources. She has helped with beta testing software, providing feedback about accessibility to software developers, and has successfully completed various projects through music technology. Currently, she continues to expand her musical journey through teaching, composing, performing, and collaborating with various organizations in the music industry.

Abby is a singer, traveler, and peacebuilder originally from Topsfield, MA. Following a degree in Music in 2012, they toured for a year with the international singing group Up with People throughout the US, Mexico, and Europe. Abby is a career changer and comes to CMCB with four years of experience working in business management in the group travel industry. They are currently working on a Masters in Peace & Justice Leadership and is passionate about combining music and community building. Abby is a classically trained mezzo-soprano and continues to explore and work with their voice in sacred and secular spaces around Boston.

Natasha is a horn player with experience in education, research, and administration. The driving force behind all her work is her belief in learning as a social endeavor. Originally from Sacramento, she earned her BM from California State University, Sacramento before relocating to Boston. Throughout her studies, Natasha has enjoyed exploring social and musical topics through writing. Her capstone research paper “September 11th, Nationalism, and the Pasts of Country Music” won first prize at the 2021 Sacramento State School of Music Research Symposium. While pursuing her MM at Longy School of Music, she worked with students in Boston Public Schools as a Teaching Artist. Natasha is also an avid language learner, volunteer English tutor, and occasional artist.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Elizabeth is a classically trained violinist, teacher, and performer who looks at working in arts administration as a way of giving back to her community. She is a graduate of Longy School of Music with her M.M in Violin Performance, prior to which she was at Boston College studying Applied Psychology and Human Development. She has volunteered and taught at schools such as Gardner Pilot Academy and Conservatory Lab Charter School in Dorchester and hopes to continue supporting musical education through fostering healthy and positive relationships with all the employees at CMCB.  Currently she plays with the Apollo Ensemble to satisfy her love for orchestral repertoire – when she is not practicing she enjoys spoiling her pet bunny and cats (2!).

Originally from Austin, Texas, Rachel began playing piano at age five, and steadily fell in love with learning and exploring music. She became a music therapist by pursuing her B.M. in Music Therapy at Berklee College of Music (’16), and has experience working in outpatient and inpatient hospital settings, with children and teenagers with disabilities, and in mental health. She expanded her macro- and mezzo-level knowledge of community interventions when pursuing her MSSW and MPH, and focused on person-centered engagement and advocacy. She brings a passion for community organizing, advocacy through storytelling, and program creation. In her free time, she enjoys running, baking, and cheering on the Red Sox. 

Lexi, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received her BA in Cultural Anthropology and International Affairs with a Spanish minor from Northeastern University. From playing piano since childhood to continuing her passion for singing, dancing, and acting throughout college, Lexi is excited to combine her professional experience in community engagement with her passion for music accessibility. Her previous experience includes advocating for communities in Boston at Northeastern’s Office of City and Community Engagement, leading programming at a community center in Ecuador with Manna Project International, and interning in Development and Events at the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Outside of work, Lexi enjoys traveling, reading, and jamming with her friends on the piano.

Jared is a composer, conductor, music educator and clarinetist. He received his BA in Music Composition from Brandeis University, where he earned Highest Honors and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Jared is coming to CMCB from Worcester Academy, where he worked for nine years teaching music to middle and upper school students. During his time there, Jared led instrumental ensembles, choirs, and chamber groups, taught music theory and individual lessons, and designed a music technology course. He also served as Department Chair for the Visual and Performing Arts department, and is a proud recipient of the O’Connell Award for excellence in teaching.

Jared received his MA in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Jared has written and arranged numerous choral and instrumental works, as well as music for two full-length musicals, Rachel and La Maupin. He currently plays clarinet with Symphony Pro Musica, and particularly loves being a part of pit orchestras. In his free time, Jared enjoys playing board and video games, visiting art museums, and listening to musicals.

Emily is a lifelong musician with a background in finance and data analysis. She graduated in 2024 with a Masters in Arts Administration from Boston University. She also has a Bachelors in Brass Performance and a Bachelors in Statistics from Boston University. She volunteers as Director of Finance and Principal Trumpet of the Apollo Ensemble of Boston and has played with the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, was manager and a member of the Boston University Trumpet Ensemble, and gigs around Greater Boston. In her spare time, Emily enjoys yoga, travelling, and spending time outdoors with her dog, Gigi

Cris Rabines is a theatre artist and arts administrator from Grafton, Massachusetts. She holds a B.S. in Theatre Arts Management from Ithaca College and a minor in Live Event Management & Design. In addition, she has previously worked at both The Huntington and The Hanover Theatre & Conservatory. Cris is proud to be the daughter of Peruvian immigrants and is passionate about combining the performing arts and community engagement to empower people from all walks of life and inspire them to tell their stories. Outside of work, Cris enjoys going to the theatre, writing plays and poetry, traveling, and rewatching episodes of “New Girl.”

Taylor Hope Rogers, M.C.M, serves as Youth Development Manager for the Community Music Center of Boston. Within her role, she works to integrate her passion for art education equity and social justice through community engagement by supporting the Youth Employment Program through building authentic relationships with our young participants and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders integral to the infrastructure of CMCB. In 2023, she worked as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator at NBCU Academy as part of the NBC News Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group within NBCUniversal. She earned her Master’s in Communication and Media, specializing in Corporate Purpose and Social Impact, from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. In addition, she is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts. While attending Syracuse University, she was a Division 1 student-athlete on the Women’s Rowing team. 

Prior to Community Music Center of Boston, Rogers led education programming as a public servant for various nonprofit organizations across the Northeastern United States, including Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Hunterdon Art Museum, the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice. In her free time, you can find Taylor at live performances, visiting her home state of New Jersey, in a ceramics studio, or on stage performing her new five-minute stand-up set! 

Hannah Elizabeth Tobias is an artist who encourages discussions between distinct communities by validating human experiences using music and collaborative art forms. Hannah Elizabeth is proud to serve as CMS Coordinator, as well as development and social media coordinator for Guarneri Hall NFP, located in Chicago, IL. She plays with the Boston-based Horizon Ensemble and Der Gestanke pierrot ensemble. In her music series “For Her,” Hannah Elizabeth joins an array of community spaces, exploring intersections of femme experiences, promoting conversation and connection. Hannah Elizabeth holds a B.M. in flute performance from Lawrence University and an M.M. in classical flute performance, along with a P.S.C. in contemporary music performance, from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. When she’s not in the office or practice room, you can find Hannah Elizabeth hiking, enjoying nature, or with her cat Hildegard von Boston.

Kenneth Wilson is an actor (stage and screen) and singer. Originally from Durham, N.C., he holds a BA in Spanish from N.C. Central University and has called Boston home the past 15 years. Under an alias, he has fronted and written with various pop, rock and cover bands in the New England area. (His record is fronting three simultaneously.) Kenneth also worked with members of the Grammy-winning Winans family (in partnership with Emerson) in a workshop of their own musical. As an actor, Kenneth has done commercials, theatre (including musical!), has toured nationally and appears in three seasons of a web series.