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. He was selected as one of Musical America’s 2019 Professionals of the Year honoring Innovators, Independent Thinkers and Entrepreneurs, celebrated as a 2020 Boston HUBWeek “Change Maker”, and was a 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.

With 15+ years of operational leadership roles spanning financial services, e-commerce and the non-profit sector, Meghan brings deep finance 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. Meghan currently serves on the Board of Project STEP and the Board of Advisors for Boston Public Market. While Meghan is undoubtedly the least musically accomplished member of the staff, she is passionate about CMCB’s mission and is the proud parent of an Early Childhood Program student.

Ariel is a composer, choral director, violinist, and singer who has founded choral programs and a string ensemble in the Boston and Cambridge Public Schools. Ariel brings eight years of general music education experience to the CMCB Family as well as musicianship as she recorded with the North Shore Youth Symphony Orchestra. Ariel is a Boston native who has a passion for diversity and inclusion in music education, “as music educators, we have a fundamental duty to provide multiple avenues for students to access music education, we must teach music, for music’s sake.” During her teaching career Ariel co-facilitated diversity dialogues in the hopes of inspiring educators to become more culturally inclusive and responsive. Ariel has written and developed curricula that was shared with other music educators and has co-led workshops centering in equity for professional development. Ariel has partnered with Boston Children’s Chorus and her choral groups attended American Young Voices. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cambridge College and is currently pursuing her masters in Music Education from Gordon College. Additionally she has received certification of completion from the Berklee Institution for Arts Education and Special Needs.

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.

Zach is a flutist, composer, and arts administrator originally from Vermont. He’s thrilled to move home to Boston after five years in New York, where he worked as Managing Director of the Talea Ensemble and as Executive Director of the [Switch~ Ensemble]. Zach currently serves as Principal Flute in the Cape Cod Symphony performs as a freelancer with Boston Ballet, the Portland Symphony, Albany Symphony, Talea Ensemble, and more. Summers have brought Zach to engagements at the Spoleto Festival USA, Aldeburgh Festival, Britten-Pears Young Artist Program, IRCAM’s Manifeste, Klangspuren Schwaz, the June in Buffalo Festival, and Colorado College Music Festival. He holds an MM and a Performers Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a B.A. from Harvard University. Read more and listen at zachsheetsmusic.com. Zach grew up watching baseball with his dad, a Missourian, and will forever be a St. Louis Cardinals fan, but if someone from the AL has to win the Sox are cool, too.

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, she 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. She is 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 her voice in sacred and secular spaces around Boston.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Elizabeth is a classically trained violinist, teacher, and performer who looks forward to 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 families 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.

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. 

Rena is a soprano and violinist originally from Gainesville, Florida. She recently received her B.A. in Statistics from Harvard University and is excited about using data analysis to advance the arts. Previously, she has worked as Choir Manager for the Harvard University Choir, where she sang for three years as a Ferris Choral Fellow. In her quest to explore different areas of arts administration, she has also worked at the Harvard Art Museums, Americans for the Arts, and Strawbery Banke Museum. Outside of music, she loves hiking, quilting, and trying out new baking recipes on her friends and family. 

Joi is a composer, vocalist, teaching artist, and administrator originally from Portsmouth, VA. In their artistry, they strive to expose individuals to the vast world of musical possibilities and connect the love of music with a foundation of valuable life lessons and skills. Their music focuses on exploring our world and commenting on our unique experiences (learn more at joiharper.com). Though she originally came to Boston to pursue her Master’s, she is so happy to have found a great network and is excited to become more involved within the Boston community. Joi recently finished their M.M. in Composition at Longy School of Music and has a B.M. in Composition from George Mason University. In their free time, Joi enjoys a plethora of different hobbies, including making and eating great food, knitting, and exploring new places and activities.

Karl joined the CMCB community in 2011 as a Community Engagement Programs string
faculty member, teaching at both the Kennedy and Adams schools in East Boston.
Currently he teaches private and group classes in the Community Music School, in
addition to supporting the CMS programs team as the Associate Director. He has
performed with numerous chamber and orchestral ensembles throughout the Midwest
and New England, including concerts in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and at the
Tanglewood Music Center. Karl is also the Resident Artist in Violin and Viola at the
University of New Hampshire, and during the summers he enjoys coaching young
musicians (including many CMCB students!) as a faculty member at the Point
Counterpoint festival in Vermont and UNH’s Summer Youth Music School in New
Hampshire.

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. 

Jingyi is an arts administrator who is originally from China. She recently received her M.S. in Arts Administration from Boston University and is interested in the performing arts as well as community development. She spent time as a Marketing and Development Intern at Art Resource Collaborative for Kids (ARCK). During her internship she developed a greater interest and curiosity in arts education and looks forward to bringing her passion and energy to CMCB. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her cat, photographing, and making handmade earrings.