SoLa Center for the Arts

KIM CHAMPAGNE

VOCAL & PIANO INSTRUCTOR //k.champagne@solacenter.org

Kim has been teaching music for ten years.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music with a minor in piano from Nicholls State University in December of 2002. Kim also works at Annunziata and Holy Rosary playing piano and leading congregational singing. Kim has also appeared on stage in local community theatre.  Her recent roles include Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (2008) and Richelle in Scream Queens (2011).  Kim loves sharing her music with her students and the community.

EMILY CHANCEY

VOICE INSTRUCTOR // e.chancey@solacenter.org

Emily Chancey has been taking voice lessons since the age of 5. She has studied Vocal Music with professors at Nicholls State University and has had instruction in Music Theory, Diction, and Sight singing. She has been teaching voice lessons for 5 years in Cut Off and 2 years in Houma. In Cut Off, Emily conducted the Sacred Heart Children’s Choir and was a soloist for mass. Emily has also taken part in Nicholls State University Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. At SoLa, she has taught “Around the World in 6 Weeks” summer camp and participated in the music segment of Drama Jr. Emily also taught private lessons at SoLa, along with the “Glee” choir group. Emily has worked with the Drama students in SoLa’s production of “High School Musical” and look forward to working with them again this spring on “The Pied Piper.”

PAT HORNSBY CROCHET

THEATRE INSTRUCTOR // p.crochet@solacenter.org

Recently retired from the Terrebonne Parish School District after almost thirty years of teaching, Mrs. Crochet holds a Masters degree in theatre from Flordia State University and an undergraduate degree in Speech and English Education from Nicholls State University. Mrs. Crochet taught students who were identified as talented in theatre, and has directed over sixty plays in different venues including community theatre in Houma, Thibodaux, educational theatre and youth theatre. A member of the Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne Board of Directors, Mrs. Crochet regularly directs plays and occasionally acts in the productions of that group.

ALAINE’ GAUTREAUX

THEATRE INSTRUCTOR //

Alaine is excited to be teaching at SOLA this year.  Her experience as a teacher began as a dance instructor for Mary’s School of Dance in Bourg and Susan Hussey’s Talent Inc. in Alexandria, Louisiana.  Alaine’s professional career began as a choreographer for “Oklahoma” and “Guys and Dolls” in Alexandria, LA.  Her acting career began at the Horn in The West Theatre Company in Boone, North Carolina.  Alaine’ furthered her career in Los Angeles, CA, where she worked for Miramax films and Raleigh Studios.  A few of Alaine’s on camera experiences include: The Wedding Crashers, Be Cool, In Good Company, 24, a Yellow Card video and a KIA Commercial. In 2008-2010 she became the talented theatre instructor for the Terrebonne Parish Gifted and Talented Program. Alaine’ received her certifications in dance instruction, stage combat in (rapier, dagger, quarterstaff, and unarmed) from the National American Fighters Association, and ancillary teaching Certification.  Alaine’ is a graduate of Northwestern State University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre of Performing Arts and a Minor in Dance.

GREG HOTARD

DRAWING AND PAINTING INSTRUCTOR //

Greg A. Hotard received his Bachelor of Fine Art in art from Nicholls State University in December 2011.  His focus was in photography, Greg also has a passion for drawing and painting. In addition to his Bachelor of Fine Art, Greg also minored in art history, and is excited about passing on his knowledge and skills to a younger generation of kids, ready to take their first steps into the art world.

BECKY PLAISANCE

VIOLIN / VIOLA / CELLO INSTRUCTOR // b.plaisance@solacenter.org

Ms. Plaisance studied violin in the Lafourche Parish Schools Strings Program from 1971 to 1977. She has played with the New Orleans Community Orchestra and is a violin section leader in the South Louisiana Community Orchestra. She has taught violin for over eleven years and has been a teacher at SoLa for ten years!

JOHN RHODES

ILLUSTRATION AND FINE ARTS INSTRUCTOR //

Illustrator and comic book artist John Rhodes has received both a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nicholls State University and a Master of Fine arts degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. John Has worked with many age groups to help inspire and teach them the skills necessary to tell stories through art. John works with his student’s interests to help them create their own characters, settings and stories. By allowing his students to work with the things that they actually enjoy, John has had great success teaching both storytelling and fundamental arts skills to students of all ages.

JILLIAN VEDROS-ROWAN

THEATRE INSTRUCTOR // j.rowan@solacenter.org

Jillian Vedros-Rowan holds a BA in Theatre with a concentration in Performance from Louisiana State University. After her tenure at LSU, she moved to Los Angeles where she attempted to break into the “biz” as well as worked as a production assistant in casting for the game show, Deal or No Deal. She began teaching at SoLa shortly after her return to Louisiana from Los Angeles. She currently serves as the Talented Theatre teacher for the Terrebonne Parish School System, and performs regularly at the Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne.

TIFFANY A. TRAHAN

VOICE INSTRUCTOR & WOOD WIND INSTRUCTOR // t.trahan@solacenter.org

Tiffany Trahan studied clarinet and voice at Southeastern Louisiana University, completing her Bachelors of Music in Clarinet Performance. At Southeastern, Tiffany has performed with many of the small ensembles, giving her a venue to study other woodwind instruments. She has also studied Jazz with Richard Schwartz. Recently, she studied Composition and Church Music Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where she was involved in many vocal performances. Tiffany made her musical debut as Grace in the Thibodaux Playhouse performance of “Annie.”

NICOLE AUCOIN WEBB

VOICE INSTRUCTOR //

Nicole Aucoin Webb just completed her 8th year as the Choir Director at South Terrebonne High School.  During this time, her choirs have earned numerous superior ratings at both District and State festivals. Mrs. Webb attended Southeastern Louisiana University where she participated in the university’s Opera/Musical theater program and earned a Bachelor’s degree in vocal music education. Nicole has served as music director for  Nicholls Performing Arts Camp productions of ‘The Pied Piper’ and ‘Disney’s Aladdin’ as well as P.S. Productions’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’. She is an avid performer in local theaters as well.   She has been seen at Le Petit in their productions of ‘Blame it on the Movies’ and ‘ A Single Thing in Common’; Thibodaux Playhouse in ‘Smoke on the Mountain’ and ‘Not Now Darling’; and Lorna & Bernadette’s productions of ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ and ‘A Soulful Christmas’. Nicole would like to thank SOLA and Jillian for this opportunity to work with such an awesome staff and talented kids.

DEVIN VERRETTE

VOICE INSTRUCTOR & GUITAR // d.verrette@solacenter.org

Devin Paul Verrette is a senior at Nicholls State University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education. Devin spent 10 years with the guitar and focused the last 2.5 years on voice, piano, and music theory. At Nicholls, he sings baritone with the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, and plays guitar with the Blue Bayou Big Band and Jazz Combo. In 2009, the Nicholls State Concert Choir worked with Chorale Acadienne and the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra to perform Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and will join them again for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in the Fall of 2010. Devin is interested in the aesthetic and therapeutic experiences in music and hopes to share the joy of music as well as instruction in practice and performance.