Our Alumni
A Global Creative Community
From the stage to the studio, from classrooms to concert halls, Academy alumni are making their mark worldwide.
Hear from our alumni
“I’m currently studying film scoring. When I started at A Cappella Academy at age 14, I could barely read music. The program challenged me to explore my own musicianship while providing a safe environment for me to become the storyteller that I aspire to be. I am extremely grateful for the experience, which has been so pivotal in my journey.”
–Nyla Smith
“At Academy I was exposed to so much musical content, career possibilities, love, kindness, and acceptance. It helped me understand that music just is, and that you can use your gift in many different ways, to accomplish many different things. Even after a few years, I still think about Academy every single day, with everything I do.”
–Mani Garcia
“Academy helped shape my confidence, skills, and interest in pursuing a career in music therapy. The program emphasizes the importance of sharing your voice with the world which has inspired me to explore the ways we can use performing and songwriting to help those around us.”
–Claudia Gruber
“Academy gives me hope for the future of our world, not just in music, and helps me believe that I and anyone else can truly make an impact by sharing my voice. Even more, Academy has given me a family of the most accepting, inspiring, beautiful humans I’ve ever met, connecting me with people from all across the globe, reminding me that we are all more connected than we realize, and that music is a way to break down any barriers and create unity through expression.”
–Tucker Helms
FEATURED ALUMNI
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Kaedi and Cora of Citizen Queen
Pop/R&B Recording Artist
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Anthony Gargiula
Viral Singer-Songwriter with 1B+ views
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Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso
Jazz Vocalist
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Oliver Richman
Actor, Singer-Songwriter, Director
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MaryAnne Muglia
Artist, Composer, Arranger
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Marley Soleil
Jimmy Award Nominee and Broadway Tour Performer
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Olivia Barton
Singer-Songwriter
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Kenter Davies
Vocal Arranger, Improviser, Choral Director
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David Dalmonte
Viral Bass Singer, Songwriter, Producer
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Katie Kivinski
Music Royalties Manager,
JD Candidate -
Eli
Pop Singer-Songwriter
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Katherine Ho
Singer of “Yellow” in Crazy Rich Asians
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Jana Djenne Jackson
Broadway Performer
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Anilee List
Artist, Educator, Facilitator,
BGVs for Olivia Rodrigo -
Grettel Killing
Artist Manager
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JEJ Vinson
of Sheer Element -
R&B duo
TEHILLAH ALPHONSO
“Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, under two Nigerian parents, music was never presented as a viable option for me, nor was there any opportunity to see it in action aside from teaching. It wasn’t until A Cappella Academy came into my life that a serious career in music felt not only possible but inevitable. I went on to study Popular Music Performance at the University of Southern California, where I joined the SoCal VoCals and served as business manager and music director. My senior year, I was awarded Outstanding Graduate, becoming the first Black woman in the Popular Music program to achieve this honor. Upon graduating from USC, I’ve sung on feature film scores (Encanto, The Color Purple), shared the stage with world-renowned artists (Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish), been nominated for a GRAMMY Award, and returned to A Cappella Academy as a group director to give back to the first community that took a chance on me. ”
Academy Alumni on Staff
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Tehillah Alphonso
Vocalist, Pianist, Music Director, and GRAMMY®-Nominated Arranger
Group Director
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Isaiah Carter
Composer, Arranger, Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer
Group Director
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Quinn D'Andrea
of Trousdale - Pop/Country Trio
Instructor -
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Kate Crellin
Classical, Jazz & Pop Vocalist, Conductor, Published Composer
Instructor and Social Media Director
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Darby Lestin
Vocal Arranger, Director, Pianist,
JD Candidate (Entertainment Law)Instructor
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Mayta Cohen
Vocal Arranger, Songleader, Composer
Instructor
