JUSTINE BOONSTRA

Justine Boonstra is a Boston-based singer, teacher, arts administrator and overall performing arts advocate who just recently completed her Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education from Gordon College and is a Certified Teacher in Massachusetts.  Justine has more than 5 years of teaching experience, teaching both private voice and piano students as well as teaching in public schools. While at New England Conservatory, she had the privilege of teaching “Voice for Non-Majors” for undergraduate students. As a private teacher, Justine is equally comfortable teaching students of all ages and skill levels in both voice and piano. Justine’s greatest joy in teaching is building relationships with students and fostering an environment of safety, joy and creativity to explore their own musicality and artistic expression. She hopes that each student will find a lifelong love for music.

Justine has performed in several opera productions during her studies. While mainly focusing on classical music in recent years, Justine considers herself a crossover singer, as she loves to sing in many genres including musical theater, pop, and R&B.

ABBIE ANDERSON

Abbie Anderson is an actor, singer, dancer, writer, and educator, who graduated with her BFA in Theatre and Performance from Emerson College. With NEMPAC, Abbie has worked as a dance teacher and musical theatre instructor. Abbie has choreographed shows like Tuck Everlasting, (Rhino Theatre, NJ) Alice by Heart, (Kidding Around, Emerson College) and directed Dream Cabaret (Musical Theatre Against the Grain, Emerson College). Professionally, Abbie has performed at the Rev Theatre, Apollinaire Theatre Company, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Radio City Music Hall. She is thrilled to be working in her neighborhood at NEMPAC, and can’t wait to share her love and joy of theatre with young folks!

VENUE:  City Winery Boston | Haymarket Lounge

ADDRESS:  80 Beverly St, Boston, MA 02114

HARRIET HUNG

As an educator, violist/violinist, pianist and singer Harriet Hung is a Boston based private music instructor with 10 years of teaching experience in viola/violin, piano and singing. Having taught students from ages 5 to 50, she believes “Being the best friend with students and growing with them, is the best way leading them to the world of musical aesthetics.” Harriet Hung holds a Master of Music degree from Longy School of Music and Bachelor of Art Degree in National Hsinchu University of Education Department of Music (Taiwan).

LUPING XU

Luping (Robyn) Xu is a Boston-based pianist, harpsichordist, organist, and music educator who believes music should be as personal as it is accessible. Passionate about exploring lesser-known and under-represented composers, she creates a learning environment where students can discover and develop their own musical voice at their own pace. Her mission is to make music education accessible to students of all ages and backgrounds, o>ering performance opportunities to nurture their growth.

Luping serves as the Music Director at Christ Church United in Dracut, MA, and as a sta> pianist at Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA. She is excited to bring her dedication to diversity and inclusion to her role as a piano instructor at the North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC).

As a collaborative pianist, Luping thrives on creating music with others across a range of genres and settings. Recent projects include The Addams Family with the Chelsea High School Chorus, Sondheim and Sondheim at Longy School of Music, and an outdoor concert with the Greater Lowell Symphonic Orchestra at Acrefest. She has also premiered works such as Delvyn Case’s solo cantata The Binding of Isaac at All Saints Anglican Church in Amesbury, MA, and recorded selections of C.P.E. Bach’s repertoire with singer David Mather for the Packard Humanities Institute.

STEVE ALLEN

Originally from Philadelphia, Steve came to Boston to study music in 2011 and never quite left. Omnivorous musician with a focus on a personal blend of rock, blues, jazz, funk and classical. Steve currently plays guitar in various groups around Boston, teaches students, does freelance work, and makes his own music. He is always looking for new music to play and eager students to teach. Steve’s early focus was the cello, with guitar on the side, attending Boston University for cello performance. Currently he plays guitar primarily, he thinks it’s a better fit.

JACK BYRNE

Jack Byrne, a Massachusetts native, began studying the guitar at the age of ten under the instruction of his father, who attended Berklee College of Music. To this day, his family is known to pull out the guitars and spend hours singing. The first song he ever performed was at his 6th grade talent show and he remembers being pleasantly surprised by how positive and encouraging his classmates were to him.

Jack enjoys playing a variety of styles including rock, pop, metal, folk, jazz, and classical. Having a passion for singing and songwriting from a young age, Jack has done a number of recordings of his own music, and performs his songs in Boston and New York. In the summer of 2009, Jack toured the Northeast as the guitarist for Indie-Rock band, “The Narrative,” and in 2013 he released his first full length solo album, “Complications.”

Jack received his Bachelors in Music from UMass Amherst, and his Masters in Voice Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College. While working towards his Masters, he appeared in a number of Operas with groups such as the Harvard Early Music Society, Boston Opera Collaborative, and in 2012 sang with NEMPAC in their production of “Carmen.” Since finishing his Masters, Jack has been teaching Guitar, Voice, Banjo, and Ukulele in the South Shore, singing in the Old North Church choir, and working on his next solo album.

CARLOS HERRAND

Carlos (Cabeto) Herrand Pou is a Dominican multi-instrumentalist, composer & teaching-artist based in Boston, MA. He joined the National Conservatory of Music at age 15, shortly after, he started to play with renowned local jazz musicians. After participating in the 2015 edition of Berklee on the Road, he was awarded a scholarship to join the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with the highest honor majoring in Performance. While at Berklee, he studied with acclaimed drummers Terri Lyne Carrington, Francisco Mela, Neal Smith, and Yoron Israel. In 2017, he joined Berklee’s famous Berklee Global Jazz Institute undergraduate program, where he studied under the tutelage of Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Ben Street, Adam Cruz, and others. He received the Steve Gadd Award in 2017 and The Most Active Drummer in 2018. In 2023, he received his Master’s Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music from Longy School of Music of Bard College as a Presidential & Equity Scholar.

SHAWN MEEHAN

Shawn Meehan is a professional drummer and educator residing and teaching in the Boston area. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music where he majored in Music Performance.

Shawn has performed on concert stages throughout North America, Europe NEMPAC Percussion Instructor Shawn Meehanand Asia with artists such as Eddie Kirkland, Johnny Rawls, Johnnie Marshall, Phil Guy, Clarence Spady, Mark Polishook, Jim Kelly and Toni Lynn Washington. Currently, Shawn is performing with Eight To The Bar, who was recently invited by the US Embassy in the Republic of Georgia for a goodwill tour of that country. The band keeps a very active performance schedule appearing at festivals, casinos and other venues over 170 times per year. Drumming performances can be heard on several CD’s, including Eight To The Bar’s, The Romper Room and Robbie Lee Quintet’s Live At The Regattabar.

Shawn has really enjoyed teaching at NEMPAC over the past year and half. His goal is to teach his students the joys and rewards of practicing and performing music. The skills learned in the study of music carry over to all aspects of life. The discovery of creating a beautiful sound on an instrument can be a revelation for young students. Music is an invaluable form of expression which holds the ability for students to see the unlimited potential in themselves and others.