Staff

I am so thrilled to be celebrating our 20th Anniversary of Art and Sol! I started Art and Sol while working as a full time teacher in the Arcadia neighborhood 19 years ago. It started as one small after school class I held once a week, and it just kept growing and growing! As much as I loved teaching in the classroom, I poured my heart into Art and Sol. I was thrilled that it kept growing year after year, and I made it my full time job while raising my children at home.  After 19 years, Art and Sol has grown and flourished across the valley. I am so proud that we have three locations, with six classes, and over 300 children every session. It is the greatest honor to teach children of all ages the love and joy of performing and musical theatre. I feel so blessed to have the BEST JOB EVER! I get to sing, dance, act, and help children SHINE on and off stage through Art and Sol!

“You can’t make a song with just one note.”

My love for teaching began at a very early age when I used to play “school” with my younger brother; he was the student and I was always the teacher. I fell in love with music at age 8 when I started playing the viola and joined my elementary school orchestra. By the time that I graduated high school, I was studying the viola, violin piano and voice and I realized that teaching music was my passion. I have performed with numerous youth and professional orchestras and choirs and have performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, various venues throughout Europe, and even performed on the street corner in Washington D.C.!

I earned my degree in Music Education with a concentration in viola and piano from Marywood University before I moved to Phoenix in 2005. I previously taught general music and choir in the Phoenix Elementary School District for nine years and I am currently choral director and general music teacher at Madison Meadows Middle School.

I’m so blessed to join the Art and Sol team as the newest vocal director. I love working with children everyday and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together!

I’ve been singing since before I could speak.  Literally.  I have a severe tongue tie, and singing helped me learn to talk normally.  It wasn’t until age 3 that my mom actually took my singing seriously.  She knew then that I was set apart for the arts.  So did I.  Growing up, I did every musical activity I could – church choir, bell choir, and the school band, orchestra and choir programs simultaneously.  Once middle school hit, the school schedule did not allow for my music classes.  I decided to stay in the band program, and continued in the jazz, concert band, and orchestra settings through half of my undergrad degree.  It was during high school and college that I was extremely ill, and music saved my life.  Literally.  Sharing the gift of music I’ve been given with others has always been a priority in my life.  It doesn’t matter if I’m performing or teaching, as long as the gift is shared.

I have a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of New Mexico and received my Masters in Opera and Musical Theater Performance from Arizona State University in the spring of 2017.  In between degrees, my time was spent developing a music and choir program at a Montessori elementary school, directing and organizing several music education and outreach programs with the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, and performing around the world as the lead singer for Celebrity Enterprises.  Since then, I’ve enjoyed an international tour with Artrageous, as well as several operatic appearances in Germany.  I come from a diverse musical background,  and have experience singing in jazz, musical theater, pop and classical styles.  

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that if you have the performance bug, it never really leaves you.  Through the faith and encouragement of my friends and family, I started making music again, and slowly started teaching privately. I am glad it has led me to teach at Art and Sol!

I have been in love with musical theatre for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Southern California, I had many opportunities to perform in programs like this, talent shows, and even a commercial. I knew that I wanted to make this a part of my life forever, and I am so excited to be on this amazing team! I was enrolled in Art and Sol when I was younger, then moved to volunteering backstage, and am now honored to be an Assistant Director for Central Phoenix! This program has brought me so much love and light in my life and I can’t wait to spread that magic to each and every one of these talented young actors.

I am currently a working on my degree at Arizona State University (Go Sun Devils!) in Communications. I am a sophomore and hope to graduate in the Spring of 2022. I can’t wait to begin this incredible journey with Art and Sol!

Jenny Lynne has been teaching and performing for 15 years in Arizona. She has a strong background in jazz, burlesque, & musical theater including choreographing, writing, producing and directing. She has also trained contemporary, modern, ballet & hip hop. She works with ages 5 to 99 years old on a daily basis at various studios & theaters across the valley. From workshops to classes to one on one training she works with all levels and groups. She can make any level look great on stage! Her work has been nominated/ won various awards including a Zoni for her choreography in the musical production of Disney’s Aristrocats!

In 2015 Jenny Lynne started her own performance team for women of all ages and all levels, with an emphasis on women empowerment. Jenny also teaches and performs in the Latin Dance & Social Dance Community across the country. She has a strong background and training in both Kizomba & Bachata which she directs performance team for. Whether she is teaching workshops for littles, breaking down technique for couple dance, or bringing out the joy & confidence in adults, Jenny Lynne believes in the power of dance and music that heals, inspires, and unites us all. That’s why very class starts the same:
WHAT’S MY NUMBER ONE RULE?
HAVE FUN!!!

I was born in Denver, Colorado but moved to a suburb of Boston at 2 years old. My family then moved to Phoenix when I was in the fifth grade and while it was a hard transition for me to go from New England to the desert, I ended up moving back after getting my B.S. at Brigham Young University and am now happy to be raising two little Phoenicians of my own!

My educational background is in human development and elementary education but after I had my kids and was staying at home I found I wanted a creative outlet and a way to document their lives as they were changing so fast. I come from a creative family, and my mother is a professional artist so I took a page from her book at flexed my photography muscles. What started off with buying my first dslr, reading books on exposure on portraiture, and taking pictures of friends’ kids ended up blossoming into a business.

And now I am lucky enough to join the Art and Sol family. I look forward to documenting these exciting experiences with your families and hope that I am able to capture the joy and magic of the theater, friendship, and childhood that you will be able to keep as treasures forever. For more information on me and to see some examples of my work, please visit rachaelannelewisphotography.com