Meet Our Instructors

Kate DeSisto is an enthusiastic music educator offering lessons in voice to students of all ages. With classical training and a rock and roll heart, she firmly believes in establishing the knowledge, good habits, and passion for musical exploration that will help her students find lifelong joy in music-making. With over a decade of teaching experience, she loves getting to know her students and helping them develop not only as musicians, but as human beings.

Kate was born and raised on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Her love for all music, particularly musical theater, has been evident since she could stand on her toy box and belt out a tune. After receiving her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Syracuse University, she began her music teaching career in the North Andover and Marblehead school districts, while owning and operating her own music studio. She then moved to the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania in 2012, where she taught music at Seven Generations Charter School and the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, and was President of the Concord Chamber Singers.
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Currently, you can find Kate on the road touring nationally and internationally with the Talking Heads tribute band, Start Making Sense. When not making music, Kate is most likely teaching yoga and/or paddle boarding, or hiking with her daughter, dog, and partner.

​​Scot Gelzinis is a veteran guitar instructor with over 17 years of experience.  He utilizes a hands-on, practical approach to teaching music that builds fundamentals and advanced techniques.  Scot encourages his students to establish their own musical interests and identity by illustrating how their favorite music is structured and performed.  This method has been proven to produce great results with guitarists of all ages and skill levels.  Scot specializes in current and classic genres, from Hard Rock to Country.

Melissa Hanley has a Theater and Dance BA from UNH. For over 25 years, she has studied many styles of dance in seacoast New Hampshire, Los Angeles, and Florence Italy. She has performed professionally and worked as choreographer in theaters throughout New England, including many shows here at ROH.

Jesse has been playing drums and guitar for over twenty years. Holding a music degree from the university of New Hampshire, he works full time as a gigging musician. Jesse’s Mom was a music teacher and brother was a guitarist – music has always been part of his upbringing. When he was twelve, Jesse became enamored with the local punk rock scene in his hometown, and has been playing in different genres ever since. Jesse’s teaching style lets you set the agenda. Whether it’s theory-based, songwriting, or learning your favorite songs, he’s there to help you accomplish your goals along the way. Music is his passion, and he’s happy to help you find and strengthen yours!

Marcus Provost is a New England based Non-Union Musical Theater Actor, Opera Singer, Mover, Stagehand, Director, and Vocal Instructor. He received his M.M in Opera (Baritone) Vocal Performance at UMass Amherst, his B.A in Musical Theatre at Johnson State College and has trained and performed with The Sarteano Choral Workshop in Italy under the direction of Simon Carrington (founding member of The King Singers), AADA, Emerson College, and The Vermont Shakespeare Company.

Laura Smith is a Colorado native who has taught in Asia for the past eleven years. She holds a degree in Music Education from Colorado Christian University where she focused on general music with an emphasis in piano.  Laura’s early piano training at a private academy focused on healthy hand techniques and being a well-rounded musician, both of these practices she has carried into her private piano instruction for the past fourteen years. Laura strives to meet the goals of each individual she teaches while also giving foundational instruction in music theory and introducing students to new genres.

Jen has performed in numerous musicals throughout NH for the last 30 years, taking a slight break to focus on raising her two girls…one of which is now performing herself on stage at the Rochester Opera House! Jen’s favorite roles have been Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde, Cinderella in Into the Woods, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

Samuel Tolley, a Rochester native, graduated from Plymouth State University with degrees in musical theatre and music education. Samuel has over ten years of experience teaching music in private and public schools. After seven years in South Korea, Samuel returned to the U.S. in 2022. He has since performed in and music-directed many theatrical performances in the area. He has a love of singing, musical theater, and instilling a confidence in his students to trust themselves and find their own unique voices.

Jenry Towle (she/they) is a theatermaker based in Kittery, ME. Holding degrees in Music, Theater Performance, & Technical Theater & Design, she has taught voice and acting to students of every age in 46 of the 50 states!

​Jenry believes in a full-body, comprehensive approach to finding your strongest voice – body, voice, and imagination need to work simultaneously together to build confidence and projection.