THE STAFF
Here at MTT, we are a creative community that is inclusive of everyone!
Our mission is to create a safe and fun environment for our students to explore their creativity and imagination. We meet students where they are, and then help them build skills and gain confidence in themselves. This transformation extends beyond the classroom and stage and continues to give them skills and confidence in the arena of life for years to come.
Catherine Colby
Founder and Teacher
Graduated San Diego State University with a BA in Music, Dance, Theatre. She has taught classes in music, theater, musical theatre, improv, vocal production, preschool and creative movement to kids ages 3 to 18. She sang in choirs from elementary school through college and has been in numerous shows. She began teaching in Solana Beach as "Rising Stars Studio." She was hired as the music teacher for Park Dale Lane Elementary School and was then hired as the theatre teacher at Encinitas Country Day School. She left the school system when her kids were toddlers and created "Mini Theatre Troupe." (Later changing the name to Music & Theatre Troupe.) She has directed hundreds of musicals & plays from mini preschool shows performing in a corner of the preschool classroom to big Broadway musicals performed on the big stage with lights, sound, backdrops, set changes, rotating stages, costumes, props, and live music. With years of teaching experience, she knows how to teach while keeping it fun and how to set her students up for success. It’s her mission of meeting kids where they are and keeping it meaningful and fun (& onstage) that sets the climate for MTT.
Julie Greathouse-Suazo
Casting Director
Julie started her musical theatre career in the Cleveland theatrical community as a child performer in the sixties and has been working steadily since. A lifelong musician and veteran performer of numerous local productions, regional theatre, and national touring, she also works independently as a musical director, vocal director, theatrical script doctor, casting consultant, private audition and vocal coach, and as a music curriculum consultant. Julie has also worked in San Diego and La Jolla school districts teaching general music, recorders, K-3 percussion band, musical theatre, and theatre arts since 1987. She has been working with several local school districts, providing site-embedded staff development for general music to classroom teachers in the primary grades.
Brittany May
Choreographer & Dance Teacher
Brittany grew up dancing in Encinitas under the Direction of Leslie Craig. She received her BA in dance from CA State University, Fullerton. She has attended summer intensives at State Street Ballet, Santa Barbara, and taken summer classes from Larry Rosenburg. She began her modern training under the direction of Gladys Kares. She has trained in Limon, Horton, and Graham from instructors Debra Noble, Alvin Rangel, and Lisa D Long and kept her ballet training with Muriel Joyce. She graduated with Magma Cum Laude from the University Honors Program.
Abla Lynn Hamza
Guest Voice Teacher
Music is my passion, and I have been singing professionally for over 15 years. I have performed with opera companies throughout the country including the Dallas Opera, Opera North, Opera Southwest, Sarasota Opera, and have upcoming performances with the San Diego Opera. In addition, I have performed standard musical theater repertoire in concerts and have experience singing in recitals, concerts, weddings, and other special events.
I previously taught voice lessons to students between ages 11-18 both in Philadelphia and in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and am beginning to work with students in San Diego. I teach all styles of singing (ranging from classical to musical theater to contemporary music), and my focus is on providing a solid foundation of breathing, singing technique, and musicianship. I help students use their voices in a healthy, tension-free way so they can sing different styles without discomfort. I have experience preparing high school students for singing competitions, upcoming solos, and admission to competitive university music programs, and I also assist
Julia Giolzetti
Guest Teacher
Julia Giolzetti was lucky enough to begin her theatre journey in the classroom at age 8. She holds a BFA in Theatre from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. For 2 years and almost 400 shows she performed Off-Broadway with the New York Times Critic’s Pick Drunk Shakespeare. Other New York theatre credits include over 15 Shakespeare plays, originating roles in 3 world premieres, and ad campaigns for Bank of America. She taught youth theatre workshops in NYC for many years and also worked as a one-on-one monologue coach. In addition, she led classes as supplements to performances with the all-female ensemble the Tempest Ladies in Istanbul, Turkey. Here in San Diego, she has taught at San Diego Junior Theatre, North Coast Rep, in many county classrooms with Playwrights Project, and toured multiple Shakespeare productions in local schools. During the lockdowns of 2020, Julia created Sofa Shakespeare, a global project where anyone can perform 1 minute of a Shakespeare play from home.
Matthew Rechen
Acting Teacher
Matthew Rechen joins us from Louisiana. When he isn’t onstage in a show, he is at JPC University working on his bachelor's in acting. His passion is to help make scenes come alive by helping students understand objectives, subtext, and tactics. We are excited to have him as a guest teacher this semester!
Jaime Prigmore
Music Coach
Jamie Prigmore has performed all of her life. She danced with her college dance team and plays the viola. She even toured Europe multiple times playing viola in a symphony orchestra! She founded the Midland Elementary School Choir and ran it as a parent volunteer after school each week for years until Covid shut everything down. She is now a substitute teacher at the Middle/High School level and enjoys working with kids. Jamie substituted for the choral teacher for MTT one week, and has been leading the choral rehearsals at MTT ever since. She loves helping your kiddo with their solos, duets, and harmonies.
Cindy Cribbins
Music Coach
Cindy Cribbins earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music from California State University, San Marcos, and her Master of Arts in Music & Music Education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
Cindy’s skill set is varied. She teaches music basics in preschools and general music & theatre in elementary schools. She also conducts choirs of varying ages (children through adult), composes her own works, arranges music, and creates music programs (especially around the holidays). She enjoys teaching music theory, beginning voice, and beginning piano.
In addition to her musical endeavors, Cindy writes scripts; from mini plays to full length productions, her scripts have found their way to the stage. Cindy’s first produced play, Who Stole the Cookie and the Cookie Jar?, premiered in Houston, Texas, in April 2022.
Cindy believes that learning should and can be fun! Because of this philosophy, she has created several products to help music students learn in an engaging way, including Flip Notes Music and Clip Notes Music, along with a corresponding manual.
Cindy also maintains that music, and indeed all the arts, should be accessible to all. This is the ideology that has guided her teaching opportunities over the last decade and that continues to guide her vision today.
Donna
The woman behind the curtain!
Meet Donna the “left brain” counterpart to all the “right brain” creative types floating around MTT! She is organized and logical and is excited to help you get the info you need in a timely manner. What are the costume requirements? I can’t remember my parent portal password! How do I access the choreography videos? I need a copy of the script… Whatever your questions may be, Donna will get you the answers! So glad to have her as a part of our team!