Musical Beginnings

Allison grew up in a musical family: both of her grandmothers played organ in Chicago & Europe, her father played jazz flute & bongos, her mother sang, and eclectic collections of music were always playing in the house. She begin harmonizing with the vacuum cleaner at age 3 and her parents encouraged her to join her church choir, Kenwood Academy Concert Choir, and  Chicago Children's Choir, where she was a member from age 6-18.  Through the Chicago Children's Choir, Allison's musicality expanded as well as having a taste of performing  globally. 

After her long choral training,  Allison continued on her musical journey.  She received her B.M. at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana under the tutelage of Dr. Ollie Watts Davis as a coloratura concert soprano.  That fall, she moved to NYC, studied at NYU in their Musical Theatre program and received her Master's in Music (M.M) at Steinhardt. While she was studying at NYU, she was  adjunct Voice Faculty and had  a studio 19 private voice students per semester and taught a group voice classes.

With multiple genres of music styles and a Bachelors & Master's of Music under her belt, she began auditioning in the Big Apple. She began performing in regional theaters: Dreamgirls, Bubbling Brown Sugar, The Wiz , The Color Purple National Tour, Soul: The Stax Musical, OoBlaDee, Shout Sister, Little Shop of Horrors at the Kennedy Center. She finally graced the Broadway stage, first in the Hit Show "The Book of Mormon" and starred in "Motown the Musical" as Diana Ross in the Broadway National 1st & 2nd National Tour, then as the starring role on the return to Broadway!

She also  has performed at Jazz at the Lincoln Center in Kurt Elling's star studded Radio Jazz Noir Concert "The Big Blind" & Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" in Toronto. 

Coming from a long line of educators, teaching is not only in Allison's blood, but it is a passion of hers. She choose to live the journey & career of a performing artist first because she believes that life experience paired with education is the BEST teacher. Allison has had over 60 private students at NYU, and has facilitated musical theater masterclasses with grammar and highschool students all over the country while starring on the National Tour of Motown the Musical. She created an afterschool musical theater program in underserved communities in Brooklyn & The Bronx. She recently facilitated a summer Broadway masterclass with the Chicago Children's Choir and is currently enrolling students online as a result of Covid's national quarantine. NOTHING CAN  STOP MUSIC EDUCATION!