Debbie Crane

Debbie brings a fresh, warm presence to her classes with a friendly smile and welcoming manner! Debbie loves to sing and first experienced Music Together® as a parent while bringing her two, (now young adult), children to classes for many years. She later completed her Music Together® Teacher Training in 2003, where she befriended Michelle Tate singing Sound of Music songs during the breaks! Debbie also has her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood and Human Development and was a pre-school teacher prior to having children. She has been teaching with Apple Country since 2013. Debbie is involved in community theater groups and has been in many Gilbert and Sullivan productions and many other shows including Once Upon A Mattress, The Music Man, and Our Town. She is also involved in her church, runs road races, and educates people on how to make safer product choices. Check out her websites www.nontoxicdeb.com & www.dcrane.juiceplus.com.

Gina Cranford she/hers

Gina has been teaching for Apple Country Music Together for nearly 15 years. Gina began her musical career with piano lessons at age 4. The excellent choral music program in the Northborough Public Schools laid the foundation for a lifetime of singing. Gina has both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education from the University of Connecticut. She taught middle and high school choirs for over 10 years and most notably was invited to conduct the 2001 Jr. SEMBSA Festival Choir in Southeastern Massachusetts. Gina is also a piano accompanist for vocalists and choirs. In addition to the piano, Gina plays the recorder, strumstick and Ukulele. She fell in love with Music Together® while enjoying the classes with her two children and realized that this was the perfect next step in her musical journey. She became a registered Music Together® teacher in 2009 and in 2013 she was awarded the Music Together® Certification level 1 for outstanding achievement in teaching, musicianship, program philosophy and parent education. Gina was founder and conductor of Melody Makers Children's Chorus. She enjoys singing, walking on the beach, yoga, snuggling with her mini dachshund Remo, and traveling with her family. Gina is also a Reiki Master and Sound Healer. Contact her at intunemindbody.com to book a Reiki session.

Alexis Nodiff

Alexis is one of our newest Apple Country Music Together teacher, and, along with her twin sister Tiffany, a former Apple Country client! Her natural musicality and playfulness make her classes enjoyable and exciting! Alexis recently completed the Music Together® training, and is a graduate of Muhlenberg College with a major in vocal performance. Prior to college, Alexis was a camp counselor at a musical theater camp for young children and is naturally creative and musical with little musicians. She has been attending Music Together® since 2015 with her two daughters, and loves singing and dancing with her own childeren and those in her classes! In her spare time, she enjoys attending the theater and singing in local choral groups. You can enjoy her beautiful voice in local productions of The Messiah, among others. Alexis lives in Southborough with her husband, two beautiful daughters and puppy.

Dayna Dumas

Teaching Music Together^® is a dream come true for Dayna. She loves to sing all genres: from Broadway to heavy metal. Until Dayna took her three children to Music Together 25 years ago, she thought she was the only person in the world who made up silly songs for her family. From central Massachusetts, Dayna has had many years of experience being a "show choir mom" and a "theater mom" to her children. She is now an elementary school secretary and new empty nester living in Charlton with her husband, and our newest teacher. A member of ROCK VOICES "America's Community Rock Chorus" since 2017, Dayna has been a featured soloist with the group in many concerts. Dayna and Michelle also sang together throughout high school in the chorus, and in the girl group "The Optimistics". They maybe had too much fun at rehearsals, and made many fond memories sharing the joys of making music together!
www.rockvoices.com. Dayna is also an Avon representative:  www.youravon.com/daynadumas

Amberlee Holden - Intern

Apple Country Music Together is honored to have Amberlee Holden joining us as an intern in our programs. Amberlee is attending Stonehill College, and is majoring in Psychology. She is planning to minor in either Philosophy or Music Composition and Theory. Amberlee wants to continue working in fine arts, as well as with children after graduation. Amberlee began her internship as an assistant during our Rhythm Kids^® Camp which debuted in July, 2021. Without Amberlee's creative ideas, musical and creative movement talents, and effervescent enthusiasm, camp would not have been the same! Amberlee lists her favorite aspects of her intership as follows: "I love seeing how excited the kids are when participating in Rhythm Kids^® Camp! Seeing them engaging, feeling free to express themselves through the arts, and being able to see their creativity flourish over the course of the camp was amazing, and very fulfilling." Amberlee will be joining us again as an intern this summer, and we look forward to her spirited personality and creativity.

Michelle Tate - Director

Michelle is the Director of Apple Country Music Together, and has been a Music Together® Teacher since 2003. Michelle has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, and has discovered that being a visual artist greatly informs her Music Together® teaching. Michelle was personally selected by Tom Foote and Ken Guilmartin to pilot the new drumming program, Rhythm Kids®, featuring the African djembe. She has studied voice, piano, flute, piccolo, djembe, and the Celtic bodhran, and quite brilliantly snapped her piccolo in half while branching out into percussion at a high school football game. Some of her happiest memories include being danced around the kitchen by her father while he serenaded her. Michelle has been a member of many choirs, bands, and musical ensembles, and directed the children's choir at her church for several years. Michelle's love of music introduced her to Music Together® as a parent in 2002, which inspired her to become a registered teacher in 2003. In July 2010 she was awarded the Music Together® Certification I designation by the program's co-founder, Dr. Lili Levinowitz, for outstanding achievement in teaching, musicianship, program philosophy and parent education. She has also been featured in many training videos for Rhythm Kids®. Michelle's favorite aspect of teaching Music Together® is nurturing the emotional connections between people through group music making. Michelle's goal as director is to bring the concept of making Music Together® to as many people - young and old - as possible. To achieve this, she has incorporated the Babies, Generations and Rhythm Kids® programs into Apple Country and has the goal of offering more of all of these classes in the area. Michelle is the lucky mother of three wonderful children, wife to her soul mate, companion to many varied pets, and is attempting to teach herself the ukulele, guitar, bodhran, accordion and kalimba. Michelle is passionate about world music and aspires to infuse a broad range of world music experiences and joy into her classes.