Who We Are — Vocal Village

We are creatives in our respective fields; passionate about making a meaningful impact within the communities we serve.

Tyenne L. Sillekens

Tyenne L. Sillekens is a coloratura soprano who possesses a clear and angelic voice that reaches the hearts of her audiences with each note she sings. A native of New York, Sillekens was introduced to African American spirituals and Italian art song at the early age of 14. It was during this time that Sillekens discovered her voice and embarked on a musical journey as a classical singer with the New York City All City Chorus, and BAMSS Theatre Works Inc. and received promising reviews while competing with the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA). Sillekens' performance credits include the 2016 Billboard Women in Music Madonna Tribute, the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction with Cat Stevens, 2013 MLB All-Star Charity Concert with Mariah Carey accompanied by the New York Philharmonic, TBN Youth Explosion with Donnie McClurkin, and "The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin" Album Release concert. In 2013, Sillekens toured Japan with the Glory Gospel Singers and in 2012 toured with Canta in Italia in Lucca, Italy, performing scene roles as Zerlina (“Don Giovanni”), and Poppea (“L’Incoronazione di Poppea”). Sillekens’ more recent performance projects include Requiem for Mr. B, Ragtime, the American Negro Spirituals Intensive at Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, Michigan, and Schmidt Opera Outreach Program of UK Opera Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky. Sillekens' passion for opera, art song, and theater, deepens as she expands her vocal repertoire. Sillekens earned a M. Mus. in Classical Voice & Opera Studies from NYU Steinhardt and holds a B.Sc. in Business, Management and Finance from CUNY Brooklyn College.

Brenda L. HugginS

Brenda L. Huggins is a stage director, puppeteer, singer, dramaturg and teaching artist. With a deep interest in new work development, Brenda has directed several world premieres of new plays, operas, and puppetry works as well as contemporary opera repertoire at Emerson College, the Boston Playwrights Theater, the Longy School of Music, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Opera del West, Puppet Showplace Theater, and the National Puppetry Festival Fringe. As a passionate teaching artist with an M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College, Brenda has served as a resident artist at many elementary and middle schools, creative youth development programs and summer intensives. Brenda is the co-creator and puppeteer of Puppet Showplace Theater's Puppet Playtime, an interactive puppetry performance series with live music for very young audiences that performs on tour across the East Coast. Ms. Huggins has taught puppetry and arts education techniques at the Urban College of Boston, and currently creates professional development opportunities for opera educators across America as the Learning and Leadership Manager at OPERA America in NYC.

FRANNE MCNEAL

Franne McNeal, Significant Business Results coach, is a proven business expert in sales, marketing, leadership and strategy. Franne McNeal has helped over ten thousand entrepreneurs achieve significant business results (increased sales, improved cash flow, reduced expenses, and greater profitability). Franne is a serial entrepreneur who, as early as age three, turned interest into income. Ms. McNeal is an author, keynote speaker, online TV show host, business coach, and business judge who has appeared on CBS, NBC and BET. She has been quoted in Black Enterprise Magazine. Ms. McNeal earned a MBA degree from Eastern University, and a BA from Princeton University.

Deborah Boatright

Deborah Boatright is a national non-profit corporate executive and senior government administrator offering a wealth of leadership and expertise in organizational management, strategic alliances and community relations attained over decades in affordable housing and community development. She is an accomplished public speaker and a skilled negotiator who brings diplomacy and sensitivity to difficult conversations to achieve transformative results. Deborah is an expert relationship and partnership-builder who is equally effective in internal and external situations to connect the right people with the right ideas to the right projects. Ms. Boatright is a Harvard University Fellow, and earned a MS degree from The New School, and presently holds a Board seat at, WellLife Network, a multi million dollar Health and Human services organization in NYC.