Our Tremendous Staff
Alisa Silverstein - Studio Manager
For more than 30 years, Alisa Silverstein has been inspiring students through music as a piano teacher, educator, and mentor. She has taught hundreds of students of all ages, developed engaging curriculum, organized recitals and music camps, and is passionate about helping every child discover confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of music. Her ability to connect with students and families, combined with decades of teaching experience, makes her an invaluable part of the Music Pillars team.
As our Studio Manager, Alisa combines her love of music with outstanding organizational and leadership skills to ensure every family enjoys an exceptional experience. From welcoming new students and supporting parents to helping our teachers succeed behind the scenes, she is dedicated to creating an encouraging, organized, and joyful environment where every student has the opportunity to grow as both a musician and a person.
Emily - Line Dancing
4S RANCH
Emily grew up in youth musical theatre programs in the Coachella Valley, and when she was told in middle school she must choose between choir and theatre, she declared in high school she would never let the curriculum stop her from dedicating herself to both. She took this determination and 0-period-lifestyle from high school into San Diego State, graduating not just with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and minor in Child Development, but with the honor of summa cum laude and the knowledge of how to tetris her schedule to accommodate three jobs, student organizations and a full-time theatre student lifestyle.
One of those jobs was teaching youth theatre, something she did for four years, only stopping due to a pandemic. Needing somewhere to place her energy at the time, she chose to climb up the restaurant industry ladder to become a Front of House Manager for a brand new concept restaurant. Come Spring 2023, she looked around and realized she wasn’t making the difference she knew she could make. With a new-found drive for change and eye for analytics, she set out to make that difference in the best place she knew how: a place that inspires growth through play in youth music and theatre.
Tamara - Vocal Chair
Instructor - 4S Ranch
Tamara is an opera singer, who made her international stage debut at the Macedonian Opera in the title role of Verdi’s AIDA in 2008. Since that time, Tamara has performed close to 100 critical acclaim performances of Aida in Europe, as well as various other roles in opera houses throughout the USA.
In Germany, Tamara performed regularly as a concert soloist with the Klassic Philharmonie of Hamburg. In Spain, she was the featured guest artist with the Setmana Lirica de Santanyi Orchestra of Mallorca. She toured extensively throughout Spain singing concerts in the cities of Jaca, Escaldes, Vielha, Amurio and Orense. In the United States, Tamara performed as a solo artist with New York City Opera, the Midland Symphony, New York City American Composer’s Orchestra, the New Haven Symphony, the One World Symphony and the Gateway Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout her singing career, Tamara maintained private vocal studios in the United States and Europe, working with singers of all ages, from beginners to established professionals. She’s worked with a variety of musical genres such as: classical, musical theater, jazz, pop, R&B, indie, rap, country and gospel artists. In her 18-years of vocal and pedagogic training from noted international vocal pedagogue David Jones, Tamara developed important therapeutic skills to remedy many common vocal issues.
Known for her Warm-up Workshops, Mock Auditions and Performance Masterclasses, Tamara knows from first-hand experience that singers with a solid vocal foundation are more confident on stage and in the recording studio. Tamara is passionate about helping singers discover vocal freedom in a fun, creative, positive and nurturing environment.
John - Guitar Chair, Drums, Bands
Instructor - 4S Ranch
John has been mastering the art of guitar playing for over 30 years. A graduate of the Musicians Institute (MI), he has remained actively involved in the music industry, working with prestigious companies like Gibson. Although John recorded an album with the band Ten Years Late and toured extensively, he is primarily a solo artist, having released three albums on his own.
John has been teaching professionally for over 12 years. In addition to guitar, he teaches other instruments, including piano, drums, vocals, and bass. He teaches all popular styles, including Rock, Flamenco, Jazz, Pop, and more. With his eclectic taste and expertise in multiple genres, John offers students the opportunity to explore any style they desire. As your dedicated teacher, he is committed to helping you achieve your musical goals.
Kat Furtado - Voice, Acting, Musical Theatre
Kat Furtado (she/her) is a singing and acting coach at Music Pillars. She values compassion, inclusion, warmth, curiosity, and wonderment.
Kat was singing before she could speak, and was performing in coffee houses by the age of six. She continued performing regularly through elementary and high school. She contributed to countless choir concerts, musicals, and productions, playing roles and singing parts she adored. At the ages of fourteen and fifteen, she received musical theater scholarships to participate in an international theater program in Switzerland at the Leysin American School “Summer in Switzerland” program. At sixteen, she was admitted into Northwestern University’s National High School Institute (NHSI, also known as the “Cherub” program) Summer program for Theater, working with prestigious theater professionals and peers from across the country. She was also honored to be accepted into the inaugural year of NHSI’s Musical Theater Extension.
After years of singing, she sustained a vocal injury and sought rehabilitation through a Speech-Language Therapist. This was the catalyst for Kat deciding to become one herself. She earned her Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in Communication Science and Disorders, working as a health professional and educator (Speech-Language Pathologist) before becoming a parent. After having children, she shifted paths and began her career as a fiber and mixed media artist. Her artwork has been showcased in three international books, multiple publications, exhibitions, and artist communities. She also created and released collections of art, selling these releases directly to collectors. She recently closed her business and now creates art just for the sake of creating art.
In her spare time, Kat loves to be with her favorite people: her two kids and fabulous partner, Ryan. She has also volunteered through a local non-profit and she loves walks, reading, and looking for hummingbirds outside. After a long hiatus, she has recently made her return to performance. She’s regularly singing again and it feels like coming home.
Alex - Piano
Lab Instructor - 4S Ranch
Alex Zunic is a musician and composer from San Diego, California. He began his journey in music at 5 years old in the Let’s Play Music program, and was a student at Music Pillars for 10 years. He is excited to now work with young students in the piano lab and musical theater program.
He enjoys studying classical music, including the works of Satie, Chopin, Schubert, and more. He discovered a passion for composing while taking AP Music Theory in high school, and plans to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in Scoring for Media in the fall of 2026, with the goal of scoring big budget films and games.
Alex has had the opportunity to score numerous games on Roblox, web-series, and student-created short films. He has also written several piano and choir pieces.
Megan - Choreographer
INSTRUCTOR - 4S RANCH
Megan Alves caught the dancing bug when she was 3 years old & has loved it ever since. She was born & raised in Connecticut & was grateful for her close proximity to New York City, where she spent much of her time dancing & training. Megan received her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Dance & Dance Pedagogy from Point Park University with concentrations in both jazz and modern dance.
For well over a decade, Megan has been teaching dance & theater to students from age 3 up to adults! She has taught a range of dance styles from ballet, to tap, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, theater, hip-hop, & more. While Megan enjoys teaching all styles of dance, she particularly loves getting to work within the world of musical theater. It is exciting to help her students learn how to use movement to effectively express & tell a story. Megan has had a wide range of teaching opportunities, from youth theater programs, to numerous dance studios & she was even asked to create her own course for undergraduate business students to teach and demonstrate leadership skills through the lens of dance.
In addition to teaching and choreographing, Megan has had a fruitful career performing in musical theater across the country! Some of her favorite show’s she has had the opportunity to perform in are: Cats, A Chorus Line, An American in Paris, 42nd Street, Bye Bye Birdie, Mamma Mia, Hairspray & Evita, among many others. Megan also spent over a half a year in Hawaii performing for Norwegian Cruise Line as their ship’s dance captain.
Melissa - Founder, Coordinator, Theater Director
A little over 10 years ago, Melissa and her husband, Scott, decided to sell their business and leave their jobs to create a music school dedicated to developing musicians. That school is Music Pillars. Melissa directs the Musical Theatre Program at Music Pillars, which includes multiple Jr Productions each year, Kids Theater Productions for ages 7 - 10, as well as overseeing the Double and Triple Threat courses and performances.
Melissa taught elementary music education at Del Sur Elementary for three years (and then the theatre program got too big and we needed her here!) For over a decade, she has been teaching music and creating music curriculum in various environments. From large theater groups to small private school classrooms, she loves seeing the personal growth of her students.
In her spare time, Melissa can be found either on the beach, on a run, or cheering on the sidelines of one of kid’s sporting events with her husband, Scott and 4 kids.
Scott - Founder
Scott is committed to giving students and parents a world-class music teaching environment. He developed the "Pillars" of Music Pillars. This was developed by both experiencing the various schools of thought regarding music pedagogy, and then also working as a paid musician. Pillars is a fusion of Suzuki, Classical, Kodaly, and Jazz. He made a living as a pianist from the age of 15 until 25. Totaling over 3,000+ actual hours performing live (for all you math-scholars, that is the equivalent of being on stage 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 18 months). He was a Merit-based Buck Family Music Scholar from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music.
He is also the General Music and Musical Theatre Director at Del Mar Pines in Del Mar. Which puts on 8 musicals each year, one for each grade K - 6, and then a school-wide full Jr Production.
Because of that dual background in a formal classical conservatory, and also as a paid musician, Scott set out to build a music studio to teach "musicianship" rather than simply technical mastery on the piano (classical training) or cheapening music education by just learning a few "cool rock songs" and having that somehow equate to a musical education. He has a patent in Molecular Epidemiology for his pioneering work on M. Tuberculosis (patent link). Prior to founding Music Pillars, Scott founded Forte Commercial Cleaning and franchised the business through over 100 franchises in California, Utah, and Nevada. Scott received his MBA from UC Berkeley. He lives in San Diego with his wife Melissa, and is the proud father of 4. When he isn’t working, Scott enjoys (but isn’t terribly good at) working out, playing and watching sports, reading, chess, and noodling around in his business.
To read more about our teaching philosophy, please click here.
