Faculty: Voice and Drama

Voice and Drama, Mrs. Nevilla E. Ottley-Adjahoe

NEVILLA E. OTTLEY, B.Mus.Ed., M.A. (organ & music history), M.Mus. (conducting) is the founder of the Ottley Music School, established in 1973 a year after she graduated with her Master of Arts in organ and music history from Andrews University where she had earned her B.Mus. in music education and piano performance. She came to Maryland after spending time in New York (accompanying the fledgling Boys Choir of Harlem) and New Jersey (teaching piano and organ at Garden State Academy) where she accompanied the bass baritone Wintley Phipps at age 17 at the beginning of his career. The Ottley Music Studio existed at first out of her home in Maryland, while she taught piano and theory, and later added other piano teachers, violin, voice and clarinet teachers. For more information on the development of her school and other work, see the Principal page above.

Nevilla, as a child of two Trinidadian singing parents, began her musical career as a singer at the age of 3, singing at what is now Andrews University. By the time she was almost 5, she had sung on the pilot radio show produced by Uncle Dan and Aunt Sue, known to children nationwide as "Your Story Hour." As an elementary child with two singing parents, Neville as a tenor, and Myra as a contralto, she sang all over Southern California and later in Trinidad with her siblings in the Ottley Trio. As a teenager she formed a ladies sextette called the Valley Echoes, which sang all over Trinidad. When she returned to the USA, she continued her college education at Andrews, singing in the University Chorale, taking voice lessons, and playing for voice lessons. When she came to the Washington, DC area, she coached and accompanied many singers in the church scene until she added voice lessons to the Ottley Music School in the early 1990s.

Mrs. Ottley makes sure that when students are prepared, she gives them the opportunity to sing not only in the monthly recitals at Ottley Music School, but also for churches, other community events, and Ottley Music School productions. Over the past 3 years the Summer Voice, Drama and Dance Camps/Institutes have immersed the students in The Sound of Music, Scott Joplin's Treemonisha and in A Century of Broadway. The 2004 fall production was Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, 2005 was Mozart's The Empresario, 2006 was Amahl and A Miracle (excerpts from both Menotti's and Mark Fax's christmas operas), and Handel's Hallelujah Chorus which they performed with orchestra on W*USA Channel 9 in the Washington D. C. area. In 2007 they perform Elijah and Messiah scenes from the oratorios of Mendelssohn and Handel with the Hyattsville Symphony. Some of them were priveleged to go to Trinidad and to sing (and play) there in the summer of 2007 under the auspicies of the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Culture, Youth Development and Gender Affairs.

Some of her piano and voice students who have done well as vocalists include Barbara-Gene Brown, Hazel Thorpe, Anika Sampson, Anika Tene McKinney, Jasmine Murrell Brann, Amanda Ambrose, and now college student, coloratura Nichelle Anderson. Some of her piano students doing well include Victoria Alma Castello, Nicole Anderson (graduating in 2008 from Oakwood College), Clayton Taylor, and Nathan Anderson. Some of her students have returned as faculty or staff members, such as Kieron Irwin (trumpet teacher), Anwar Ottley (piano, organ and steel drums, now on leave to work on her Masters' degree), Clayton Taylor (piano), and Jonathan Adjahoe (as network administrator). Others are serving in other leading capacities in various careers such as medical doctors, lawyers, speech pathologists, scientists, church choir directors, composers and arrangers, reporters for major news organizations, and business people.

Mrs. Ottley's piano students have always rated very high in both the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and of the National Guild of Piano Teachers annual examinations and auditions (NGPT are for all instruments and voice through the Ensemble exams). Over the past 40+ years, her piano, organ and voice students have taken (and are still taking) places of responsibility in the music world and other fields internationally. Most of them have gone on to colleges and universities around the world as students and professors, such as Johns Hopkins University, Andrews University, Loma Linda University, Western Michigan University, University of Maryland, Oakwood College, Duke University, Howard University, Berkelee School of Music, Morgan State University, Bethune Cookman College, Mannes College, Princeton, Northern Caribbean University, University of the Southern Caribbean, Bowie State University and others.

Mrs. Ottley has high ideals and goals for all students and teachers of the Ottley Music School. She expects teachers to have the same level of motivation and achievement for their students as she expects of hers. Therefore, she has selected a faculty that we hope will continue the high ideals and level of achievement. She serves at the OMS as a teacher of piano, voice, organ, music theory, music history, and conducting, and is the Music Director and principal conductor of the Hyattsville Symphony, comprised of students, OM School teachers, and community musicians, including many of the Prince George's Philharmonic's "Symphony Kids." She also produces the concerts and operas at the OM School and directs the summer camp/institute programs.

To request Nevilla E. Ottley as conductor or speaker at your next event, contact Voices of Diversity by clicking here

LEONARD HIGGS, B.S., Baritone was a psychology major at Howard University and graduated from the former Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia). He studied voice with the famed coloratura and master teacher, Charlotte Wesley Holloman for more than 10 years. He is in demand throughout the Washington, D. C. area as a sacred soloist. He is presently a professional member of the Heritage Signature Chorale in Washington, D. C. under the baton of Stanley Thurston.

Mr. Higgs performes arias of both opera and oratorio from Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonelle to name a couple, and played the role of Simon, the conjuror in Scott Joplin’s opera “Treemonisha” with the Nevilla Ottley Singers, and Ned, the father in the same opera with the Municipal Opera of Baltimore. He sung the Priest in Carlos Gomes’ opera, “Colombo” with the NOS. He had sung the role of King Melchior in Menotti’s Christmas opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors”, and most recently sang King Balthazar in the Ottley Music School’s production of that opera. He has also served as a choir director for several years, teaching the music and developing the voices of his youth and young adult choirs and has been a fine addition to the music voice faculty at OMS since 2003.

Voice--Jazz and Gospel, Mrs. Lorree Kay Slye

LORREE KAY SLYE, B.S., Vocal Studies, Jazz, and Vocal Techniques, a lyric soprano, was born in Frankfurt, Germany, the daughter of retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. Lawrence Montgomery and is the wife of Richard Slye (a well-known drummer and percussionist). Her vocal spiritual gift was recognized in her adolescent years. In the late seventies, she competed in the Miss Black Teenage World of D.C. and won the coveted title through the use of her remarkable gift. The artist Tommy Bryant was at the pageant, upon hearing her sing, asked Lorree to sing with his popular group, “The Giants of Sound.” Later, she joined the group, “Bolt, Band and Show,” and became the lead female vocalist giving her the opportunity to sing at special functions at major hotels in the Washington, D.C. area. Additionally, she has performed at Mr. Henry's, Fox Trap, Hogate's, Channel Inn, Manhattans in historic Georgetown and the Wharf in historic Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia just to name a few.

During the above-mentioned engagements, Lorree was wearing a “dual” hat, she was also a full-time student at Morgan State University. There she acquired a B.S. Degree in Telecommunications while also studying under the tutelage of renowned Dr. Nathan Carter as a member of the Morgan State Choir. Dr. Carter soon discovered her remarkable gift wasn't limited to traditional gospel and spiritual tones, but was much more expansive including jazz and rhythm and blues as well. While at Morgan State University’s homecoming, she performed with the group, “Cisum” as an opening act for recording artist, Bobby Humphrey. After graduating from Morgan State University, Nathan called Lorree as a guest artist and flew her down to perform in Atlanta, Georgia “Comes Tomorrow Jazz Cantata” written especially for her voice before the audience of the well-known black composer, Hale Smith. This was the first public performance of this composition.

After several years of singing with a variety of groups and performing in night clubs, she had an epiphany experience and felt the dynamic call of the Lord, Jesus Christ compelling her to use her vocal gifts for the work of “The Kingdom.” In 1995, the world renowned gospel recording artist/producer Richard Smallwood witnessed Lorree’s solo performance during a live recording with Rev. Nolan Williams and his group the “Psalmists” and asked her to join his group “Vision.” Lorree is still touring and has been featured on two Smallwood recordings, most recently, “Persuaded Live In D.C.,” on, “Nothing Without Your Love.” Since that time Lorree has recorded with a number of known gospel artists. Additionally, she performed on the 20 city “Alliance Tour” featuring Richard Smallwood, Karen Clark-Sheard, Donald Lawrence, Maurette Brown Clark, Vanessa Williams and Ted and Sherri as well as on The Stellar Awards with Yolanda Adams.

Lorree considers herself a minister of music and is committed to encourage, exhort and uplift the souls of men no matter where the venue. She sings with the jazz prowess of Ella Fitzgerald with a ridiculous anointing. She has also been compared to Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan but she has her own sultry sophisticated style which is superb. She has headlined three times at the renowned Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club in Washington, D.C. with her inspirational/jazz sound where she sold out audiences. She recently released her single titled, “You Saved Me.” This year Ms. Slye appeared as guest soloist in a jazz concert by the Signature Heritage Chorale of Washington, DC under Stanley Thurston at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Lorree has a unique calling with an irrepressible personality that communicates her love for Christ through singing and song writing. Most recently, stepping into the classical world, in 2004 she sang the role of the Mother in Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” opposite 12-year-old Gabriela Sotomayor in the title role, at the Publick Playhouse, and in 2005, she sang the role of Madame Goldentrill in Mozart’s The Impresario—both Ottley Music School productions.  Besides her duties at OMS, and singing, Mrs. Slye is an associate professor of music at the Berklee School of Music.

Taana Gardner, Vocalist

TAANA GARDNER was one of the leading lights of West End Records, a New York label that released some of the finest and most influential disco during the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Here is information from http://www.disco-disco.com/artists/taana.shtml

When Taana was around 4 years old she already knew she wanted to perform and sing. She always used to sing and she used to tear down her great grandmother and grandmothers curtains from jumping behind them. Presenting herself like; "Ladies and Gentlemen... Taana Gardner!". Then she would jump from behind the curtains in the living room and also tear them down sometimes. She was actually banned from jumping from behind the curtains after a while. This is really a precious memory to her and as she says; "It feels just like yesterday, you know, when I was jumping from behind the curtains in my great grandmothers living room until today, it really feels like yesterday."
Her mother always used to play the piano and sing for the kids. That and Taana's first record - "Message to Michael" by Dionne Warwick - was what inspired her to want to sing. That song together with watching Tina Turner perform was what made her decide she wanted to become both a great performer as well as a singer.

By the age of 5 her grandmother, who was a professional Opera singer, started training her to sing Opera. This is one of her more hidden talents, but she's really a very good Opera singer. Another of her hidden talents is that she actually started her career in the theatre. She wrote a few plays when she was about 11 yrs old and one of them ended up being played at the Lincoln Center and they also performed it at the Apollo. So, her first time professionally on stage was actually as an actress in one of her own plays.

Ms. got her start in 1979 by doing the vocals on "Spooks In Space" by Aural Exciters (a. k. a. Kid Creole and the Coconuts). Soon after Taana gave us "Work That Body" and "When You Touch Me" on her LP for West End. In 1980 West End Records released "Heartbeat" and had it mixed by the late Larry Levan.  It went on to be the top selling 12 inch record in West End history.

Until now she had put her career "on hold" to be a full time mom and (according to herself) she is a great mother to her 3 kids.

However, she did not stop completely, for she has over two dozen releases throughout the decades including this one.  Gardner has also leant her skills to several acts, including Kool & the Gang, Peabo Bryson, Edwin Starr, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

In 2008 Taana Gardner and her two young sons went to Maryland, where she met Nevilla Ottley and Edgar Adjahoe.  She joined the teaching staff of the Voice, Drama and Dance Institute offered by the Ottley Music School, adding tremendously to the program, where they were working on scenes from "High School Musical II." She returns this summer, this time to work on some Broadway and other stage works by Black composers. 

VOICE, PIANO and COMPOSTION--David Griffiths, B.Mus., M.Mus.

DAVID GRIFFITHS is a uniquely and exceptionally gifted artist.  His rich baritone voice is admired equally for its power and sensitivity. As a soloist, David has appeared with The Paul Hill Chorale at the Kennedy Center and recorded on their CD, Unequaled Praise.  He has performed on Capitol Hill on several occasions including the Military Chaplains' Awards Ceremony for former Veterans Affairs Secretary Jesse Brown and at a rally to recognize the black soldiers from the Revolutionary War. Diverse audiences in countries such as France, Korea, Japan, Jamaica, Canada, Antigua, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Honduras have enjoyed David’s gifts.  In July of 2000 David had the privilege of singing at the sky dome in Toronto for over 70,000 people at the General Conference Session.  David has shared the stage with many performers including: William Murphy, Take 6,  Clifton Davis, Wintley Phipps, Maurette Brown Clarke, Roland Gresham, Paul Heflin, Virtue, John Stoddart, Ben Tankard, T. Marshall Kelly, Sharon Riley, Angela Brown, Janice Chandler, The Paul Hill Chorale, Jose Rojas, The Wedgewood Trio, Trio Globo, and The Jezic Women’s Ensemble.

As a composer, David has completed more than 300 compositions. Many organizations have commissioned his works including The National Aquarium in Baltimore, The Adventist Relief Agency, A Safe Place Inc.,The Allegheny East Youth Conference and most recently the prestigious Midori and Friends 3rd Annual Children’s Festival in Manhattan to rave reviews. Several artists have recorded David’s works and choirs have been performing his songs for many years. In 1986, he began his recording career with a project titled "A Revelation of God’s Love". Other recordings include "Love for the Day is Near", "Pray for Peace", "Hands of Time", "A Safe Place", "Unequaled Praise" and "In My Heart". In addition to his own projects, David is an accomplished studio session singer, pianist and arranger. He’s worked in the studio either producing, recording or vocal coaching:     

”Daryl Coley ¨ Chris Willis ¨ Duawne Starling ¨ John Lomacang ¨ Reflexions ¨ Just One Blood ¨ A.T. Westney ¨ Monique Steele ¨ Arlene Bonilla ¨ Rick Schmidt ¨ Danielle Fordham ¨ Stephen McCallister ¨ Denise Barclay ¨ Doug Lazy ¨ Henry Mosley ¨ Carmen Hope ¨ Sarah Capeles ¨ Jose Luis Amaro ¨ Donovan Fordham  "Bamm Washington”

David earned a BA in Music and a BA in Theology from Columbia Union College. He also completed a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from The Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. Privately, David studied conducting with Paul Hill and voice with Ruth Drucker, Wayne Conner, Gordon Hawkins, Liz Daniels, Jon Gilbertson, and Ginger Beasley, and Charlotte Holloman. In addition, he studied piano with Charles Covington, Neil Tilkens Ron Warren, and Dan Lau. His beginnings were at the Ottley Music School as a child.

Mr. Griffiths has performed on The Bobby Jones Gospel Hour, The Breath of Life Telecast, The Three ABN Satellite Network, The Hope channel, and local news and public interest programming. His music video, Let Your Heart Be Broken, has opened doors for David’s music to be enjoyed by even wider audiences. 

David recently finished working on a joint Gospel CD with acclaimed Rwandan singer, Jean Paul Samputu.  Their CD blends the rhythms and melodies of Africa with the sounds of Gospel music today, encouraging us to learn to forgive and seek God for healing.  They worked with David’s mentor, two-time Grammy Award winning producer, Greg Lukens.  The CD is set for release this fall.

Mr. Griffiths returned to the Ottley Music School this winter as voice, piano, composition teacher.  We are proud to present one of our own who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the school and is dedicated to impart that knowledge to children, youth, adults and seniors at OMS.