Abby Nichols
Owner, Lead Voice Teacher
Abby Nichols (she/her/hers) grew up in Madison, WI. After spending 8 years in New York City, she happily returned to her hometown in 2011 to raise her family and work as an actor, singer, and teacher. She has many years of teaching experience, coaching voice and acting for aspiring singers of all ages. She offers private instruction via her thriving home studio, Nichols Voice Studio. Students from NVS have pursued musical theatre, music education, and acting at academic, community, and professional levels.
Abby has also taught masterclasses and clinics for Children's Theater of Madison (CTM), Monroe Street Arts Center, and East High School and has worked as a vocal coach for main stage productions at UW Madison and CTM. She has studied voice with Estill-trained teachers, Tom Burke and Jennifer Derosa, and she has attended Estill Level 1 and 2 courses.
Abby lives on Madison’s west side with her sons Arthur and Jasper, their cat Pepper, and their leopard gecko Wide Load.
Meet the Team
Rachael Brolin
Voice Teacher, Assistant Studio Accompanist
Rachael Brolin (she/her/hers) is a Madison-based singer, pianist, and teacher. A graduate of Luther College, she studied accounting and music, with a focus on collaborative piano, classical singing, and choral performance. At Luther, she sang with the Nordic Choir and the student-led acapella group Beautiful Mess, and she received the Rosholt Distinction in Accompanying award for her achievements in collaborative piano.
Rachael has worked as a music director with Music Theatre of Madison and UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts and frequently performs with Madison-based musical theatre companies. She sings and plays for the LunART choir and enjoys diverse performing opportunities as a collaborative pianist and singer. She also teaches piano and voice at Monroe Street Arts Center and serves as Finance Manager at Capital City Theatre.
With a strong musical background spanning multiple genres, Rachael’s training provides a well-rounded foundation for her students. She is passionate about creating a supportive, inspiring environment where students can develop their skills, grow in confidence, and have fun singing!
Joy Bauman
Studio Accompanist
Joy Bauman (she/her/hers) has been with the Nichols Studio since its first recital in 2014. She enjoys playing for the students, especially watching them grow in their talent and confidence from recital to recital. And she also gets to learn some new music herself along the way! Joy has been involved in accompanying local theater productions since 1995 and has played for several local high school musicals as well. Some of her favorite productions include Ragtime, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Les Misérables. She is the Director of Pastoral Care at Queen of Apostles Parish.
Adella Carlson
Virtual Assistant
Clarinetist Adella Carlson is a performer, educator, and entrepreneur passionate about increasing the social relevance and accessibility of classical music, and improving the working lives of contemporary musicians. Adella is the founder and CEO of Adella Carlson Studios, which consists of The Musician’s Assistant, a virtual assistant service for musicians, and an online lesson studio of clarinet and piano students. Adella is currently the Virtual Assistant for Nichols Voice Studio, where she helps Abby with all things admin.
Mari Bass
Vocal Coach, Audition & Repertoire Specialist
Mari (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of the Nichols Voice Studio! Mari is a self-proclaimed theater nerd who will win any round of musical theater trivia or "name that musical theater song/show". Mari has been a director, choreographer, and performer in the Madison area since moving here in 2010 to attend UW-Madison. Mari has directed and choreographed for Middleton Players Theater, Four Seasons Theater, Verona Area High School, UW-Madison University Theatre, and Children’s Theater of Madison.
Mari also has many years of experience as a teaching artist for CTM summer stage and academic year classes and enjoyed working with many different age groups and abilities. She has taught classes for tap, jazz, and musical theater dance and has worked 1:1 with students to create choreography for college and performance audition self tapes. Mari also serves as the artistic director for Verona Area High School Theater. Some of Mari's favorite performances include the UW-Madison Band Show, and an ensemble member in Overture's Cabaret Series with KO.
Mari believes that the best way to grow as an artist is through joy, play, trying something new, and being true to your authentic self! Mari has trained in voice for musical theater, classical music, choir, and pop music.
Mari is a proud mom of two amazing and dramatic daughters and lives on the west side with them, her husband, Trevor, and their two dogs, Winnie and Watson.