WHAT IS MONTAGE!?

MONTAGE! features several of Orange County School of the Arts’ most celebrated student artists. This interdepartmental performing group provides a unique opportunity for OCSA students to build an impressive resume, make life-long friendships and develop industry connections.

They are recognized as OCSA’s performance ambassadors and combine the talent of singers, dancers, and instrumentalists in unforgettable performances for community events, private events, corporate events, and OCSA Foundation events. MONTAGE! students not only serve OCSA by representing the spirit and culture of our beloved student body, but they also contagiously reflect our high level of excellence to communities and esteemed organizations throughout southern California.

MONTAGE! combines the talent of singers, dancers, instrumentalists, actors, and other aspiring young artists in a wide of unforgettable performances that are completely customizable to whatever your event needs may be. When you are ready to kick your event into high gear, let our talented vocalists and instrumentalists add exciting entertainment to your cocktail or dinner hour with a fun, high-energy variety show that features large groups, trios, duets, and soloists performing recognizable pop or R&B hits. MONTAGE!’s scripted holiday performance provides a dazzling dose of cheer with a themed musical revue that is sure to have guests singing along to our spirited renditions of holiday favorites; MONTAGE! also offers a dynamic group of a cappella vocalists who can perform holiday classics with a contemporary twist in addition to custom arrangements of top hits from today and yesterday; The MONTAGE! Band is a group of accomplished musicians comprised of a rhythm section and horn players who can combine with our vocalists for a high-energy dance party set for corporate or private events looking for live entertainment; Alternatively, offer your guests intimate, relaxed entertainment with multi-talented singer/songwriter vocalists and instrumentalists who can elevate any event with acoustic versions of recognizable hits as well as original music.

MONTAGE! can also create original repertoire specifically for your private party or event, including everything from one customized number to a fully-staged production. MONTAGE! has performed with major headliners including: Pat Benatar, The Pentatonix, The LA Philharmonic, The Tenors, members of Green Day and Foo Fighters, Dinah Jane of Fifth Harmony, top-performing stars of the Walk Disney Pictures film library and Broadway and television stars Matthew Morrison and Krysta Rodriguez. MONTAGE! has performed at major venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Walt Disney Concert Hall, has appeared in a number of television commercials, and has also been highlighted at a variety of community and private events, including:

MEET OUR ALUMNI

Over many years, MONTAGE! has seen many amazing students come and go. Our celebrated performance ambassadors graduate and move on to very successful fields in and outside of the arts. Learn more about how MONTAGE! has impacted this incredible group of alumni. 

Please email Jacob Piattoni at jacob.piattoni@ocsarts.net and Quinn Olesiuk at quinn.olesiuk@ocsarts.net if you have any questions.

*We will open up audition slots as needed to accommodate everyone who is interested!*

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the time commitment for MONTAGE! rehearsals?

Rhythm Section Band: Some Tuesday's from 5:30pm – 8:30pm and some Friday's from 2:45pm - 6:00pm.

  • Additional rehearsals will occasionally be scheduled during our busy seasons, including holiday shows and Gala.

String Ensemble: Some Tuesday's from 5:30pm – 8:30pm and some Friday's from 2:45pm - 6:00pm.

  • Additional rehearsals will occasionally be scheduled during our busy seasons, including holiday shows and Gala.

Dancers: Some Thursday’s from 5:30pm - 8:30pm and all Friday’s from 2:45pm - 6:00pm.

  • Additional rehearsals will occasionally be scheduled during our busy seasons, including holiday shows and Gala.

Vocalists: Some Tuesday’s from 5:30pm - 8:30pm and all Friday’s from 2:45pm - 6:00pm

  • Additional rehearsals will occasionally be scheduled during our busy seasons, including holiday shows and Gala.

Are there any financial commitments for MONTAGE!?

In support of the program, each MONTAGE! Family is requested to donte a minimum $600 per-student participation donation that directly supports each MONTAGE! student and allows our Creative Team to offer wonderful educational and performances experiences as well as items including:

This $600.00 donation supports the following:

  • Grooming kit and Make-up kits
  • Professional headshots
  • Events/Parties/Mixers:
    - August/September – Welcome Event. This will include: admission, food, beverage and games, if applicable.
    - November/December – Holiday Event. This will include: admission, food, beverage and games, if applicable.
    - May/June – End-Of-The-Year Event. This will include: admission, food, beverage and games, if applicable.
  • Performance costumes/accessories
  • Master class guest artist fees
  • Administrative supplies
  • Staffing allocations.

The only additional anticipated performance donation request is for OCSA’s annual Gala in the amount of $75.00. Other than that, we do not foresee asking you to pay any additional MONTAGE! performance donations throughout the year.

Book MONTAGE! for Your Event

Thank you for your interest in booking a performance by the bright and talented students of the Orange County School of the Arts.

To secure MONTAGE! for your upcoming event, please complete our entertainment form and we will be in touch with you in one to two business days to discuss your upcoming event in greater detail.  For additional information, or to book one of our other student performance groups, please contact Cindy Peca, Creative Director at 714.560.0900 Ext. 6810 or bringocsatoyou@ocsarts.net 

Please note that we request an honorarium for our student performance groups. All performance honorariums represent the school’s actual expenses associated with the student performances outlined in the enclosed documents, including on-site staff chaperone(s), staff time for event coordination and student rehearsals, transportation, make-up, costume use and cleaning, and other necessary costs. All additional tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated and are designated to the students’ arts conservatory program(s) for future enrichment opportunities and/or needed supplies.

Thank you for your support of the next generation of world class artists. We appreciate your consideration in featuring our students as a part of your upcoming special event!

What do I need to know about the MONTAGE! auditions?

Who can audition for MONTAGE!?

All current students and newly accepted students for the incoming school year are eligible to audition. MONTAGE! is an interdepartmental performing group consisting of newly accepted and returning OCSA students ranging from grades 7 - 12. Students with a unique skill set are encouraged to audition, as the Creative Team often features a wide variety of celebrated student artists throughout the year. If you have a special skill set, please come to the audition prepared to demonstrate your unique talents.

When are auditions?

Auditions for the upcoming 2023-34 year will be held on Thursday, June 1st and Tuesday, June 6th. Details will be announced a month prior via email notice (for new and returning students) as well as on Art Attack (returning students ONLY). Audition details willl be posted on www.ocsarts.net/montageauditions once they become available. Please note that audition information varies year to year.

Can a student audition for all three areas of focus within MONTAGE! (dance, instrumental or vocal)?

Yes, however, if accepted for MONTAGE!, they will be cast in one area of focus; dance, instrumental or vocal. Please make sure that an audition is scheduled for each department of interest.

Is there a particular genre or style of music you are looking for?

The casting directors are looking for students who are passionate about their art.  MONTAGE! is made up of OCSA’s bright and talented young artists who captivate audiences with their contemporary, upbeat and pop-styled performances.

Do I need to provide a resume and headshot?

Yes, please provide a current resume and headshot. Please be advised that your resume and headshot will NOT be returned to you.

What is the policy for students having rehearsal or event conflicts?

Whenever possible, outside appointments or engagements such as doctors, dentist, orthodontists, sports, other shows, or professional auditions or jobs, should NOT conflict with MONTAGE! rehearsals or events. When it is necessary to take away from rehearsal time or events, school policy requires that the student bring proof of doctor appointments, professional auditions or jobs.  

As long as the Creative Team is given enough notice of a conflict, we will make accommodations for any excused absences. As a MONTAGE! Student, it is your responsibility to effectively communicate your MONTAGE! rehearsal and performance calendar to any non-MONTAGE! endeavors. Conflicts can and will determine casting.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions?

For additional information about MONTAGE! auditions, email our office at quinn.olesiuk@ocsarts.net

Meet the Creative Team

Cindy Peca

Cindy Peca

Creative Director

cindy.peca@ocsarts.net

Ms. Cindy Peca began teaching at OCSA in 1989 and proudly served as the  Assistant Director of the Commercial Dance Conservatory for 13  years. In 2005, she ambitiously took on the role of Creative Director of MONTAGE! and Special Events and has been creating one-of-a-kind performance opportunities for the bright and talented students at OCSA ever since. 

Ms. Peca began her distinguished career by winning the title of “National Swing Dance Champion” at the young age of 11. Ms. Peca’s career has encompassed professional performances, dance education, and choreography for national university dance teams, feature films, television, commercials, professional sports teams, and stage. She has worked on and choreographed for numerous industrial events such as, Behr Paint, Reebok, Asics, Neutrogena, KMS, and Matrix hair products. Her television credits include, “Coca-Cola,” “Dance Fever,” “Star Search,” and 1984 winner of the “American Bandstand  Dance Contest” which is when at the age of 13, she won her first car. Ms. Peca has  worked with and choreographed for such celebrities, companies and professional sport teams as, Rita Moreno, Tina Turner, Bob Hope, the Los Angeles Laker Girls, Dick Clark, Merv Griffin, Bob Fosse and Walt Disney Records. Ms. Peca also choreographed the stage production of “Gidget, The Musical” directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

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Patrick Copeland

Patrick Copeland

Producer, Arranger and Orchestrator

Mr. Patrick Copeland has served as music director/conductor in theater: “The Light in the Piazza” Southern California regional premiere; “Kiss me Kate,” Covina Center; “Enter the Guardsman,” New American Musical Festival; Patrick is also an accomplished keyboardist: “Cats," La Mirada Theater, 2014, “Legally Blonde,” 3-D Theatricals, 2014. As composer he has worked on several projects including: “A Joyful Noise,” A Spoken Memorie, with Earl Hamner; “Chillerama," “Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror,” “The Odd Couple,” and “Wait until Dark.”

He has worked on original music and sound design for Covina Center; “Dracula,” original music and Costa Mesa Center for the Arts. As sound designer he has worked on feature films “2001 Maniacs” and “Chillerama.” Currently, is he performing at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim and has also served as music arranger and sound designer for many of their projects. From 2007-2009 Patrick served as the artistic and technical director at Covina Center. Mr. Copeland joined Orange County School for the Arts in 2014. He currently serves as producer, arranger and orchestrator for special events and MONTAGE!.

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CJ Lazatin

CJ Lazatin

Production Coordinator

carissa.lazatin@ocsarts.net

Ms. CJ Lazatin is a local theatre and entertainment professional with a Bachelor's Degree in technical design and production with an emphasis in stage management. This is her first year working for Orange County School of the Arts as the MONTAGE! Production Coordinator. Ms. Lazatin previously worked on special and live events such as musicals, operas, plays, galas, concerts, and graduation ceremonies.

Ms. Lazatin’s experience in the field ranges from working on plays and musicals at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and South Coast Repertory, to coordinating and running the technical logistics for musical artists like Anderson Paak. Her passion for the arts is palpable in everything she does. She is so excited to further her career with OCSA and MONTAGE! and serve as a helping hand to students pursuing a future in the arts.

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Quinn Olesiuk

Quinn Olesiuk

Foundation & Creative Team Jr. Associate

quinn.olesiuk@ocsarts.net

Entering into her eighth year of being a part of the OCSA family, Ms. Quinn Olesiuk loves being a part of the vibrant school community and serving its incredible students. Ms. Olesiuk possesses a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and advertising & television production and writing from Chapman University. She has a strong creative background in film and television production and creative content development.

 

Quinn’s experience stretches from working on highly-acclaimed television shows including "Jane the Virgin" and "Pretty Little Liars," to serving as a stylist and creative consultant for various fashion shows, magazines, and media outlets. Quinn is a lover of everything creative and great conversation topics with her include her sweet 2-year-old son Avery, her adorable puppy children, Piper and Tatum, the brilliance “Les Misérables,” and how delicious vanilla lattes and all-you-can-eat sushi are (but not together!). Quinn loves getting to know each and every MONTAGE! student, so please say “hi” anytime!

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Jacob Piattoni

Jacob Piattoni

Foundation & Creative Team Associate and Choreographer

jacob.piattoni@ocsarts.net

Mr. Jacob Piattoni is a southern California native and grew up as a  trained competitive dancer. He is a graduate of OCSA’s Commercial Dance Conservatory and has earned many awards for his innovative choreography most recently including a Varsity Jazz 2024 National Championship title at UDA.

Mr. Piattoni has continued to work independently to provide unique choreography to top-scoring studios, schools and dance conventions throughout  the United States. He has also worked as a contracted choreographer for Matthew Morrison’s “Go The Distance” official  music video and live D23 Experience Show and Walt Disney 100 Years of Animation concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Mr. Piattoni currently works full-time at OCSA as the Foundation & Creative Team Associate and choreographer for the celebrated performance group MONTAGE!. Mr. Piattoni continuously prioritizes instilling his passion for  movement into his students, and will continue to do so with every project he works on.

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Gavin Thrasher

Gavin Thrasher

Vocal Director

gavin.thrasher@ocsarts.net

Mr. Gavin Thrasher is a professional conductor, producer, vocalist, and  teacher. He currently serves as Choral Director for OCSA’s Classical Voice Conservatory, as well as Vocal Director for OCSA’s MONTAGE! Ensemble. Mr. Thrasher earned his Master of Music degree in choral music from the University of Southern California, where he studied with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe and served as conductor of the University’s Apollo Men’s Chorus.

Mr. Thrasher has held many artistic roles including Assistant Conductor and Interim Artistic Director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, as well as Artistic Director for Big Apple Performing Arts in New York City. Gavin has created and implemented music programs throughout Los Angeles, collaborating with the Partnership for LA Schools and the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, as well as working within the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Probation System. He has presented these programs, their curricula, and best practices for this work on a national level, supporting other organizations in making a positive impact through music education. Mr. Thrasher has had the privilege of conducting at notable venues such as Disney Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and Carnegie Hall. His artistic work has been recognized by the Los Angeles Times, Southern California Public Radio, Los Angeles Blade, Good Day LA, and Broadway World. Mr. Thrasher strongly believes in the power of music to enrich and change peoples’ lives, and the value of its quality, availability, accessibility, and impact. He is thrilled to be part of the OCSA family.

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Melissa Tyler Wackerman

Melissa Tyler Wackerman

Musical Director

melissa.wackerman@ocsarts.net

Ms. Melissa Wackerman is a top industry music director, songwriter, vocal arranger and coach. She is a Teaching Artist/Clinician for Disney’s Imagination Campus where she directs workshops in musical theatre performance and vocal/instrumental recording techniques to groups from around the country.

As a songwriter, Ms. Wackerman has co-written songs with Emmy-award winning composer, John Kavanaugh who writes for Disney animated television shows and Jon Kubis,  keyboardist/arranger for Dancing With The Stars. She just completed six original songs for the upcoming Paw Patrol Live tour. She was the vocal arranger for Sesame Street Live and Hello Kitty national tours. Ms. Wackerman has been Music Director for many professional productions and coached the cast of Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Show.” She will be working with the cast of Paw Patrol Live this summer. She began as a performer at Disneyland and was honored to be selected as a Disneyland Ambassador, traveling around the globe with Mickey as the official spokesperson of the Disneyland Resort. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in music performance from UCLA and was a member of the University Chorus and UCLA’s top jazz ensemble. After college, she  served as Director of Special Events for Los Angeles Music Center where she produced the Spotlight Awards. Two of her most memorable projects with MONTAGE! were the Walt Disney 100 Years of Animation concert at the Hollywood Bowl and a pop concert for Make-a-Wish child, Kaylin! 

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Mark Wein

Mark Wein

Band Conductor

mark.wein@ocsarts.net

Mr. Mark Wein has performed and taught music in Southern California for over 30 years. He holds degrees in commercial music performance from Fullerton College and jazz performance from California State University, Fullerton.

Mr. Wein has taught at OCSA since 2019 in the Instrumental Music and Popular Music Conservatories. Before that, Mr. Wein and his wife owned the music school Premier Music in Orange, CA from 2004-2016. As a performer, Mr. Wein has worked steadily playing jazz, blues, soul, reggae, calypso, and rock music with groups such as the swing band The Scot Willy Combo, The Ken Foerch Group, Panjive, New Originals, Kingsize, Slim Freaky, and The Metropolitans; as well as rock groups such as Felt and Jennifer Corday; and the cover bands All Star Trio and The Automatix. In 2014, he released his first solo blues album Black Market Hearts, and was recently featured on Norwegian country and western artist Randi Marie’s album "The Heart Wanders." Mr. Wein is currently performing live with the All-Star Trio, the Caribbean steel drum band Panjive, the acoustic blues duo Papa J and Richard as well as a host of other local acts. Mr. Wein also runs the YouTube channel “Jack’s Guitar Trax” making video guitar lessons, backing tracks, and gear reviews.  His instructional books “Foundations for Guitar” and “Expanded Blues Guitar” can be found at most if not all online booksellers. His albums “Desert Center” with the band Felt and blues solo project “Black Market Hearts” can be found on most streaming services.

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