About

Marcellé is a musician, educator, and activist based in Las Vegas. She is the owner, founder, and instructor of Once Upon a Voice, an online music studio that offers trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming education for singers and songwriters. Her work honors music as a form of self-expression and communication, supporting students of all neurotypes and experiences—including those shaped by trauma or disability. As someone who is both autistic and ADHD, she understands the profound ways music can support emotional regulation, healing, and identity. Whether guiding musicians or launching advocacy initiatives like Voicelore—a nonprofit being developed to support survivors of gender-based violence through music—Marcellé centers her teaching on nervous system care, trust-building, and transformation through song.

 

The daughter of a musician who collaborated with legends such as Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan, Marcellé was immersed in music from a young age. She sang in choirs throughout her childhood, an experience that nurtured both her musical growth and her sense of belonging. Her love for music continued to deepen at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, where she studied piano and began exploring how musical expression could offer clarity, comfort, and freedom.​

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Before transferring to Loyola University New Orleans, Marcellé worked as a teaching assistant at a Montessori school, where she supported elementary and middle school students in environments designed to foster independence, curiosity, and meaningful communication. That experience continues to shape her trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming teaching style, particularly in her work with students who express themselves in diverse and creative ways.

 

While at Loyola, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Popular and Commercial Music with a minor in Business Administration. Her studies included pop, R&B, hip hop, rock, country, folk, jazz, musical theatre, and classical voice training. She also trained in songwriting, piano, and music production—laying the groundwork for a career that integrates technical skill with deep emotional and communicative insight.

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During her graduate studies in music therapy, Marcellé provided therapeutic music experiences under the supervision of Board-Certified Music Therapists (MT-BCs), working with NICU babies, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children, and at-promise teens. She also performed for pediatric patients through the Songs for Kids Foundation, deepening her belief in music’s ability to soothe, empower, and connect. At the same time, she worked as an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapist under the supervision of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), supporting autistic children in communication and social development. Though she ultimately stepped away from therapy-providing roles, these experiences deepened her interest in the many ways people communicate—vocally, musically, behaviorally—and continue to shape her belief that music can support not just creativity, but connection.

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In addition to her work in education and therapy, Marcellé has long been an advocate for survivors of sexual violence, domestic and dating violence, and stalking. As a survivor herself, she has spoken at several events, including serving as the keynote speaker for New Orleans’ Take Back the Night March Against Sexual Violence. Alongside her mother, she co-created stopsexualassault.org, a survivor-centered educational platform that laid the foundation for Voicelore—a nonprofit currently in development to provide songwriting and music production services for survivors ages 18 and up, while also helping fund music equipment and creative opportunities for Once Upon a Voice students. Her advocacy is rooted in a deep belief that survivors deserve space, autonomy, and the tools to reclaim their stories on their own terms.

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That same belief in reclamation and self-expression shaped her collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Devine Evans on a sexual assault awareness project. The creative process led to profound personal reflection, revealing how both trauma and neurodivergence had shaped her vocal freedom, stage confidence, and internal narrative. This work helped her reconnect with her voice and clarify her mission as a musician, educator, and activist: to help others explore, heal, and express themselves through music in ways that honor their minds, bodies, and stories.

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After stepping away from clinical roles, Marcellé returned to teaching with renewed clarity, offering private and group lessons at a local music school and through the Clark County School District. To deepen her pedagogy, she earned her Vocal Educator Toolkit (VET) certification through VocaLab, a CPD-accredited program that combines speech-language pathology principles with contemporary vocal technique. This training equipped her to help students build healthy, sustainable vocal habits tailored to their unique bodies and brains. She also studied producing in the Music Production for Women's Master Your Music Program. That training advanced her skills in arrangement, sound design, and engineering.

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As an artist, Marcellé creates music that supports the body and brain as much as the heart. Her latest single, “Monster”—a raw reflection on mental health—has reached over 13,000 streams on Spotify, resonating deeply with listeners drawn to honesty and emotional clarity. She is currently developing new work at the intersection of acoustic songwriting and R&B electronic production, weaving together organic intimacy and bold, exploratory sounds. Her earlier releases, including the first songs she wrote and produced independently, were featured by outlets such as Fox, Offbeat Magazine, and My Spilt Milk, and she has performed at venues across the United States, including the House of Blues. Beyond her own artistry, she continues to write and produce for others through Writing Sessions America, a professional collective that connects her with Grammy Award–winning producers, platinum-selling songwriters, record label A&Rs, and music supervisors for television and film.

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These experiences culminated in the founding of Once Upon a Voice, an online music school offering trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming education for singers and songwriters. Through this work, Marcellé empowers students to use music not only as a creative outlet but as a way to regulate emotions, build identity, process lived experiences, and connect more deeply with themselves and others. Her teaching is rooted in both precision and compassion—holding space for technical growth while making sure each student’s voice remains their own. In the early childhood classes, music is paired with gesture and sign language to support developing communication. As students grow, she helps them strengthen their vocal and written expression while honoring their individuality. She believes that every voice, every brain, and every story deserves space to be heard, supported, and developed with care.

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Whether making her own music or guiding others to create theirs, Marcellé remains committed to one vision: a world where communication is never limited by trauma, neurotype, or disability—and where music serves as a powerful bridge to expression, connection, and self-understanding. Her work as a Montessori teacher continues to inform her approach to education, and she envisions Once Upon a Voice one day expanding into a preschool and, eventually, a full K–12 school where inclusive, music-centered learning environments support children, teens, and families at every stage. Through her artistry, her teaching, and her advocacy with Voicelore, she helps people share their stories with clarity, confidence, and authenticity—honoring every voice in every form it may take.