Singer/ Songwriter/ Director Allison Wilkins,  known by her students as "Ms. Alli" has been performing and singing with children since her childhood. Granddaughter to the late James Bridges (conductor and founder of the James Bridges School of Music in Pittsburgh), Allison adheres to the philosophy that human beings are naturally "musical" from birth and recalls her fondest childhood memories were centered around "music making". She studied drama and voice at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for the performing arts and holds a degree in psychology with an emphasis in special education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her experience with children is extensive from raising her own children, to leading girl scout troops and working with children with special needs. Organizations that she has been privileged to provide classes for are the Manasota Buds, Special Olympics & Champions for Children in Tampa.  For  many years Ms. Wilkins was a licensed center Director with Music Together International wherein she received her training in 2001.  She founded Allisongs for Tots in 2006 and has been delighted to have had the pleasure of introducing thousands of families across Tampa Bay to early childhood, family  and community music making.   As an author and songwriter Ms. Alli has two of her empowerment series books in print - " Monsters are Afraid of Music" and " Angels Watching Over Me".  Many families have reported that the delightful song and  story of "Monsters are Afraid of Music" have helped empower little ones to overcome the "things that go bump in the night"! Currently, Ms. Wilkins is collaborating with the talented Jim Morris of Morrisound  productions in Tampa to release a new CD to launch in the fall of 2024. New music features songs in different genres and songs specific to Tampa Bay. 

Her passion for music can be summarized in her philosophy that music empowers and  is "the stuff of the soul", to be produced by the child within all of us.

For over 30 years Todd Lutes has been playing music professionally. Starting his professional career on drums at the ripe old age of 15, Mr. Todd quickly realized that music was his path. At 18 he was accepted into the Berkley College of Music but cordially declined to pursue his own musical endeavors.  After many years of playing drums and singing in bands such as Zepton Groove and The Brickyard Poets, Mr. Todd decided it was time to shake things up by switching to guitar. Mr.Todd taught himself guitar and for the past 10 years he has been happily playing solo and duo gigs with his duo Scratch & Dent. Mr. Todd caught the attention of Allisongs for Tots when he had a large gathering of children flocking around him at his Fresh Market performance in Hyde Park Village. His warm, engaging (and silly) style make him a natural fit for our team of music makers. Mr. Todd Is delighted to join Ms. Alli in collaborating with song writing and bringing new, engaging songs to the families of Tampa Bay in 2024!

Ms. Shelly moved to South Tampa in 2021 from Long Island, New York. She currently holds a Child Development Associate national credential, is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and has a Bachelor’s degree in social work. Her experience with children is extensive. She began her career working at Disney World dancing in a Mickey Mouse Club show. Coincidentally she met her husband at Disney, where he proposed to her in the castle over dinner. Cinderella even presented the ring in a glass slipper! Her early childhood education experience includes teaching Preschool and the music and movement program Gymboree. She was also an Art specialist at a summer camp in Long Island for children of all ages. Her love for children inspired her to become a case manager for child welfare and then a Guardian ad Litem for Hillsborough county. In addition to teaching the new Sensory Art program at Allisongs for Tots, she works as a infant toddler substitute teacher. She is passionate about families and helping parents to understand the developmental needs of their children. When she is not working she enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and exploring new places.

Since 2002, Kimberly Rini has been passing on the joy of music to the next generation. A classically-trained pianist and flutist, Kimberly has taught a Making Music, Praying Twice class to infants-age 8, piano to children ages 3-18, and flute to ages 12-adult. Professionally, Kimberly has performed on flute and piccolo throughout Florida for the last 15 years with over 50 artists such as Celtic Woman, The Who, Indigo Girls, and Il Divo, on the national Broadway tour of The Sound of Music, and recorded with Mannheim Steamroller, Martina McBride, and Michael Bolton. She is a currently a music faculty member at Patel Conservatory and teaches flute and piano in her home studio. While music is a huge passion in her life, she has an even bigger place in her heart for children. As a longtime homeschooling mother to her own three children (two now grown), she believes in the natural creativity in every child. Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Notre Dame and a Master of Arts from Teachers College Columbia University. She looks forward to teaching piano classes at Allisongs!

Meet the face behind the scenes! Debbie handles much of the inner workings of our growing business. From maintaining the website to helping families with enrollments and make-ups, Debbie helps keep Allisongs running smoothly. Debbie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech. Although she may not sing or play instruments like the teachers at Allisongs, because of her engineering education, she appreciates the science and research that shows that allowing children to play with music as early as possible can have significant developmental benefits in the long term. Ms. Alli is grateful to have Debbie as part of the Allisongs team.