Our incredibly accomplished and talented teachers are truly the heart behind what we have the ability to offer students.
Our Incredible Array Of Teachers Includes:
Founder and owner of Imagine Music. David Owen
David recently moved to the Ogden area from the East Coast after many years of touring internationally as a Columbia Records Artist; sharing stages with Plain White T's, Blue October, Shiny Toy Guns, Sparta, Switchfoot, Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) and Panic at the Disco! . Alternative Press Magazine admired David's talent, saying his "massive and muscular" guitar solos are "Truly Inspired Guitar Work". David's music has been featured on MTV and provided emotional backdrops in suspenseful television moments. His music has also been featured on the BBC and recently used by Utah Olympic Legacy.
David's expertise lies in classic/pop/alt-rock and indie genres, but he also harbors a passion for blues, jazz and eclectic sounds from around the world. His accomplishments are not limited to pop-culture music niches; he founded a student recording program at Summit Preparatory School in Kalispell Montana, and conducts private lessons in which his students receive their own recorded/mixed songs on disc.David's teaching evolves from a free-style approach, learning what inspires his students to stick with their lessons - whether it be conquering guitar riffs of their favorite song, constructing musical ideas and recording them to disc, or practicing for a talent show. Finding a person's motivation for learning guitar is the key for tailoring lessons that are enjoyable and that also provide a solid foundation to build a wonderful musical life long adventure.
Pro Vocal Coach Marissa White Salmon
Marissa has been singing and performing since a very young age. She has studied with many teachers across the country, including in California, Las Vegas, and Nashville. Marissa has studied with renowned vocal coaches like Brett Manning. Marissa began coaching students in 2014 in Utah, and has quickly become a local favorite with students and parents alike!
Marissa is known for her unique technique that gets results fast. She takes what seems difficult and simplifies it and demonstrates it in a way that is tailored to each individual student. She gets her students to break through barriers in their range that they thought they never could. She also helps with various other vocal problems.
Guitar Teaching Legend Jay Rubin
Jay's teaching experience trumps us all, not to mention rehung out with the iconic rock band The Who once! Jay began his professional teaching experience 30 years ago when he founded Ogden's most iconic music store, Music Village. He and his brother ran this integral, Northern, Utah music fixture for three decades before selling it and taking his teaching practice to an even higher level. Were luck to have Jay back in the limelight, along with his incredible backlog of music lesson teaching experience. Jay is a true rockstar, teaching right here in Ogden, Utah.
An incredible piano teacher and person! Catherine Wagnor
Catherine started her musical journey at the early age of 5. Being born into a musical family, she has always had a love for music and a love for sharing it with others. After high school, she attended the University of Central Oklahoma on a piano scholarship. During college, Catherine began teaching at a well known local music studio and later opened her own studio from her home in Edmond, Oklahoma. She has taught a variety of ages and levels of students for over 20 years. She recently moved to Utah from Oklahoma and hopes to spread her love of music to even more students at Imagine Music. She is well known for her positive attitude, good rapport with her students and parents, and incredibly fun recitals.
Chris Livingstone - Exceptional Drum Instructor
Hi, I’m Chris Livingstone and I’m a professional drummer. I’m originally from the UK and moved to the US in 2015. I began teaching drums in 1999 after studying Music at college. I went on to teach hundreds of students in my private teaching studio as well as students in over 40 different schools. I have a wealth of teaching experience from one to one lessons to whole class music in elementary schools. I also deliver percussion based team building workshops to schools, colleges and businesses.
As a professional drummer, I have performed regularly in many bands and music has given me the opportunity to play all over the UK, Europe and the USA. As a teenager, I learned to play the snare drum in a Scottish Pipe Band. This helped me to develop a solid technical foundation and heavily influenced my drum set playing style. I have played and taught Pipe Bands for over 25 years and took prizes in many solo drumming competitions. Top achievements include 1st place at the English solo drumming championships and 2nd place in my age group at the World Solo drumming championships.
I love what I do and the opportunity to help people learn drums. Aside from being the most awesome instrument, the skills that you learn as a musician go far beyond simply learning to play. Whether you are a beginner, an experienced drummer or anyone in between I’ll bring all of my experience together to help you reach your drumming goals and have fun doing it.
Ben Gabrielsen, an incredible guitar player and music teacher!
Ben Gabrielsen has been a guitar fanatic for most of his life. He started playing in 2001 and has since studied music theory at Weber State University, played in 11 bands, and learned other instruments such as the bass guitar and ukulele. In addition to performing, he has produced, written, and recorded 3 full-length albums and 1 EP with multiple bands, and he and managed the stage and promotion for local music venue The Basement for 5 years.
This background perfectly prepared him to take the role of Head Director of the Imagine Music Student Rock Band Program, a position he has held since 2016. Through this program, he has personally directed hundreds of students in dozens of student bands, including a student who was accepted into the Berkley College of Music in 2020.
Ben's passion for music extends beyond performing. He is currently studying electrical engineering to, among other things, learn to make and customize his own guitar equipment.
Matt Johnson is amazing with teaching kids & students of all levels!
Matt has been playing the drums for 20 years. Hailing from the small town of Newport New Hampshire, he was taught snare drum rudiments and rhythm in the 5th grade in order to join the High School Band early. At the same time, Matt was learning drum set techniques at home from his older brother. He soon developed a passion for music that is still growing today. The head start on drum set techniques at home allowed Matt to play many of the full kit parts in both High School Band and Jazz Band. Much of his free time was spent experimenting and learning cover songs with his friends, which helped him understand modern rock drumming techniques and develop a style of his own.
Matt moved to Ogden, Utah in 2011. He quickly began meeting and playing with many musicians at open mic events and privately. Matt supplied drums and beats for an open jam known as Fam Jams, where he met and played with some of the local greats and learned styles he was less accustomed to, including reggae and blues. He played with local band The Highway Thieves for about two years, performing regularly and recording drums on two albums. You can find him playing these days with the band Morgan and the Mountain. Matt played drums for Morgan and the Mountain’s recent release, and has also produced a solo instrumental album.
Inspired by rock, fusion, jazz, world music, and more, Matt has a deep admiration for the role of rhythm in music.
Gage Schoudel - A music phenomenon & incredible guitar teacher!
Gage is one of those rare human beings who is truly gifted. As our youngest guitar teacher, Gage is easily one of the best, at instrument proficiency, and thorough understanding of music…as he began his guitar playing journey at the age of 5.
Gage has been a part of the Imagine Music family since its inception, and has taken his natural place as a valued music instructor. He’s performed to audiences totaling thousands across our great state of Utah as a solo artist and with popular groups such as Default Minds…thankfully, he continuers to call Ogden his home, and pours his heart into sharing his incredible talents with our local community, and beyond.
Gage’s natural teaching ability is already being appreciated by many students, as his knack for figuring out a song that a student has selected, and teaching to the student within the course of a single lesson, is staggering - which offers incredible valuable. Having become a fast studio favorite, we hope you’re lucky enough to have a chance to work with Gage so you to experience the magic.
Ben Richards - A truly amazing teacher & person!
We're are incredibly lucky to have Ben Richards a part of our world class teaching team. Ben was the director of School of Rock in Sandy and had wild success with the organization for many years. After taking a small break from the company, Ben, living closer to Ogden, decided to share his limitless musical talents with the lucky folks of our mini mountain town and great Weber County. Ben's mastery of the guitar is truly remarkable and his passion for music bubbles over in a contagious excitement leaving a smile on each of his students faces after each and every lesson. We're extremely grateful to have Ben's gentle heart and wealth of music knowledge available to share with our amazing students, we think he's super awesome...you will too!
Mariah Ford is an incredibly accomplished singer...she has taken voice lessons for many years from Utah's top voice coach Dean Kaelin, also voice coach to David Archuleta. Mariah is blessed with a natural teaching ability, as both children and adults absolutely love her. Mariah can teach any vocal style, but primarily focuses on helping students achieve their "mix" - which combines their head voice with their chest voice. She is always in demand for beginning guitar students as well. Mariah can listen to any song a student wishes to learn, and with her gifted ear, figure it out and teach it right on the spot. We're lucky to have a musician of her caliber available to our students at Imagine Music!
Allison Sawyer - An expert violin instructor!
Allison began studying violin at the age of 6 and has since, studied with some incredible pedagogues in the local area of Ogden, UT. After graduating high school in 2005, she began teaching violin lessons at a local music shop. She soon decided that teaching music was her passion and has been teaching privately from then on.
Currently, Allison is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in String Instrument Pedagogy through Weber State University. College opened up many opportunities to perform and participate in ensembles in the area. These groups include WSU Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, as assistant principal in the second violin section, along with several various ensembles and chamber groups. These groups have held performances in various places within Weber and Davis county as well as Southern Spain and Hawaii.
During her college career, she had the opportunity to teach with Weber State’s String Project as a private and group instructor. She has participated as a member of ASTA (American String Teachers Association) and Nafme (National Society of Music Educators). She is also actively sought out opportunities to volunteer at local schools in their orchestra programs.
Stephen Tenreiro - Amazing violin instructor & person!
Stephen Tenreiro started playing violin at five years old learning with the Suzuki method. Hewas born in Bloomington, Indiana and has been in Utah since he was five. He hold a Bachelorsdegree of violin performance from Weber State University having received a scholarship tostudy violin. During his time at Weber State, he taught violin in the String Project program and was a part of the Weber State Orchestra. Currently he plays in a trio called the Allegro Trio. Music has always been part of Stephen’s life having both parents as musicians. He is very passionate about music and teaching. His method of teaching includes teaching Suzuki as well as pieces the student wants to learn. When not playing the violin Stephen enjoys playing guitar, golfing, and spending time with his dogs.
Emma Swanson
Emma started taking piano lessons at the age of 6 and has loved music ever since. Music has been an incredibly valuable part of her life as an unmatched form of emotional expression.
An avid educator, Emma studied Education and Mathematics at the University of Utah. She believes that a good education changes lives. She has followed this belief by teaching as much as she can to whomever she can, with experience teaching music, math, and theatre to a wide variety of student backgrounds, from young to old, as well as to students in the Deaf Community.
Emma believes that piano is best learned when a student is passionate about music, so she teaches with a focus on developing a love of the music and the instrument. She also teaches with a focus on controlling the small artistic details of a piece to help transform a good performance of a piece into a beautiful performance.
When Emma is away from the piano, she also loves dog sports, and can be found competing in canine agility with her dog, Phebe.
Shannon Millar - Singing Coach Extraordinaire!
Shannon Millar has had an interest in music since she was three years old and has always known that it's what she would do when she grew up. From being David Owen’s student before Imagine Music was formed to consistently performing for about a decade, she’s learned what it takes to put on an amazing performance both with a band and playing solo.
In 2015 Shannon started taking voice lessons from Chuck Gilmore and learned how to properly develop her voice for multiple genres, expand her range of notes, and make sure that there will be no damage to her voice as she is singing. Shannon’s passion for music has greatly effected her life and her positivity and knowledge will be shared in every single lesson.
Jeline Barut
Violin & Piano
Jeline's musical journey is one for the ages. Her passion for the piano and violin was sparked in the Philippines, where she quickly established herself as a gifted musician. As the concertmaster and soloist for both the Philippine Research Development for Instrumental Soloist and the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, Jeline won numerous accolades, including 1st place at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists and the Piano Teachers Guild of the Philippines. She was even featured as a soloist with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Jeline's exceptional talent and unrelenting ambition soon caught the attention of Weber State University, where she was awarded a full scholarship to embark on an epic musical adventure. After four years of grueling work and dedication, Jeline emerged with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance with honors. During her time at WSU, Jeline shone bright as the orchestra concertmaster and violin soloist, earning multiple first-place awards for solo violin and chamber from esteemed music associations like the American String Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association. Today, Jeline is a highly sought-after member of the Ogden Chamber Orchestra, the Next Ensemble, and a sought-after guest performer statewide. When she's not dazzling audiences on stage, Jeline generously shares her passion and expertise by teaching piano and violin at Imagine Music, a music studio located in the heart of Ogden. Jeline's remarkable musical journey is a testament to the incredible power of talent, dedication, and hard work.
Zach Thomas - Drum Teacher + Excellent Person!
My name is Zach Thomas and I'm a drummer, singer, and pianist from Ogden, Utah. Music guides my life and I'm so excited to share my experience playing drums with Imagine Music students.
My hobbies include camping, working on my vintage van, playing sports, and astronomy.
My music experience includes 4 years of high school and college Marching Band, playing with several local bands, and writing, producing and releasing my own music.
Riley Allen - an incredible vocalist and teacher!
Riley Allen is an incredibly gifted singer and local talent. Riley has been singer her whole life, and has been taking voice lessons and honing her craft for over a 10 years. Her love of singing and excellent understanding of the human voice has led her to share her passion, love, and in-depth understanding with others through her highly sought after teaching practice.
Hannah Neil - A pure master of the art of piano and teaching!
Hannah Neil started learning the piano when she was 11 years old. She always loved to practice the piano and learn new music. After high school, she went to study piano at Weber State University. During her years at Weber State, Hannah has performed in recitals, accompanied singers and instrumentalists, and performed in convocations. In 2020, Hannah was awarded first place in the WSU Concerto Competition for her performance of Bach’s Concerto in C minor for two pianos with her partner, Kristina Pope. As an educator, she helped teach in the first-year group class in WSU Piano Preparatory Program and in the college group piano class. She also taught a range of ages in a private setting at the school and in her own studio. Music has always brought joy to Hannah’s life and it is her hope to not only share that joy with others through performance, but by teaching her students how to find that joy in the music they love to play.
Kaitlynn Yardley - as sweet, talented, and passionate as they come!
Kaitlynn absolutely loves being at Imagine Music and all the students and parents she’s been able to work with there. She’s is currently studying keyboard pedagogy at Weber State University under the presidentially distinguished and widely known professor Dr. Yu-Jane Yang. She is grateful for the scholarships that the university has provided her with and that her professors have selected her for.
Kaitlynn started teaching piano at the age of 12, just 6 years after her own first piano lesson. And although she doesn’t understand how any parent sent their children and teenagers to learn from another small child, she is grateful that they gave her the unique opportunity to start learning to teach at such a young age and is very happy to see some of those first students still progressing in their piano endeavors. Kaitlynn is incredibly invested in the progress of each one of her students and nothing gets her excited quite like teaching piano. She is committed to helping her students become increasingly proficient technically, musically, and find joy & fulfillment in creating music.