Faculty
Craig Ferrin
Professor
Dr. Craig Ferrin holds degrees from the University of Utah and Northwestern University. He joined the SLCC faculty following twelve years of exemplary instruction in Utah high schools.
At SLCC, Craig directs the Jazz Band and Concert Band, and manages online, private instruction and instrumental music. He is active throughout Utah as a guest conductor, trumpet performer, adjudicator and clinician.
In his youth, Craig performed for McDonald’s All-American High School Band and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics All-American College Band.
Subjects:
- Instrumental Music
- Trumpet
Thomas Baggaley
Associate Professor
Subjects:
- Composition
- Theory
- Music Technology
Jon Clark
Associate Professor
Jon Clark has an AA degree from Snow College, BFA from the University of Utah, and MFA - Technical Theatre and Design, from Utah State University. He worked as Technical Director and lighting/sound designer for theatres in Utah, North Dakota, and Texas prior to starting a career in video games.
From 1989 to 2006, Jon worked as a graphic artist then as sound designer and audio lead for Access Software, Microsoft Game Studios, and Take Two Interactive - Indie-Built Games where he worked on numerous titles for Xbox and PlayStation. He has been teaching technical theatre and audio production at Salt Lake Community College since 2006.
Subjects:
- Music Recording and Mixing
- Game Audio – Sound Design
- Motion Picture Sound
Juan Hector Pereira
Assistant Professor
Subjects:
- Choral Music (MUSC 1370/1380)
- Group Voice (MUSC 1310)
- Music Theatre (THEA 2443)
- Songwriting (MUSC 1050)
SLCC-Taylorsville Symphony Orchestra
Matthew Makeever
Director
Matthew Makeever is the founding music director and conductor of the Milwaukee Philharmonic, and is the assistant conductor of the Salt Lake Symphony. He is also the newly appointed adjunct faculty and music director of the Salt Lake Community College-Taylorsville Symphony Orchestra. Matthew is currently in his second year as a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Utah. He serves as the principal conductor of the University of Utah Campus Symphony, and assistant conductor of the Utah Philharmonia. During his first year of his doctoral studies, Matthew stepped in for the music director of the Salt Lake Symphony to lead the orchestra in their inaugural performance of the 2019-20 season, an energetic performance of César Franck’s Le Chasseur Maudit, and assumed major performance and rehearsal duties with the orchestra, as well as the university orchestras.
Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Montana State University, and a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting and Trumpet Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has directed a variety of orchestral, wind, and vocal ensembles throughout Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Utah. He has collaborated with musicians of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Austin Symphony Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, and the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra. Matthew was the 2nd place winner of the 2018-2019 American Prize in Conducting; Community Orchestra Division with the Milwaukee Philharmonic’s 2017 performance of Brahms’ Second Symphony. His live-stream performance of Brahms’ Third Symphony with the Milwaukee Philharmonic in March 2020, when the pandemic took away live performances for over a year, was viewed over 5,000 times, and shared by prominent professional orchestras around the country.
Matthew has been a participant in several respected workshops with world renowned teachers, including Diane Wittry, Sasha Mäkilä, Tito Muñoz, Peter Bay, Kyle Pickett, and Donald Schleicher. Notably, in 2017, he was chosen as the winner of the College Orchestra Directors Association Student Workshop Competition in Washington, D.C. He worked extensively with the Hillsdale College and University of Tulsa Orchestras and participated in a masterclass with highly regarded pedagogue Anthony Maiello.
Matthew is active in the premiering of new works and is an advocate for the dialogue between living composers and the ensembles performing their works. In 2019, Matthew led the Milwaukee Philharmonic in the premiere performance of Wisconsin Composer Penny Corris’ First Symphony, and lead the orchestra in the world-premiere of her Second Symphony in their first post-pandemic performance in July of 2021. Under his direction, the Milwaukee Philharmonic was the first orchestra to perform at the Village Park Amphitheater in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Matthew studied conducting with Matthew Savery (former music director of the Bozeman Symphony) for two years and with Dr. Jun Kim while at UW-Milwaukee. He currently studies with Dr. Robert Baldwin at the University of Utah.
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Cello
Jamilyn Morris
Adjunct Professor
Cellist Jamilyn Morris combines passion and creativity in teaching and performing. A native to Salt Lake City, she began her cello studies with Richard Hoyt.
Jamilyn earned her Bachelor of Music in cello performance, studying with Anne Francis and the Fry Street Quartet at Utah State University. While in Logan, she spent summers earning her Suzuki Teacher Certification from Carey Cheney and David Evenchick. She earned the status of Gold Level teacher at the Utah State University String Academy and taught beginning strings classes at Wellsville Elementary School.
While earning her Master of Music degree in cello performance from Western Michigan University, Jamilyn served as the cello teaching assistant to Bruce Uchimura. She performed with Michigan’s Southwest Symphony and Twin City Players.
Jamilyn is now working toward her Doctorate of Musical Art degree from the University of Utah in cello performance with an emphasis in music education. She studies cello with John Eckstein and chamber music with Gerald Elias. She has served as a teaching assistant in the Graduate String Quartet, frequently performing throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
Jamilyn spent time as the Lower School String Specialist at the Waterford School and now teaches cello lessons and Introduction to Music at Salt Lake Community College. She also teaches cello lessons and early musicianship classes through the Preparatory Division at the University of Utah. She frequently performs with the Salt Lake Choral Artists and Salt Lake Chamber Artists. She truly enjoys inspiring a love for music in cellists of all ages.
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Guitar
Steve Lowry
Adjunct Professor
Steve Lowry began formal teaching at Utah State University as an undergrad in 1984, where he later received a Bachelor of Music degree. He has been teaching private students in Riverton and West Valley City since 1989 and began teaching Guitar and Fretboard Theory classes at Salt Lake Community College in 1996.
He has performed professionally for over 30 years as a solo artist throughout the Rockies and, for a time, in Nashville, Tennessee, sharing the stage with a variety of players such as now-famous bassist Victor Wooten.
He was voted Best of Utah 1995 (Electric Guitar) in the “City Weekly” readers poll. He has performed with the local band Zion Tribe since 1993, in Steventri with vocalist Trina Lowry, and with the jazz combo Straight No Chaser, as well as many other local artists of various musical styles and genre.
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Oboe
Jayne Drummond
Adjunct Professor
Oboist Jayne Drummond has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. Her performances include concerts with the Utah Symphony, Utah Opera, Utah Regional Ballet, Utah Wind Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Tacoma Symphony, and Tacoma Opera.
As well as collaborating on various recording projects, Ms. Drummond is an active chamber musician who has premiered new music at festivals such as the Gentse Vleugels Festival and the Utah Valley Contemporary Music Symposium. She is a founding member of the Alpine Chamber Winds, whose performances have been heard throughout Utah.
Committed to music education, she is on faculty at Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College, the Tuacahn Summer Symphonic Institute, and maintains a private teaching studio. Ms. Drummond holds degrees from Rice University and the University of Washington. Her primary teachers include such influential American oboists as John Delancie, Nathan Hughes, Robert Atherholt, and Robert Stephenson.
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Percussion
Lynn Brown
Adjunct Professor
Lynn Brown is a native of Utah. After a whirlwind world tour as a percussionist in the military, studying music in Germany, he returned in 1987. Since that time, he has been a school band and orchestra director for grades 5-12, an adjudicator, a performer and professor of music.
In 1995, Lynn established his own business, Fatback Music Productions, and operated as a freelance instructor, kit drummer, and arranger in several popular jazz and world music bands in the Salt Lake area. In 2008, he re-entered he concert percussion scene as a timpanist and a percussionist with the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra, Salt Lake Choral Artists the American West Symphony of Sandy, and Salt Lake Symphony.
Currently, Lynn is a professor of percussion and music at the Salt Lake Community College, developing and introducing several new courses since 2003.
Lynn holds a master’s degree from the University of Utah and is currently a doctoral candidate. Affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
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Piano
Mio Cowden
Adjunct Instructor
Dr. Mio Cowden has performed and taught throughout three different continents: Asia, Europe, and North America.
In the Salt Lake City area, Mio studied under the direction of Dr. Susan Duehlmeier at the University of Utah and received her bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in piano performance.
At the University of Utah, she received the scholarships for undergraduate studies, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout. She graduated with a Summa Cum Laude and was selected as the commencement speaker for the Fine Arts department graduation ceremony.
During that time, Mio appeared in the SummersArts competition. She placed 1st in the Arne Oldberg scholarship competition and 2nd in both the solo and concerto divisions.
Mio also studied at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (Liszt Ferenc Zeneakadémia) in Budapest, Hungary, and received piano performance certifications of achievement. In Japan, Mio received piano performance degree and a music teacher's license in Japan, where she won a number of awards at numerous competitions.
Mio is currently an adjunct instructor at the Salt Lake Community College and an associate instructor at the University of Utah, School of Music. She has taught piano for over 25 years and enjoys sharing the joy of piano performance with her students.
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Barbara Shelton
Adjunct Professor
Barbara Shelton has been involved with music most of her life. Finally, she made her interest in music official when she graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Colorado. Presently and for the past five years, she has been teaching music classes and private piano lessons at Salt Lake Community College while continuing to maintain a private studio in West Jordan.
Before Salt Lake Community College, Barbara was involved in private piano teaching. Her students have been involved in piano evaluations and competitions, such as: UMTA Piano Competitions and Evaluations, UFMC Festival evaluations, Joy Robin Piano Competition, Utah State Fair Salute to Youth, Sterling Scholar, as well as regular studio recitals and UMTA chapter recitals, master classes, Monster Concerts, Clavinova Festivals, etc. Her students have consistently received superior ratings in the evaluations and two music Sterling Scholar awards.
Barbara has been a member for many years of UFMC, UMTA, and MTNA with a NCTM certification. She has served as a board member and presenter for UMTA; specifically, as 1st Vice President, Secretary, Programs Coordinator, Recitals Chairman, Certification Chairman, Outreach Liaison, etc.
Barbara has accompanied for many people and performed at recitals, for music programs and organizations, as well as taught community education classes in music theory. She has also developed several tools for learning music and the piano.
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Stephanie Smith
Adjunct Professor
Stephanie Smith began her piano studies with Sharon Smith and later went on to receive her M.M. in piano performance from the University of Utah, where she studied piano with Dr. Bonnie Gritton and Dr. Douglas Humpherys. Stephanie has traveled with the University of Utah Summer Arts Group, performing in London, Scotland, Hungary and Austria. She has performed with the Summer Arts Orchestra on Temple Square, the Salt Lake Symphony and Taylorsville-SLCC Symphony Orchestra.
Stephanie's competition achievements include honorable mention in the Summer Arts Concerto Competition and first place in the Summer Arts Piano Competition, Young Artist Division. She also received second place in the Debose International Piano Competition in Louisiana and has received various scholarships from the University of Utah and Mu Phi Epsilon.
Stephanie is currently an adjunct professor of music at SLCC, where she teaches private piano, group piano and performs with SLCC Chamber Singers.
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Voice
Kathryn Monson
Adjunct Professor
Kathryn Monson studied Vocal Performance & Pedagogy as well as Choral Education at Brigham Young University. Because of her education, combined with additional training and 10+ years of teaching, Kathryn has developed the skills to be able to teach all styles of singing in a hands-on, intuitive way.
Kathryn loves working with beginners, as well as with seasoned singers, teaching all styles of singing. Many of her students perform in musicals at schools and local theaters. She focuses on helping each student develop healthy singing techniques, build a varied repertoire, and gain confidence for auditioning and performing. Besides teaching private voice lessons, she also teaches Choir and Introduction to Music.
As a performer, Kathryn has enjoyed performing with the Utah Opera Chorus for four seasons, being in several productions of Savior of the World at the LDS Conference Center Theater, and being a guest soloist with the Salt Lake Symphony as well as the SLCC Chamber Choir.
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Tyler Oliphant
Adjunct Professor
Tyler Oliphant is a confident and accomplished performer in every classical genre and style. From Bach to Mozart to Floyd, Britten, and Janacek, his “rich and expressive Baritone” is comfortable on both the opera or concert stage.
Mr. Oliphant was heard on the international broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, where he premiered Mack Wilberg’s new "Requiem" under the baton of Craig Jessop. He was also featured in the baritone solos in Haydn’s "Lord Nelson Mass" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Mr. Oliphant made his debut with Indianapolis Opera in the role of the Sergeant of Police for their production of "The Pirates of Penzance" in March 2009. He reprised this same role with Pacific Repertory Opera in September 2009. His most recent foray into this same Gilbert and Sullivan operetta was with the Hale Center Theatre in Utah, where he did over 60 performances in the role of the Pirate King during the fall of 2010.
Mr. Oliphant has performed numerous times with Utah Opera, including the 2012 season in their production of "Rigoletto" and continues to have a good relationship with that company. He was heard in the role of the Bonze in "Madame Butterfly" for Intermountain Opera in May 2012.
Because this versatile baritone is equally at ease with oratorio works, Mr. Oliphant is a soloist with the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah. In that capacity, he was heard in May 2011 in Richard Proulx’s "The Pilgrim," singing both the baritone solos and as the narrator. This work was scheduled to be recorded for a major label.
With the Cathedral, Mr. Oliphant has performed both Mendelssohn’s "St. Paul" in March 2009, and again for their 100th anniversary of this majestic institution in August 2009 as soloist in Elgar’s "The Dream of Gerontius." He has also recently been the featured soloist for them doing Vaughan Williams "Five Mystical Songs" and Bach "Cantata no. 192."
Mr. Oliphant’s stage appearances include Michigan Opera Theatre, Ohio Light Opera, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Third Angle Opera Company and Utah Opera. His roles include Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and his favorite role as the title character in Verdi’s Falstaff. Italian critics praised his “rich, nuanced voice” and his perfect command of the language when he made his international debut as Falstaff under the baton of Joseph Rescigno with La Musica Lyrica of northern Italy.
Mr. Oliphant’s credits also include Sulpice in "La fille du régiment," Elder McLean in "Susannah," Benoit/Alcindoro in "La Bohème," the Sergeant of Police in "Pirates of Penzance" and the Sacristan in "Tosca." He appeared at Utah Opera for their production of "Gianni Schicchi" in May 2010 and again in May 2011 in their production of "Falstaff."
In concert, Mr. Oliphant has performed Mozart’s "Requiem," Handel’s "Messiah" and Haydn’s "Creation" numerous times, as well as Orff’s "Carmina Burana," Bruckner’s "Te Deum," Britten’s "Cantate Misericordium" and "Dona Nobis Pacem." Bach has become a particular staple in this artist’s repertoire, with performances of the "St. John Passion," solo cantatas nos. 56 and 82, as well as excerpted arias from the "St. Matthew Passion" and the B minor mass.
Tyler Oliphant received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and his master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Martin Katz, Lorna Haywood and Luretta Bybee. He currently is completing his DMA at the University of Utah and balances that with his performing career.
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Trombone and Euphonium
Sam Jewkes
Adjunct Professor
Sam Jewkes currently teaches Instrumental Music at Hillcrest Junior High in the Murray School District and Private Brass at Salt Lake Community College.
Mr. Jewkes holds a master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado, where he studied trombone performance with Dr. Nat Wickham. Mr. Jewkes holds a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, where he studied trombone with Dr. Todd Fallis, as well as music education and conducting with Dr. Thomas Rohrer.
Mr. Jewkes currently performs with, and is the president of, the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds. He has also performed with the 23rd Army Band, the Murray Concert Band and the Taylorsville City Symphony. Mr. Jewkes also enjoys composing. The Big Fat 4our for Wind Ensemble was premiered by the Wind Orchestra at Utah State University and has been performed by the Murray Concert Band as well.
Mr. Jewkes spends his free time running ultra marathons.
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Other
Alex Ewokiuk
N/A