“I grew up in a small town, with little to no music education. Sure we had music class in elementary school, but all-in-all, nothing that furthered my personal growth as a musician.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Music Box is that it gives students the tools and personalized instruction to be able to speak the musical language.
I would have loved a program like Music Box as a kid, with their band program and all the opportunities to perform in the community.
So now I am extremely proud to be part of THIS educator team. ”
Alex Ovando. Owner. Academic Director.
Alex is the Music Box founder and most avid advocate. He is originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala, but his love for music & passion for teaching, rooted him in Memphis TN, where he has taught guitar, bass, piano & drum lessons for over 20 years.
Alex’s vision for Music Box is to teach music as a language, and assemble a team of like-minded educators who help evangelize Music Box’s mission: to help aspiring musicians become a happier, more confident version of themselves.
Outside of Music Box, Alex enjoys investing in local community and spending time with his wife Yelena and their two very musical children - Marco & Sofia.
Malcolm Bryan. Bass, Piano & Guitar Teacher.
Malcolm Bryan is a bass, guitar, and piano teacher at Music Box. He is from Nashville, TN, and growing up in Music City, Malcolm was surrounded by the rich culture of live performances and legendary artists, which sparked his early passion for music. His love for music led him to Memphis, where he earned a degree in Philosophy while minoring in Music at Rhodes College. Musically, Malcolm draws influence from a range of alternative rock and Americana artists, including My Morning Jacket, Pinegrove, and Jason Isbell. Malcolm is also a performing musician and currently plays with Blues Rock band Crooked Diehl, in Memphis.
When he’s not teaching, writing songs or performing, Malcolm spends his time working on classic cars & cooking.
Katie Sann. Voice Teacher.
Katie is a voice teacher at Music Box. Katie's love for music began at a very young age. She began playing violin at 9, and played in orchestra all throughout middle and high school. She began performing in choir during her junior year of high school, and also sang in her school's a capella group. Katie is currently continuing her growth as a vocalist while pursuing a degree in Commercial Music with a concentration in Voice at the University of Memphis. She has performed in multiple ensembles such as the flagship ensemble University Singers, the treble choir Mazi, the a cappella group Blu, and Popular Music Workshop Combo.
Outside of Music Box, Katie enjoys spending time with her friends and building her songwriting skills.
Lindsay Reeves. Piano & Voice Teacher.
Lindsay is a piano & vocal teacher at Music Box. Coming from a family of musicians, she has loved music ever since she was a little girl. She began taking piano lessons at 5, and began singing in middle school. She is currently pursuing a vocal performance degree at the University of Memphis, and feels honored to have been the 2021-2022 recipient of the Ethel T Maxwell Voice scholarship. Lindsay has sung with multiple ensembles at the University, ranging in genres from contemporary to opera, and is currently in an a cappella group “Blu” and the university’s flagship ensembles, “University Singers” and “Chamber Choir.” Lindsay is also a part of the University of Memphis’s opera program, and has performed in operas such as Puccini’s “La Bohème”, and Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Médium.”
Lindsay has been teaching piano and assistant-teaching choir for several years now, and feels honored to continue her teaching career at Music Box!
Sean Roman. Piano & Music Production Teacher.
Sean is a piano teacher at Music Box with an enduring love for music that traces back to his high school years. Sean’s love for piano began with playing in a school jazz Band, and quickly evolved into an unwavering passion and ignited a lifelong commitment to music. Presently pursuing his degree in Audio Engineering at the University of Memphis, Sean also dives into the creative realm of music production.
Sean currently performs with various jazz and pop ensembles, where he plays piano and an electronic wind instrument.
Outside of Music Box, Sean enjoys arranging music and cooking breakfast, no matter the time of day.
Marshall (Hill) Huffman.
Guitar, Ukulele & Piano Teacher.
Marshall is a guitar and ukulele teacher at Music Box. Born and raised in Gilt Edge, Tennessee, he began his music learning journey in a middle school band as a percussionist, and picked up the guitar shortly after and played all through high school. Marshall is now finishing up his Commercial Music degree in Guitar Performance from the University of Memphis and studies under Dr. Patrick Sutton, and hopes to pass both his passion and knowledge of music to others his is now teaching.
Marshall is also performing locally, on stages like The Bluff, The Lamplighter Lounge, and The High-Tone.
Outside of Music Box, Marshall likes nature, hiking with his dogs, and spending time on the computer.
Zeke Wright. Band Director.
Drums, Guitar, Ukulele & Piano Teacher.
Zeke Wright is a Band Music Director and a teacher at Music Box. He is a singer-songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist, originally hailing from Dayton, Ohio. Zeke moved to Tennessee in 2022 to pursue a career in the music industry.
Zeke comes from a diverse background of skills and experiences, having participated in jazz, marching, and concert bands as well as choir and musical theatre.
Recording studios are Zeke's favorite place to be, and he currently studies recording technology at the University of Memphis, where he also sings for the flagship ensemble, Sound Fuzion. In his spare time, Zeke organizes and leads worship at U of M's Baptist Collegiate Ministries and writes original music for a local folk-rock band called Zeke and the Remnant. The band's first record, Eastward, was released in September 2024, and several more albums are already in the works.
Marco Ovando. Drum Teacher.
Marco is a drum set educator at Music Box. He began his music studies at the age of 3 and now plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and sings. Marco has learned to play drum set and other percussion instruments at Music Box, at Stax Music Academy and at Houston Middle School.
At such young age, Marco has already been recognized as a member of TN All-State Treble Choir and 2nd Percussion Chair of the All-West Band. He also studied under Greyson Nekrutman and Todd Sucherman at the Memphis Drum Shop, performed on Beale Street, at GPAC, Cannon Center, Delta Fair stage, and many stages in Germantown, Collierville and Memphis.
Marco hopes to continue his music learning journey at Music Box and the Houston High School as part of the Jazz, Marching and concert bands, and eventually get a music degree. Meanwhile, Marco’s hobbies are traveling, playing video games, recording drum covers and hanging out with his family and friends.
Daniel Young. Drum Teacher.
Daniel is a drum teacher at Music Box. Originally from Louisville, KY, he is from a military family, so moved around frequently, ultimately settling in Memphis.
During his high school years at Millington Central, he discovered his passion for drumming and joined the percussion section in the school band, and then continued on to the concert band, marching band, and percussion ensemble.
After graduating from high school, Daniel was awarded a Music Scholarship to the University of Memphis to pursue a degree in Music Education. At U of M, he’s played percussion and drum set in many ensembles, including Mazi, Tigerchor, Opera, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, Mighty Sound of the South, and Pep Band.
Daniel also studies under George Lawrence, plays drums for The Ethan Smith Band, at churches in the greater Memphis area, and serves as a Battery Tech for the Bartlett High School Marching Band.
Outside of Music Box, Daniel enjoys video making, biking and reading.
Ty Matthews.
Voice & Piano Teacher. Head of Academics.
Ty Matthews is a Voice & Piano educator at Music Box and Head of Academics at Music Box. From the age of 10 Ty started playing Piano at church and shortly after also became one of their lead vocalists. Ty holds a Bachelors Degree in Music performance (Oboe) from University of Texas at Arlington, a Masters Degree in Music Performance from Oklahoma City University, and is now pursuing a Doctorate in Music from the University of Memphis. Ty has sang as a lead vocalist in many bands and has toured on countless occasions around the United States. He also sang in many music festivals, such as South by Southwest (SXSW) and Warped Tour. Through the years Ty enjoyed leading various Musical Theater programs as an accompanist and a vocal coach, as well as helping other vocalists with audition prep.
Learn more about Ty
Dana Vasileuskaya. Voice & Piano Teacher.
Dana is a vocal and piano educator at Music Box. She knew that music was her passion since she was very young and started taking piano and voice lessons at the age of 5. After going through 7 years of classical vocal instruction, she got to be a soloist in the choir “Decima”. Dana studied in the Pedagogical University and got her Bachelor degree in Ministry and Vocal Performance from the Christ for the Nations College, in Belarus. While in Belarus, Dana worked as a vocal teacher in the children musical theater studio, called “Rocket” and taught vocal private lessons.
Dana is currently pursuing her degree in modern music and singing at the Visible Music College, under Dr. Andrew Lee Harper’s instruction. Outside of Music Box, Dana loves to perform live with bands and as a solo-singer. She also loves to study the physiology and anatomy of a vocal instrument, and teach her students to sing healthy and freely, as well as help them find their best authentic sound.
Jennifer Salas. Guitar & Ukulele Teacher.
Jennifer is a guitar & ukulele teacher at Music Box. She began her musical journey at the age of 14, in Honduras at the “Casa de la Cultura”. Jennifer plays the piano, guitar, ukulele, sings & writes songs. Jennifer has been living and continuing her music learning in Memphis and at Music Box since 2022. At Music Box, she also performs live with the All-Star band - The Zoo, and the Music Box’s Show-teams Program, as a guitarist.
Jennifer is passionate about music education and is excited to pay it forward with her students at Music Box. Outside of Music Box Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and friends, as well as discovering new things about Memphis and it’s rich music culture.
Will Steen. Piano Teacher.
Will is a dedicated piano teacher at Music Box, with roots in Germantown where he has lived his entire life. His musical journey began in 6th grade when he picked up the clarinet in his school band, sparking a lifelong passion for both music and teaching. Now studying Audio Engineering at the University of Memphis, Will is expanding his expertise in the technical aspects of music.
Beyond teaching, Will enjoys performing with various music groups at the University, including worship bands, pep band, and marching band. In his free time, you can find him on camping trips with friends and cooking BBQ.
“For the time I’ve been at Music Box, the staff and students alike have been nothing but welcoming, encouraging, and always ready to learn (teachers included). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working alongside colleagues that share the same love for music as I do and are eager to learn new techniques and styles to pass on to their students. Students at Music Box are unlike any students I’ve seen. They are always supportive of one another and excited about music. My vocal students are open-minded in every lesson and I’ve consistently seen immense progress in each lesson from every one of them. I couldn’t be prouder to have taught these wonderful musicians, and I know their hard work will help them grow in their musicianship incredibly. ”