“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.
Jamie Traylor. Teacher. Voice. Guitar. Piano. Ukulele. Music Therapy inspired adapted lessons.
Jamie Traylor is a voice, guitar, ukulele, and piano teacher at Music Box. Jamie is from the Memphis, and her love for music began at a young age, singing along to endless genres in the backseat of her dad’s truck. Jamie has been a member of a variety of ensembles, including CoroRio and the Ladies of Lee traveling choir, and she has served on church worship teams since she was 12.
Her music background and love for people led Jamie to pursue a degree in music therapy at University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and she is trained to utilize music as a tool to address a variety of goals in social, emotional, communicative, cognitive, and physical realms. She completed her internship at Memphis’s own St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has now joined the music therapy team at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital.
Jamie is a Licensed and Board Certified Music Therapist.
Outside of Music Box, Jamie loves to cook, read, run, and spend time with her husband and dog.
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.
Kristen Anthamatten. Teacher.Voice. Performance.
Kristen is a Voice & Performance coach at Music Box. She has always had a passion for singing, since a very young age. At 10, Kristen joined her school’s choir, and sang in it all the way through high school. She went on to audition and perform with the All West TN Honor Choir and All State TN Honor Choir for a number of years. Along with choir, Kristen also performed as a lead vocalist with Soundscape, the top commercial music group at Briarcrest school, and OneVoice, their nationally renowned A cappella group. Kristen recently coached several vocal students and helped them ace auditions and strengthen their stage presence. She is currently in the Nursing program at the University of North Alabama, and sings with the University’s a cappella group - UNA Voce.
When not on the stage performing, Kristen is studying, or planning her favorite bake sales for her school’s baking club.
Jotham Billy. Teacher.
Drums. Piano.
Jotham Billy is a drums and piano teacher at Music Box. With a strong foundation in rhythm and melody, Jotham helps students develop their timing, feel, sight-reading, and confidence on their instrument. Jotham has played drums since he was 8 years old; he took lessons and attended Stax Music Academy in high school. He is very active in the local music scene, has played at the Mayoral Inauguration, with the B.B. King blues band, and on “Live at 9”, among other local iconic venues.
Currently, Jotham is a student at Visible College, where he specializes in Drums. He also enjoys working out and collaborating with other musicians and fellow creatives.
Simon Jimenez. Teacher. Piano. Guitar. Bass. Ukulele. Drums. Music Production.
Simon Jimenez is a teacher at Music Box, a songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist. He has been learning music as a language since he was 9 years old; he plays drums, bass, guitar, ukulele, piano, banjo, and now learning saxophone. Simon is from Colombia.
Currently, Simon is delving deeper into his music career at Visible Music College, focusing on developing his skills as a lyricist. You can find him playing with different bands and performing at events when he's not teaching or working on his own music.
Outside of Music Box, Simon’s a big fan of cooking and rock climbing. He’s passionate about sharing what he knows with others, whether it’s through teaching or performing.
Will Ellis. Teacher. Guitar. Bass. Ukulele. Drums. Music Production.
Will Ellis is a guitar, bass, ukulele, drum and music production teacher at Music Box with a lifelong passion for music. Raised in Memphis, TN, Will grew up surrounded by classic rock and country, thanks to his music-loving family. He began playing guitar and taking lessons at the age of 10, and quickly found his place in school music ensembles starting in middle school.
Today, Will continues to perform with his band, The Hypocrites, while studying Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville. Outside of teaching, he enjoys golfing, playing video games, and jamming with friends. Will loves helping students grow as musicians and find joy through music.
Ty Matthews. Teacher.
Voice. 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. Teacher. Voice. Piano.
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.
Will Steen. Teacher. Piano. Guitar. Music Production.
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. ”