Music Universe Academy

Voice, Piano, Musical Theatre

Hailed by Opera News as “a natural with a sparkling personality and top notes to match”, Katie Dixon recently made her Canegie Hall debit in the new musical Austen’s Pride (Kitty Bennet/Georgiana Darcy), as we as opening for Journey on ABC in Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve. She’s starred internationally as Christine (Phantom of the Opera), Cunégonde (Candide) and Lily (The Secret Garden). Katie is an experienced vocal and piano teacher, as well as a valuable coach in acting and audition preparation. She completed a Vocal Teaching Internship with the Metropolitian Opera and has a Master in Voice performance from Mannes School of Music and a Bachelors of Music from Chapman Conservatory of Music.

Violin, Guitar, Piano, Ukulele

Thomas Hanslowe is a music educator living in Los Angeles. He is a multi-instrumentalist with over 10 years of experience in private lessons and the classroom. His teaching experience ranges from working with young children to teaching at the University level. He received a BM in music education from the College of New Jersey and an MA in musicology from Tufts University. He received his PhD in musicology at UCLA where he taught classes in popular and classical music. Dr. Hanslowe has been with Music Universe since 2019 and is a sought after private lesson and classroom teacher (Good Shepherd and St. Bernardine).  

Piano

Hsin-Yi Chang received her Doctorate in Musical Arts in piano performance from USC, and her Masters and Bachelors in piano performance from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is an experienced piano teacher for all levels, from the youngest learners to the most advanced piano students. She is a skilled accompanist having worked as a pianist and vocal coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills. She is currently an accompanist for the National Children’s Chorus. She is a member of MTAC-WLA / SYMF / MU PHI EPSILON, as well as a Steinway Teacher and Educational Partner.  

Voice, Piano, General Music

Samantha began singing in choirs at the age of 10 and has been singing ever since. Her passion for music grew as she pursued opportunities to sing in honor choirs, theater productions, and advanced ensembles. Samantha holds a B.M. in Music Education with a vocal emphasis from Chapman University, where she performed in several ensembles which included a wide array of pieces in different languages, exploring different cultures. She has also musically directed ensembles such as a collegiate all-treble a capella group, community choirs and children and youth choirs. She continues to sing professionally in the Orange County area, as well as teach music in the classroom and privately.  

Guitar, Ukulele, Beginning Piano

Satchel began teaching youth guitar at a community center and tutoring through his undergraduate . He earned his masters at the Yale School of Music, where he taught a small studio of undergraduate and non-major graduate students. He taught at Concordia Conservatory, where he oversaw a studio with a broad range of age, tastes, and ability. Satchel’s teaching method has always emphasized both the development of a well-rounded musician, familiar with aural skills, theory, technique, history; and personal development through forming time management skills, overcoming injuryor frustration, and the practice of planning. It is his belief that these aspects are not mutually exclusive, that building on one of these strengthens the other.

Piano, Choir, General Music 

Jordan Hugh Sam is a Ph.D. student in Musicology at UCLA, having previously earned an M.M. degree in Choral Conducting (CU Boulder, 2018) and a B.A. degree in Music (Amherst College, 2014). Jordan has worked as a choral director of the Madrigal Ensemble and Early Music Ensemble at CU Boulder, and the Assistant Choral director at Amherst College. He has also worked as a director of community, church, and youth choirs in Colorado, Florida, and Massachusetts. His research interests include practice based research, the phenomology of community and protest singing, video game music, and early music.

Voice, Piano, Ukulele, General Music

Kayla Rush is a music educator and private voice coach living in Irvine, California. She recently received her M.M in Vocal Performance from the University of Redlands and her B.M in Music Education from Belmont University. Kayla has always had a passion for music and wants to share her love for music to the next generations. Kayla has also had the pleasure of working with the Bravo Player’s Guild as their Music Director and is continuing to hone her singing and performance skills by participating in community theatre and musical productions.

Flute, Guitar, Composition, Songwriting

Ashley is a conductor, composer, and singer-songwriter with experience in group ensemble instruction and one-on-one teaching. She received her B.A. in Music Composition from UC, Santa Barbara and is currently pursuing a M.M. in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Redlands. She has led the UCSB Pops Orchestra and taught flute and guitar, as well as beginning music education at Isla Vista Elementary School. At Music Universe, she works as a substitute teacher in our classrooms across the LA are and offers private lessons in flute, guitar, composition and songwriting . She looks forward to spreading her passion for music and inspiring the next generation of artists.   

Musical Theater

Lucy Wirtz is a Theater and Educator student in her last year at UCLA. She has a strong background in musical theater, stage management and summer camp coordination. She is a passionate educator and loves sharing her love a music education with younger generations and introducing them to the world of the stage.