Jiye Hayden

Jiye Hayden, born in South Korea, is a professional pianist, vocalist and music instructor based in the greater Los Angeles area. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge, as well as a Piano Teaching Certificate from Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, South Korea.

Exposed to music from a young age, she received her first piano lessons at age six and later learned multiple instruments, including violin, saxophone and guitar. Over the years, she has performed in various roles as a musician in a variety of venues, including as: saxophonist in the Olympia Hotel in Seoul, bar pianist at Four Seasons Resort in Santa Barbara, pianist/keyboardist in numerous musical theater productions, and chorist at Carnegie Hall and in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Walt Disney Hall. As a freelance collaborative pianist and staff accompanist at CSUN, she also has extensive experience with accompanying instrumentalists and vocalists in recitals and competitions.

Ms. Hayden’s career as a music teacher also began at a relatively young age – over the past twenty years, she has taught over a thousand students. As a result of this extensive teaching experience, she has developed a flexible method that adapts to and nurtures each child’s individual learning abilities, including children with ADHD and autism. Her greatest passion is teaching children and guiding them on their journey to becoming independent musicians and music lovers.

Evan Pouchak

Evan is a professional drummer currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. He has been playing drums for over 20 years. Evan graduated from the University of Louisville in 2006 with a degree in Music Performance, and since 2004 he has taught drum set, classical and rudimental snare drum, and guitar.

While living in Louisville, Evan was a founding member of Louisville groups Paradigm, The Deloreans, and The Pass. While a member of the fusion rock and jazz group Paradigm, Evan toured across the United States and opened for such groups as the Benvento/Russo Duo, Charlie Hunter, Club D'Elf, and the Lee Boys. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2009, Evan has recorded and/or played with The Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, the Sean Stackpoole Quartet, West LA Fadeaway, Jay Stapleton, and June Aja.

Evan strives to instill the fundamentals of music in his students in a fun, creative, and engaging way. He believes it is important for students to develop the ability to solve musical problems from a place of creativity and positive contribution. If a student can learn to do so early, she can take that ability with her throughout her career.

Jennifer Wydra’s

Jennifer Wydra’s theatrical credits include every type of performing arts, from TV and film to Broadway, national tours, commercials, industrials, & extensive voiceover work. She voices, casts, and produces v/o work in all genres, including videogames, podcasts, audiobooks, corporate narration, and animation. Jennifer achieved a BFA in acting with Honors from UT Austin and continued post-graduate studies at the AMDA in NYC.

She also fulfilled the teaching requirements for drama education while at U.T. She has directed shows all over LA and NYC, and coaches several successful young actors. In addition to her acting/voiceover career, she is/has been a Creative Consultant to Disney Channel Original Movies for 15 years, working on projects such as ``Teen Beach Movie``, ``Descendants``, ``Lemonade Mouth``, and many others. More recently, she has become a Consultant for the Original Family Film Department at Netflix.

Michael Fandetti

Mike Fandetti is a Los Angeles native and musician who has been teaching saxophone, flute, guitar, keyboard and bass guitar to students ranging in age from 7 to 70 since 2009.

He received his Masters Degree in Music Performance in 2015.

Mike is proficient in music theory and music history. He loves teaching and passing along the beauty of music to his students.

Sara Almasi

Sara Almasi is a passionate pianist and music instructor. Her method in teaching music is influenced by her studies and long time experience, working with students of all ages. She started playing the piano at the age of five. She received her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Tehran university with distinction and then continued her studies at Art university of Tehran under guidance of Gagik Babayan, Setare Beheshti and Tamara Dolidze, until she got her Master’s degree. She visited master classes in piano education, conducting, modern music and Alexander technique by Manuchehr Sahbai, Delbar Hakimova, Tollib Shahidi, Iradj Sahbai and Azin Movahed.

After moving to Vienna-Austria, the capital of classical music, she studied music pedagogy and piano under Hafez Babashahi in Wagner Konservatorium with a minor in ensemble conducting. She taught for many years in her native country both privately and in music schools such as Pars Institute. She also was a lecturer at art and architecture branch of Azad university of Tehran.

Yu Tang

Yu Tang completed his undergraduate degree in piano performance at California State University, Northridge, before moving to Germany for graduate studies in musicology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Besides playing and teaching piano, he has worked as an editorial assistant at the music publishing company Alfred Music and coordinated an innovative sound art gallery in Berlin.

Currently, he is developing a method book with the aim of providing children with a comprehensive music education.

Luna Choi

Luna Choi began playing the violin at age six in South Korea where she received her Bachelor’s degree in violin performance. During her undergraduate studies, she primarily focused on violin and selected viola as her secondary instrument. Her passion for teaching led her to pursue further education at Scuola Di Musica Il Trillo in Florence, Italy where she received violin, ensemble and music education diplomas in 2015. Luna continued her graduate studies in violin
performance at California State University, Northridge and completed the program in 2019.

She is a departmental scholarship recipient in 2016 and 2019 at CSUN. She is a passionate and dedicated teacher who enjoys coaching young music enthusiasts in youth orchestra. She recently joined After School Conservatory as a violin instructor and can’t wait to be a guidance for many potential students.

Sarah Salazar

Sarah Salazar, is no stranger to the stage. After winning Miss Tustin in 2010 she was awarded the preliminary talent award at the Miss California Competition. In 2015, Salazar faced a life threatening illness, where it was projected she would not survive, let alone sing. After an extensive recovery period, she has never been more sure that she was put on this earth to use her voice.

She has sung with Opera Santa Barbara, Valley Opera and Performing Arts, Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera, Glendale Opera Company and The Pacific Opera Project. She also currently sings as a Fox Singer with the Verdi Chorus.

Ali Tolga Demirtas

Ali Tolga Demirtas studied academically in Jazz Piano department of CODARTS Rotterdam Conservatory, and he also continued with his studio and stage performances with violin and keyboards. He studied high level of harmony and composition with Aydın Esen and studied on Sound Engineering Program in MIAM.

In 2010 he awarded as 3rd in TBD-Halici 17. Computered Composition Contest. He has worked both stage and studio with world-wide artists. He has ability to play as a virtuoso skill of level on violin,viola, cello, doublebass, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, flute, ney, oud, cumbus, guitar, drums, percussions etc. He has released his first contemporary solo jazz piano album Moments. He has also one classical solo album which he played Mozart and Chopin.

Molly Rich

Front Desk staff

Team