Salt Lake City Faculty & Staff
Blue Sky Music uses a combination of visiting lecturers and full-time faculty/staff.
Click here to see the 2011 visiting lecturers.
The 2011 full-time faculty/staff include:
Aaron Ashton
Camp Director; Violin, Electric Violin
Aaron Ashton is the sort of musician who is equally at ease in classical, fiddle, and ethnic genres.
He has won numerous awards, including: 2007 Studio Musician of the Year; and Outstanding Violinist from The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival; Aaron has performed in the Country Music Awards; The Naval Observatory (U.S. Vice Presidential Residence); and the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Aaron currently works as a studio musician in Salt Lake City and leads the Aaron Ashton Band. His album, “Split the Difference” is available at iTunes and Amazon.com. You can preview upcoming releases and see upcoming concerts at AaronAshton.com.
Ashley Stolworthy
Development/Communications Director Ashley Stolworthy (MACs, iTunes, cameras, and fun) is the behind-the-scenes know-it-all at Blue Sky. A self-proclaimed hard-core fan of music and current graduate student in Westminster College’s Masters of Professional Communication program, she brings with her an eclectic background of professional communications experience. Some areas of her expertise include media and community relations; event planning and corporate branding in various arts, non-profit organizations and higher education institutions; as well as all of this in the technology industry. She has successfully led clients through political campaigns, directed and executed full marketing and advertising campaigns for program and product launches, written and published articles for local and state publications, and more. Ashley is a Southern-Nevada native, and holds a bachelors degree from Utah State University in public relations/ communication and journalism, as well as human resource management.
Bass, Banjo
At the age of nine Ryan was informed that he was to learn a musical instrument, and asked whether he would prefer the piano or the clarinet. His response was speedy and succinct: banjo.
That single life-altering decision thrust him down a path filled with festivals, jam sessions, vanagons, hippie-dancing, and Shupes. Tilby played with String Fever, a youthful bluegrass band led by the fearless Ted Shupe, with mandolinist Tara Shupe, and guitarists Roger Archibald and later Ryan Shupe. That led to a brief stint as the banjist for the Rubberband, before the invaluable Craig Miner joined the band.
Tilby’s history then becomes vague. It is rumored that he traveled to Nepal, studying the ways of the Tibetan Monks. Perhaps he was in Europe on some sort of religious quest. It is known that he attended Utah State University for a time where he studied jazz guitar, that he has been seen on stages with Sam Payne and Peter Breinholt, and that most recently he lived in southern Utah honing his mountain biking skills and developing an uncanny tolerance for heat.
Austin Weyand
Guitar: Austin currently holds a masters degree in jazz studies from Northern Illinois University where he studied intensively with eclectic classical, jazz, and jam band recording artist Fareed Haque. For undergraduate studies, Austin received a baccalaureate degree in guitar performance from Utah State University where he received many awards, including two-time winner of the USU concerto competition where he performed as a soloist with the Utah State Symphony Orchestra.
He has performed with various bands and recording projects including for the CBS television show Touched by an Angel. ” National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion Chris Proctor says, “Austin plays imaginative, original pieces and arrangements for solo guitar with a fine technique and excellent tone. If you like solo acoustic guitar, my guess is that you’ll find his music right up your alley.”
Sam Runolfson
Cello/Bass
Samuel graduated from Weber State University with a Music Education degree with an emphasis in Cello Performance. Classically he has performed throughout Northern Utah as a soloist and as chamber musician most often with the Piano Trio, Tria Fata. He has performed as a soloist with the Weber State Symphony Orchestra and as prinicpal cellist of that Orchestra and the New American Philharmonic. The ensemble Tria Fata were most recently National Finalists in the MTNA Chamber Music Competition. Samuel was also recoginzed by Weber State with a Crystal Crest Award for his performance and contributions as a student. He has also performed and taught in Haiti as a volunteer professor. Alternatively, Samuel began his non-classical adventures with an eclectic ensemble consisting of viola, cello, hand percussion, harp and the mission to play jazz and blues. There was much joy and sorrow, as well as some awesome gigs and lots of original compositions and arrangements. Since then Samuel has been on a journey of discovery in the world of non-classical Cello composing, arranging, performing and teaching fiddling, jazz and blues all over the Wasatch Front. Samuel’s first experience with folk music was actually on upright bass where he learned the intense and often understated importance of I, IV, V, I. Though his bass playing is occasionally surrounded by mystery when it surfaces it is a force to be reckoned with. Samuel is currently seeking a Master’s Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Utah.
