Van Christensen
Music Director
Van Christensen started at School of Rock in Sandy, Utah, 18 years ago! He started playing drums 44 years ago. Van was 15 years old when he started his own band and played his first gig at 18. He learned the most through playing competitions and musicals in his high school jazz, concert, and marching bands.
After high school, Van played in bands with a variety of music styles like Rock, Blues, Reggae, and Jazz. He still plays in gigs every weekend. Van has shared the stage with artists like Smashing Pumpkins, The Strokes, Panic! at the Disco, Steel Pulse, Lone Star, Ned LeDoux, Sawyer Brown, and many more. He has even twice opened for Imagine Dragons!
Monty Dillon
Show Director
Monty has been a guitar teacher and keyboard + piano teacher at School of Rock Sandy for over 12 years. He has been playing music for 20 years, starting with his high school orchestra and jazz band and a love of guitar virtuoso music inspired by his brother, Ed. From there, Monty studied classical guitar and composition at the University of Utah and started playing in various local bands ranging from funk and indie to melodic death metal. Outside of School of Rock, Monty enjoys the outdoors through snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, and camping. He is also a huge nerd who enjoys complex board games and reads a lot of science fiction and fantasy.
Braedon Anderson
Guitar Teacher, Bass Guitar Teacher
Braedon started playing the guitar when he was 11 years old. His band, Necrowolf, is comprised of former School of Rock students and they play trash metal with implements from death, black, speed, doom, and heavy metal. Necrowolf has played at venues around Salt Lake City including Loading Dock, Beehive, Kilby, Urban Lounge, Liquid Joes, The Royal, The Metro, and The Complex. Outside of School of Rock, Braedon jams with his band.
Mae Robinson
General Manager, House Band Director
Mae started at School of Rock in Sandy, Utah, as a drum instructor in 2022. She started playing the drums when she was in the 5th grade and was active in the marching band, jazz band, and concert band all throughout school. Mae also learned to play other instruments like saxophone and violin and received the John Philip Sousa Award in her senior year. After high school, she studied musicology and music education specifically in percussion at The Ohio State University. She enjoyed playing in cover bands and drumlines.
Outside of School of Rock, Mae is a loving wife and stepmother to three boys. She is an avid video gamer and loves napping with her two Dobermans. You can find her either barefoot outdoors or at concerts. Mae recently joined the adult program at School of Rock Sandy and is learning bass and vocals too.
Janaya Goddard
Camp Director
Janaya received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Utah State University. Voice is her main instrument and she has also been learning piano over the last decade. Outside of School of Rock, Janaya enjoys cooking, crocheting stuffed animals, and accompanying her husband on the golf course as an active observer of the sport.
Erica Saldivar
Show Director
Erica was a student at School of Rock in Sandy, Utah, for about seven years, playing keyboard, guitar, and vocals. For three years, she was part of the House Band and played gigs around Utah and a few in Idaho and California. For Erica, the most memorable show she played was at the Sandy Amphitheater—performing on the same stage as so many of her idols! Outside of School of Rock, she played a lot at open mic nights around town but nowadays, Erica enjoys singing and jamming with her friends and family at home.
Jace Gold
Rock 101 Director
Jace was originally a student at School of Rock in Sandy, Utah, a decade ago. He made the House Band cast multiple times while he was a student here! Jace learned to play guitar, drums, bass, and vocals. He has played at Country Fan Fest, traveled to Idaho to open for Terri Clark, and performed at a music festival in California.
Outside of School of Rock, Jace works as an audio/visual engineer for schools and companies. He has run lights and sound for Joan Jett, Collective Soul, The 1975, Journey, A Flock of Seagulls, The Offspring, Rise Against, Thomas Rhett, Royal Bliss, Foreigner, and Asia. He has also done audio and visual work for Mark Zuckerberg and Matthew McConaughey. Jace runs his own media company called Peak23.
AJ Barbee
Bass Guitar Teacher, Drum Teacher
AJ was originally a student at School of Rock in Sandy, Utah, from 2013 through 2018. He has played in several bands and also played concert percussion and jazz. AJ's high school band won multiple "Battle of the Bands" contests. He also performed with the House Band in several states and many shows around SLC. AJ works as an audio/visual tech for Canyons School District as well as a studio engineer in his own time.