RYAN UTTERBACK

FOUNDER, OWNER & Drum Instructor

Born in New Hampton, Iowa, Ryan grew up as a trumpet player before discovering his love for rhythm and percussion. At age 18, he began playing professionally in the Midwest. His passion for drumming grew and eventually led him to Los Angeles, CA, where he attended Musician’s Institute. After graduation, Ryan worked as a studio drummer and performed live with multiple acts in the LA area. During this time Ryan also discovered his love of teaching music.

At age 25, Ryan began teaching music lessons full time at multiple lesson facilities. Then at age 28, along with two colleagues, Ryan created Pure Rock Studios located in Whittier, CA. The goal was to give students an opportunity to learn alongside working professionals and perform in a live-band setting. After 3 years and hundreds of students taught, Ryan decided it was time to take what he had learned, and head back to the Midwest.

Ryan is the proud owner of Pure Rock Studios of Rochester, and is fast becoming one of the premier percussion instructors in the area. Ryan brings a unique combination of experience, patience, and passion when it comes to teaching drum lessons. Ryan can also be seen playing around the area with his band County Line Drive.

Anna Blakesley

Vocal and Piano Instructor

Anna grew up in Brainerd,MN where she started taking piano lessons at 8 years old. She started playing guitar at 10 years old and was in church praise bands on a regular basis. In high school, she was active in choir. Eventually she played some gigs around Rochester and received an award for best original lyrics at a Battle of the Bands. Anna has always wanted to be a teacher. She received her Associate degree in Liberal arts mainly focusing on music industry. She transferred to Winona State University where she graduated with a degree in K-12 Vocal Music education. Her time at Winona University involved voice and piano lessons, group guitar class and had a part in a opera workshop. Anna is passionate about being a musician and a full time K-5 elementary music teacher at Triton Elementary school.

BLAKE BONDE

Bass Instructor

A 2004 graduate of Mayo High School, Blake holds a B.A. in Double Bass Performance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with an M.M. in Double Bass Performance pending. In addition to his formal classical training on Double Bass, he has also has over 17 years of experience on Electric Bass Guitar. He has been active as a Private Music teacher for over 12 years and has taught courses in Music Theory as a graduate instructor at the University of Minnesota.

Presently, he is active as a performer across a wide variety of musical styles. As an orchestral musician, he performs as a member of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, and the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. He also is a member of several local bands, covering styles including Acoustic Americana (Root River Jam), Country (County Line Drive), and Blues (Chaser Straight). In addition, he is an avid jazz musician with several years of experience playing locally and in the Twin Cities.

Michael Barnes

Guitar and Bass Instructor

Born and raised in San Diego California, Michael started guitar lessons at the age of 15. In 1992, after high school, Michael was invited to join “G-Spot”, a local Ska Punk Band that was made up of former founding members of “Buck O Nine”. “G-Spot” was signed to Immune Records in 1997 and released their first CD that same year. Michael and his band mates have performed with the likes of “Sublime”, “Blink-182”, “The Aquabats”,“Switchfoot”, and “The Wailers”. With the success of the band, this allowed Michael to perform on some of the biggest stages in California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. “G-Spot has been featured on ESPN X Games, MTV Mexico and radio stations around the world. Recently the band has reformed in California by the name “Beta 7”. Michael has joined the band when in town

Emily Roth

Organ, Piano, & Voice Instructor

Emily Roth began playing the piano at age 6. In high school, she began taking organ lessons. Wanting to make music her career, she attended the University of Iowa and received a B.A. in organ performance. During this time in college, she developed her love for singing.

Furthering her studies at the University of Minnesota, she received her M.A. in organ performance in 2023.  She was a featured soloist at several recital series in the Twin Cities including St. Olaf and Louis King of France Catholic Church After working off and on as a piano teacher throughout college, she now wishes to continue teaching keyboard to students full-time. She loves a wide variety of music and hopes to inspire students to find their love for music.

Alex Smith

Vocal Instructor

Alex is a 2016 graduate of Rockford University with his BFA in Musical Theatre.  For two years after graduation he worked in the regional theater scene in the Midwest and Southern states after which he married and moved to Rochester.  He now works mainly in the Twin Cities as a performer and as part of the Barbara Schneider Foundation's Crisis Intervention Training team, working with police, corrections, and medical staff on de-escalating those with mental illnesses.  Although he comes from a mainly classical and theatrical singing background,  he has always had a passion for all types of music and is currently developing an indie rock album, and hopes to contribute to Rochester's local music scene in the coming years.    

Joy Jasik

Vocal Instructor

Joy Jasik has been singing since before she could talk and has always loved music. Throughout her life, she has had experience with worship, rock, classical, pop, and musical theatre. Her favorite genres are pop and musical theatre.

Over the years, Joy has been a part of several choirs through school and in the community and also participated in Minnesota's All-State Treble Choir in the summer of 2019. She has had a lot of performing experience, including with the teen group class here at Pure Rock. She has lead children's worship at Crosswinds Church in Orocono since she was in sixth grade. This year will also be Joy's fifth consecutive year performing on KTTC's Eagle's Cancer Telethon. After auditioning for her school's production of the musical Annie playing the role of Pepper, Joy has fallen in love with musical theatre and has been in a number of productions through her school and the community. Joy is happy to be part of the PRS staff!

Patrick Amunson

Piano Instructor

Patrick has been playing piano for over 30 years, starting lessons at age five with Leightold’s Music in La Crosse, WI, and continuing under Dorinda Hawk until he was 18. He earned an associate degree in Music Education from UW–La Crosse and another in Sound Engineering from the Los Angeles Recording School. Since then, Patrick has worked in professional studios in Hollywood, helped run music publishing at Sony/ATV’s Extreme Music, and relaunched the Music Makers program at the Boys & Girls Club in my hometown.

Patrick’s teaching style is simple: we start with what you love. He always asks new students to send him one of their favorite songs in advance — then he breaks it down and shows you how to play the core chords, patterns, and rhythms behind it. From there, you will build your skills step-by-step, blending creative expression with proper technique.

If you’ve already started with lesson books, you can absolutely pick up right where you left off — and then go beyond it by connecting that foundation to the songs and styles that inspire you most.

Whether you’re just beginning or looking to take your playing to the next level, Patrick is here to help you grow, explore, and enjoy the journey.

Kerry Klungtvedt

Guitar and Bass Instructor

Kerry Klungtvedt holds degrees in music and music education from Winona State University, with additional studies from Berklee College of Music. He has taught Suzuki classical guitar,  a method for preschool children and their adults, since 1996. Kerry likes to play classical, jazz, and fingerstyle guitar. He is a  volunteer musician at his home church and the local nursing home. He is also a drum circle facilitator.

His lessons emphasize technique, repertoire, reading, and improvisation. 

Jonathan Mattson

Piano Instructor

Pianist Jonathan Mattson has been an active soloist, collaborator, and chamber musician. He has played with orchestras including the Dakota Valley Symphony Orchestra, and Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestras, and has played at important venues including Burnsville’s Ames Center and St. Paul’s Landmark Center. Jonathan has consistently shown a dedication to traditional classical repertoire and possesses a passion for new and innovative music.

In 2016 and 2018, Jonathan played recitals throughout Minnesota and Kansas which included Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, Sonata in B Minor, and Chopin’s Preludes. As chamber musician, Jonathan has played important works like the Franck Sonata, and Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 2. He has done much collaboration with vocalists, flutists, and violinists, amassing a large repertory in these areas. In addition to a large standard repertoire, Jonathan is building a repertoire with a focus on new music. His repertoire has expanded to include Arnold Schoenberg, Olivier Messiaen, Julia Wolfe, and Morton Feldman. In May of 2021, Jonathan performed Morton Feldman’s 90-minute work, Triadic Memories. In 2022, 2023, and 2024 Jonathan played solo recitals at First Presbyterian Church in Rochester, Minnesota. He also performed for Rochester Music Guild’s Lunch and Learn Series in the summer of 2024.

In 2019, Jonathan won the Edythe McNown Memorial Piano Scholarship in the Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Contest, and a KCMC Scholarship in the Kansas City Music Club Auditions. Jonathan has participated in international competitions including the Wideman International Piano Competition, and Hellam Young Artists’ Competition.

Jonathan has seven years of experience as a teacher, and has worked with students of various ages and skill levels. Jonathan always designs a curriculum based on each student’s needs, and strives to help them achieve their personal goals. His students have participated in local recitals as well as state competitions.

Jonathan received a B.M. in piano performance from the University of Kansas, and an M.M. in piano performance at Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Lucas Horvath

Piano Instructor

Lucas Horvath began playing piano at the age of five.  His musical taste and influence is nothing short of diverse.  From classical, to rock, to pop, to R&B, even stemming to hip-hop.  His musical sound comes mainly from 70's and 80's rock and pop like Michael Jackson, Parliament-Funkadelic, and the Beatles. 

Lucas’s three main priorities are to: inspire people to learn an instrument, teach people how to play piano, and to support the local music scenes. 

As a student, Lucas was allowed to partake in the annual MMTA (Minnesota Music Teacher's Association) Piano Contest; a contest where piano students from all over the state compete to play in an annual Honors Recital at the University of Minnesota.  Lucas won that contest four times and played in all four Honors Concerts as a pianist. Lucas graduated from Mayo High School in 2013 and went on to pursue in music production and audio engineering at the Institute of Production and Recording in Minneapolis.  He has served a number of clients while at college and has arranged a few songs for his repertoire."

Lucas was a teacher's assistant for a Music Theory course in college and has exceptional music theory knowledge. He has a positive vibe and a hard work ethic.  He believes that hard work, practice, and dedication really do pay off. When you work with Lucas, you are guaranteed to have fun!

Pete Wangen

Drum Instructor

Pete Wangen started drumming at age 9, his first set of sticks and first drum set were homemade. Pete played in the school band starting in fifth grade and started his first band at the age of 12. After graduating from John Marshall High School, Pete moved to Los Angeles, CA to attend Musicians Institute. He studied under world renown drummers including: Steve Houghton, Joe Porcaro and Ralph Humphry. Upon graduation, Pete joined a band and toured the world entertaining U.S. military forces.

 
In the 1990s, Pete moved to Portland, OR. He participated in the ‘grunge music’ movement playing with bands in Portland and Seattle. In 2001, Pete moved back to Minnesota. He works hard to improve his craft and specializes in rock and blues performance. He was the drummer for local bands including: Ventura Highway, Shades of Blue and Lost in Austin. Currently, Pete lives in Rochester, Minnesota and maintains a busy schedule of working at Lowe’s, teaching drumming students, along with limited performances and studio sessions. 

Ella Ashlin

Voice and Piano Instructor

From Eden Prairie, MN, Ella graduated from Minnesota Virtual Academy in 2020 and is currently obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education through Grand Canyon University.
Ella has loved music her whole life and has been taking voice lessons for nearly ten years throughout various moves to Rochester, Phoenix, and then finally back to Rochester where she attended Pure Rock Studios. Ella has been very active in musical theater, and choir throughout her life and loves incorporating those genres into beginner and intermediate voice lessons! Ella has also sang with a few bands and loves teaching students interested in singing with the group classes!

Ella started piano lessons in Phoenix, AZ in 2014 and has continued playing since, and she teaches beginner piano lessons and emphasizes learning how to read sheet music. Ella is very excited to be teaching at Pure Rock Studios!

Graham Pernu

Drum Instructor

Graham started playing drums at 5 years old, and fell in love with it and everything music! His dad is a self-taught musician and recording artist, and Graham spent a lot of time learning and playing along with him. Graham has experience recording and performing for years with bands. Graham brings a joy and passion for the drums that is undeniable! Graham is excited to share his knowledge, and help others enjoy their love for music! 

Samantha Blanchard

Piano Instructor

Originally from Indianapolis IN, Samantha majored in piano at Lincoln Christian University. She has been teaching piano lessons in Minnesota since 1981.

Samantha’s passion is in music and in teaching piano to all ages and focusing on theory, technique, and repertoire in all styles of music pop, country, jazz, rock, blues, classical, gospel, and helping students write their own music.

She has served on church worship teams since 1971 and enjoying accompanying different singing groups in her spar time.

Building self esteem in students in the most important thing to samantha. making things fun and learning all styles of music is never ending. her student will have music in their soul forever.

“Music mends what’s broken, heals what hurts, and is the light in the darkness that will help show you the way back home.”

Ellen Sonnier

Violin and Piano Instructor

Ellen grew up in Alexandria, MN, and started playing music at a young age. With the support and encouragement from her family, she was active in piano, orchestra, and choir from her elementary school days through her years at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Years of diverse instruction gave her a strong classical background. Her favorite way to engage in music- whether it's learning, teaching, playing on a stage, or sitting around a campfire- is to share it with others.

For the past thirteen years, Ellen has played violin with over twenty different bands of all different genres in the Duluth, Minneapolis, and Rochester areas. She's shared the stage with some phenomenal Minnesota musicians, including Charlie Parr, Reina del Cid, and The Pines.

When approaching an instrument, Ellen believes a strong technical foundation leads to comfort, confidence, and the art of expression and improvisation. Listening and playing by ear is a big part of her process while developing a solid understanding of the theory and structure behind the music. 

Jackson Morgan

Drum Instructor

Jackson was born and raised in Hayward, WI. He brings over ten years of playing experience spanning jazz band, concert band, and marching percussion. Jackson attended Winona State University, where he performed with the Winona State Jazz Ensemble. He enjoys playing a variety of music, including rock, jazz, punk, and much more. 

Jackson strives to give students the tools to play music they are passionate about. He believes playing music should be fun above all else, and wants others to be able to have the same excitement he has about drumming!

Jonathan Roder

Bass/Guitar/Piano/Audio Engineering

Jonathan is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator with over a decade of experience. While earning his degree in Contemporary Music, he co-founded a lesson program in 2017 that provided free music education to local students. As an artist, he has released four albums of original music and has produced several more for other musicians. Currently, he teaches piano, guitar, bass, as well as audio engineering and music production.

His approach to education emphasizes equipping students with the ability to teach themselves. He believes that learning music goes beyond simply copying what’s on a page—students should understand why things work the way they do. By treating music as a language, he helps students engage with it more holistically. His teaching style focuses on theory and musicology, ensuring that students develop both technical skill and deeper musical understanding.

Rachel Waldner

Piano Instructor

Rachel was born and raised in South Dakota, where music was always a major part of her life. She started learning to play piano and singing in church at a young age, where she discovered these were her passions in life. She went on to study worship leading at a bible college in North Dakota—transferring to North Central University in Minneapolis to finish her Music Pastor degree where she graduated in 2011. After graduating, she was hired as a worship leader for a church in Rochester. She started her teaching career in 2012 and enjoys teaching students of all ages, especially children. Rachel has a fun-loving teaching style. She enjoys classical-style training with an emphasis on music theory and has a love for Disney and church music.

Ethan Hagen

Guitar Instructor

Ethan James Hagen is a native of Minnesota, but has lived in Southern Mexico for more than twenty years. He received his Bachelor’s degree in classical guitar performance from Luther College in 1995. Since then he has branched out as a fingerstyle guitarist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, performing contemporary music and has toured throughout the United States and Mexico as a solo artist. He has also performed regularly with other musicians. With more than twenty five years as a music teacher and performer, he has worked with all kinds of students, both in the United States and in Mexico. His greatest passion in music is composing his own instrumental pieces and vocal songs, and he plays a variety of instruments in the studio.  Ethan has released seven albums of original music, but also enjoys creating his own fingerstyle renditions of popular songs to perform, from the Beatles to Guns N’ Roses. A few of his influences in fingerstyle guitar are Michael Hedges and Billy McLaughlin.

Ethan teaches a special Children’s Rote Guitar Method for beginner students ages six through twelve. It enables the student to play music immediately and prepares them to pursue any type of guitar playing that they may decide to focus on in the future as they grow with the instrument.

Micah Amundson

Bass and Piano Instructor

A Rochester-born native, Micah's musical journey began with learning to whistle at the age of four. Throughout school they studied piano, upright bass, bass guitar, tuba, pipe organ, and music theory, but have also dabbled in flute, cello, violin, trombone, baritone, and a hand-built theremin. They focused on tuba and bass in college, and in 2019 they won second place in the Stage 2 Classical division of the Masters of Musical Whistling International Competition. Micah is an artist to their core and also illustrates comic books and crochets absurdly tiny animals.

After recently becoming a tenor thanks to HRT, they discovered a deep love for singing hidden behind that weird obsession with whistling, which they plan to develop further. Micah specializes in jazz music and is currently the bassist of Rochester's Swing Street Jazz Band. Micah has a very classical training in music but also a spirit for experimentation and exploration. Their lessons emphasize sight reading and they believe in teaching around a student's personal interests and passions.

Cody Wyatt

Guitar, Bass, and Drum Instructor

Born and raised an Awesome Blossom in Blooming Prairie, MN Cody developed a deep passion for music early on when beginning his musical journey playing guitar in his church’s youth group. He went on to study Classical Music and Music Education at the University of Minnesota, where he refined his skills as both a musician and educator.  

Cody’s dedication to music and leadership led him to become the Drum Major for Stix of Fury, where he played a pivotal role in leading the ensemble through dynamic, high-energy performances. This experience strengthened his ability to inspire, instruct, and mentor musicians, fostering both technical excellence and stage confidence.  

As a music instructor, Cody is committed to creating a supportive and engaging learning environment tailored to each student’s unique goals. Whether guiding beginners through their first notes or preparing advanced students for performances, he brings enthusiasm, expertise, and a love for music to every lesson.