Steven Fox
Director

Maestro Steven Allen Fox is a distinguished conductor, composer, producer, and concert creator, acclaimed for his innovative approach to live music and film scores. With a career spanning over two decades, he has conducted or produced more than 100 premieres, leading renowned ensembles such as the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Film Orchestra, Hollywood Studio Symphony, Tenerife Symphony, and the Golden State Pops Orchestra, which he founded in 2002. His work seamlessly bridges classical, cinematic, and contemporary music, captivating audiences worldwide.

In addition to his performing career, Steven serves as Director of the Crescendo School of Music and Dance, a Salvation Army program mission dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artists. He has collaborated with major artists and institutions, including Disney, Varèse Sarabande, and Imagine Dragons, and has conducted landmark productions such as The Little Mermaid Live in Concert, Beauty and the Beast In Concert, and Coco Live-to-Film. His debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Film Orchestra and his conducting appearance at the Hollywood Bowl stand as milestones in his career.

A versatile artist and educator, Steven is also an accomplished composer whose works include film scores, symphonic arrangements, and concert pieces. His score for the animated short The Artist earned the Independent Film Channel Award, showcasing his gift for storytelling through music. With degrees in Music Theory and Composition from Illinois State University and Film and Television Scoring from USC, Maestro Fox continues to inspire excellence and innovation in every performance and project he leads. 

Robin Viveros
Administrative Aide

Robin Viveros joins the Crescendo School of Music and Dance as our Administrative Aide, bringing over 18 years of experience from the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, where she served as an Administrative Assistant across multiple departments. Now retired from the public school system, Robin continues to channel her passion for supporting children and families through her work at Crescendo.

She greatly appreciates all of The Salvation Army’s community outreach efforts and is proud to contribute to its mission through her role at Crescendo. She is already enjoying her time here and values the opportunity to be part of an organization that makes a meaningful impact locally and around the world.

Cyrus Redding Causey
Drum Teacher

Cyrus Redding Causey’s love for music and performing ignited at a young age through participating in the worship team at his mother’s church.  Cyrus received a bachelor’s degree in percussion at the Musicians Institute, where he developed a passion for jazz and Latin music. Since college Cyrus has performed at various clubs and venues around the LA area and has since become a sought-after drum instructor. He has been a teacher for the Salvation Army's Music Programs across Southern California for over 6 years.

Ryan Humphrey
Piano Instructor

Ryan Humphrey leads a varied and diverse musical life in Los Angeles. He is a passionate and enthusiastic instructor at Crescendo and in his own private studio. He also serves as the staff accompanist for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Monica. When not at the keys of a piano, he spends his time as an orchestrator and arranger. For over a decade he has worked as part of Tim Davies' orchestration team, contributing to the scores of A Minecraft Movie, Nimona, WandaVision, the Frozen movies, and many more. His live arrangements have been performed by the San Francisco and Dallas Symphonies. He is an active member of both the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and Music Teacher's Association of California (MTAC), and holds a MM in Piano Performance from the "original" USC (South Carolina). When not making music, he enjoys taking advantage of southern California's great outdoors and being a bit of a nerd about board games and video games.

James Kee
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Upright Bass, & Ukulele Teacher

James Kee studied contrabass performance under David Black at Chapman University in Orange County. He has been teaching guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, and ukulele for over 22 years. In addition to teaching, Mr. Kee maintains an active professional career as a performer and recording artist. Former students have gone on to flourish in the music industry and have been signed to major record labels. James Kee is deeply passionate about teaching and absolutely loves working with young musicians. One of his greatest joys is witnessing the moment when a student first discovers the incredible thrill of making music. He is known as an enthusiastic, encouraging, and inspiring teacher, and his students truly enjoy learning from him.

Michelle Sudduth
Piano Teacher

Michelle Sudduth has been a piano instructor at Crescendo Music and Dance since 2016. She is a classically-trained pianist and composer for media in Los Angeles. Michelle holds a Bachelor’s degree from Belmont University, a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia with further training through UCLA’s film scoring program. She is currently the resident composer at a NYC/LA based production company and has worked on a variety of projects including feature films, audio dramas, video games and writing and producing records. Michelle is also the Score and Session Producer for Vancouver International Film Festival’s annual composer workshop. As a piano instructor, Michelle values a multi-faceted approach, combining traditional piano repertoire with music theory, chording, and compositional analysis to help students achieve a well-formed base of musical understanding. 

Nuribeth Tardillo
Vocal and Piano Instructor