About

Dave Lewis ~ Conductor and Artistic Director

Music has always been part of Dave’s life growing up in a home surrounded with various types of music from classical, folk, pop, disco, country, and about everything in between. He began piano studies at 5 years old when his parents purchased a piano rather than a sprinkler system for their new home. Organ and choral followed in his early teens along with accompanying congregations and choirs.

Dave has been the Music Director and Organist for the Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ since 2013. As one of the founding organizers of the Choir, he has been with the Utah Valley Interfaith Choir since it began in 2014 (then Provo Interfaith Choir). He has also grown the music programming with the choir with multiple community events including United We Sing!, Carols by Candlelight, Easter Sunrise Community Service, as well as performing for church worship services, Provo Art Strolls, the local celebration of National Day of Prayer, and even caroling in downtown Provo.

Dave has many hats that also include Moderator (chairperson) at the Church and co-chairperson of Keeping the Faith in Downtown Provo, a campaign to restore, renovate, and expand and upgrade the historic downtown Provo church where the choir rehearses and performs regularly. Among his other interests, he is an Interior Designer based out of Murray, Utah, working in his yard, projects around the home, nature and the mountains, movies, and of course, music.

M. Ryan Taylor ~ UVIC Conductor

M. Ryan Taylor is a conductor, composer, vocalist, and music educator whose career has been devoted to bringing people together through the power of choral music. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Brigham Young University, where he studied vocal performance and composition with conducting instruction from Mack Wilberg, Ronald Staheli, and Zsuzsanna Mindszenty. A certified Kodály music educator, Ryan has spent more than thirty years conducting children’s, youth, adult, community, and church choirs. He currently serves as conductor of the Timpanogos Singers, Timpanogos Youth Choirs, and Choirworks Radio Singers, and previously served for a decade as director of the American Fork Children’s Choir as well as numerous community and church ensembles in Utah and California.

As a composer and arranger, Ryan’s choral music is performed by ensembles throughout the United States and internationally. His creative work spans opera, musical theater, art song, chamber music, and choral repertoire, and includes two produced operas along with numerous vocal and instrumental works. In 2026, he completed A WITNESS OF CHRIST, a 34-movement oratorio based on the writings of the Apostle Paul. As a baritone, he has performed with distinguished choral ensembles including BYU Concert Choir, Cantorum, Canticum Lucis, Phoenix Rising, and has appeared as a soloist with the Timpanogos Chorale, American Fork Symphony, Utah Premiere Brass, and other community arts organizations.

In addition to his work as a conductor and composer, Ryan has been an active advocate for community arts. He co-founded the Salty Cricket Composers Collective, which championed the performance of new works by Utah composers for more than a decade, founded and directed the Utah Uke Fest, and has produced concerts and educational arts programs in partnership with local arts organizations like SCERA, Roots Tech, and Timpanogos Arts Foundation. He currently resides in American Fork with his wife, Dixie, where they continue to support and strengthen the performing arts in their community.

Teresa Dickson ~ Children’s Choir Director

Teresa Dickson taught elementary school for 31 years in Provo and Nebo School Districts, including 3rd, 4th, and 2nd/3rd grade splits. Simultaneously, throughout her entire teaching career, she has spent time as a music specialist and/or choir director for the children at all of the schools where she has taught.

Teresa graduated with a BA in Music, emphasizing Piano Pedagogy. She teaches piano, conducting, and voice. She got a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from BYU. During this time, she had exceptional mentors: Dr. Ronald Staheli, Rosalind Hall, and Jean Applonie. For six summers, she studied at the Indianapolis Children’s Choirs’ Creating Artistry Institute under the direction of Henry Leck and Ruth Dwyer.

Choirs she has conducted include the Wasatch Elementary Choir and Provost Elementary Singers. Assistant conducting experience includes: The Utah Children’s Choir under Kay Asay for six years, and the Mapleton Choral under several conductors for many years. She is Kodaly and Orff certified. She continues to study voice with a wonderful teacher, Mindy Ammons and formerly, Martha Glissmeyer.

In 2023, the Provost Singers were privileged to sing at the Utah Chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association convention in Libby Gardner Hall at the University of Utah. It was a wonderful experience for the children. She is looking forward to working with the children of The Light of the Valley Children’s Choir.