Park City moves to a rhythm all its own. Winter arrives loud and bright, with crowded lifts, clattering skis and the steady buzz of visitors. The tempo slows in summer and fall, making room for a symphony of natural sounds and a staccato of outdoor concerts. The seasons are bookended by bars of rest that locals call mud season. For Park City High School graduates Cameron Gallagher and Quinn Dymalski, that rhythm has been a steady downbeat laying a foundation for a life full of music. From the same mountain town, each would follow their own cadence carrying the harmony of Park City in opposite directions.
Music All the Time: Nashville
Cameron Gallagher’s family has a deep-rooted love for music. However, he is the only musician in his family. “At our house in Park Meadows, every room had music playing 24/7,” says Gallagher. From Jackson Browne in the living room to Jimi Hendrix in the garage to Bob Marley in the guest room, performers of all genres filled his ears. That soundtrack extended to community events like Park Silly Sunday Market, Deer Valley concerts and the diverse lineup curated by Mountain Town Music all year long.
In his youth, Gallagher explored a range of instruments and took private lessons, but it was the strength of Park City School District’s band program and phenomenal educators like Chris Taylor, who recently retired as director of bands and truly shaped Gallagher’s path. Whether it was jazz band, concert band or a wind ensemble, Gallagher was encouraged by his teachers to strive for excellence. “Being brought up in the incubator of arts and music that is Park City was everything,” Gallagher says.
He also joined Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse, an after-school music program based in American Fork. The program gave him the chance to perform with Grammy-winning artists and travel all over the world.
After graduating from Park City High School in 2017, Gallagher studied jazz performance at University of Utah in Salt Lake City before earning a master’s degree in commercial music with a specialization in saxophone performance from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The move placed him in an environment where music is everywhere, from jam sessions and live performances to spontaneous collaborations with fellow musicians. “I was seeking to be surrounded by like-minded individuals that just wanted to live and breathe music all the time,” shares Gallagher. “Moving to Nashville was important because seven days a week, all hours of the day, there is the opportunity to see or play music.”
Today, Gallagher works as a professional saxophonist, bandleader, composer and educator. Still based in Nashville, where his parents, Kim and Spencer, also live, he performs with Cam Gallagher and The Tasty Soul and collaborates across genres in both live and studio settings. “Music is going to be wherever you go, and you get to participate in it,” notes Gallagher. “What I love is that [music] is true community.”
Even with Music City’s endless opportunities, Gallagher credits Park City for planting the seed that started it all.
Expanded Horizons: Los Angeles
Like Gallagher, Quinn Dymalski grew up in a home where music was part of everyday life. His mom, Stacy, played piano and his dad, George, strummed the bass. His older brother, Derrick Lightning, was attracted to the saxophone at a young age and is a working musician in Los Angeles. “When I was younger, my family was really into music,” Dymalski says. “There was always music being played in my house.”
Dymalski Dymalski started classical piano lessons at a young age and followed Derrick into the program at Park City High School. Like Gallagher, he found a big source of encouragement in Chris Taylor. Dymalski vividly remembers the pieces he played in high school, from the reverberating sounds of Eric Whitacre to the catchy big band music of Gordon Goodwin.
Taylor had a clear and intentional way of talking about music, and his passion showed in the way he lectured, conducted and helped students connect with the meaning of each piece. Altogether, this left a huge impression on Dymalski and Gallagher.
After graduating from Park City High School in 2016, he enrolled at University of Portland in Oregon to study math. During that first year away from playing, he realized how much he missed being immersed in music. While he had an affinity for math, he transferred to University of Denver and switched his major to jazz studies. “Switching my major was the greatest decision I ever made,” Dymalski says.
In Denver, a jazz arranging class opened a different door. For one assignment, he reworked a piece for five horns and a rhythm section and recorded it on his phone. “I listened to that recording over and over,” recalls Dymalski. “I got addicted to arranging and writing sheet music and composing my own scores.”
By the time he finished a bachelor’s degree in music, jazz and commercial music, Dymalski had composed eight original big band pieces. He continued his education by earning a master’s degree in jazz studies at University of Southern California’s Thorton School of Music. As a recording artist, his style can best be described as jazz fusion.
Relocating to Los Angeles broadened his perspective and introduced Dymalski to film and video game scoring. And a return trip to Park City led to reconnecting with an old friend, Mattes Clarke, who had studied game design at University of Utah. This unexpected meeting sparked an opportunity to collaborate. Despite living in different places, Dymalski and Clarke have been able to work together online leading to a few musical projects.
In 2025, Dymalski scored several games, including Fishin’ Critical, which gained exposure after being featured on JackSepticEye’s YouTube channel.
“Even though I live in a new place, a lot of these Park City roots that I have led to new opportunities that are really cool and exciting,” Dymalski says.
Gallagher and Dymalski may live across the country from each other, but their songs began in the same place. Park City offered both musicians a creative foundation shaped by mentorship, community and connection. From school ensembles to global stages, those early experiences gave them space to experiment and the confidence to keep going. That support continues to echo through their creative work today.
