How performing arts create successful musicians—and successful adults

By Laura Michaud and Melissa G. Wilson

Every September, students across the western suburbs step into band, choir, theater or orchestra classrooms. Most don’t realize those spaces teach far more than music. They build confidence, discipline, teamwork, creativity, and resilience. For many, those lessons become the foundation for remarkable careers.

Hinsdale native Cathy Richardson knows exactly where that journey can begin.

Long before becoming the lead singer of Jefferson Starship and earning a Grammy nomination for her acclaimed performance in Love, Janis, Richardson grew up in Burr Ridge and attended Hinsdale Central High School. Looking back, she credits teachers recognizing her potential long before she performed on international stages.

“Mrs. Robinson at Elm School was first to recognize my musical talent, and Dennis Biagioli recruited me into band in sixth grade,” Cathy says. “I still keep in touch with him, and he has seen me sing with Jefferson Starship.”

Cathy’s dream became clear the day she “dropped the needle” on her first Heart album. “I knew that’s what I wanted to be,” she says.

But it was a church talent show in Hinsdale that gave her the confidence to pursue it. After she and her mother bought sheet music for a Barbra Streisand song and created a costume with comically oversized pants, Cathy performed before a packed audience. When the crowd rose to its feet, she didn’t understand what had happened.

“My mom said, ‘Cathy! They gave you a standing ovation!’ I asked, ‘What does that mean?’ She said, ‘It means you were great and they loved you.’ From that point forward, I made it my mission to be so good, they stand up at the end.”

Tatum Langley

A generation later, Elmhurst vocalist Tatum Langley, who also performs internationally, discovered many of the same opportunities. She found her passion through Elmhurst Children’s Theatre and York High School’s music and theater programs.

“My mom tells me that one day I came home from school singing a little song they taught in class, and she knew straight away that I had a gift,” Langley says.

Like Cathy, Tatum says one educator changed her future. Unsure what to study, she found encouragement from York choir and theater director Rebecca Marianetti.

“She told me she could see me making a career out of this,” Tatum says. “I definitely needed the go-ahead from a trusted and respected adult to really believe that I could do it.”

Although their careers began decades apart, both point to similar beginnings: teachers recognizing their talent and nurturing it, and opportunities to perform. 

Cathy and Tatum join a long list of artists with western suburban roots, including Jim Peterik (“Eye of the Tiger”); the Plain White T’s  (“Hey There Delilah”); Lucky Boys Confusion; and legendary songwriter John Prine of Maywood.

As families fill out class schedules, don’t overlook the music room, the choir risers, or the theater stage. Every performance teaches something valuable: presenting to an audience, accepting criticism, recovering from mistakes, and building confidence. You never know where that first performance might lead. Yes, you can. And sometimes, it all starts right here in the western suburbs. 

Laura Michaud

Melissa G. Wilson

About the authors:

Laura Michaud is a founding member of the Encore Center for Performing Arts and Stage 773.
Melissa G. Wilson is a performing arts enthusiast, author, and renowned networker. For more information, visit EncoreCenterforPerformingArts.org