Growing up in a Puerto Rican family, music was always around me from birth, and it showed when I began having an interest in playing piano at 4 years old. I loved playing the piano and singing, and I knew by the time I was 5 that music was what I wanted to do with my life. This was pretty much solidified by the time I was in high school, when I had the dreams of going to college to sing and major in music. Unfortunately by that time private lessons were not affordable for us, but I was lucky to have a community that supported me in my dreams. My high school had a private voice teacher as a free resource that was available to help us with songs we worked on in choir, recital pieces, and preparation for any auditions. When it came time to prepare for the college auditions, my dad had friends in our church who helped me picked out appropriate repertoire, and when I had to do a video audition for Elmhurst University, my family friends spent a Saturday by opening their home to record, edit, and post my audition for free. Even though it was my years of experience and preparation that ultimately got me into Elmhurst, it is my belief that I wouldn’t have been able to succeed had it not been for my community of family and friends who supported me along the way.

In 2019, I became a Voice and Piano Instructor for Lessons By Brooke & Co., LLC. As my teaching experience grew, I began to realize that teaching students and meeting them where they are in their musical journey was my true calling, and I was sure that I would help all my students be prepared for any musical opportunity they were interested in. When I began teaching as an adjunct faculty at a high school, I realized the importance of private lessons and how it’s necessary for students looking to continue music in higher education and beyond. I would remember how I was fortunate enough to have a community to support me, and how that may not be the case for other students. This is how Cadence Music NFP started.

I want to change the way we think about Music Education. In our society, we have many misconceptions about the music industry, including the idea that music lessons is a luxury. The reality is that music lessons are a necessary investment for any student who is interested in unlocking their future in the world of music. Whether their future is a career in music, or music is a healthy outlet for everyday life, Cadence Music NFP is an organization that will help build the music community and uplift the next generation of musicians. I encourage you to become part of this community by donating and making sure that music is for everyone.

Donna Peterson Tallman has spent the last four decades working with musicians of all ages in educational, community, and liturgical settings.

From 2005 to 2022, Ms. Tallman served as the Director of the Women’s Chorus/Chamber Chorale at Elmhurst University. Her work with that ensemble included numerous local and regional tours, six commissioned works for treble chorus, and, beginning in 2007, an annual Treble Choir Invitational Concert, hosting high school and middle school treble ensembles for an evening of choral music and fellowship. As a member of the EU Music Education faculty, she taught Choral Conducting, supervised Music Education student teachers, and worked with students in an independent study format, focusing on conducting and music therapy topics. Prior to her work at EU, she conducted and taught choral music education courses at Benedictine and Northern Illinois Universities.

Ms. Tallman worked at LaGrange Bible Church in the Choral Music Ministry for over 40 years, directing three ensembles: Kids on 51st Street, a youth choir; Soul Purpose, an adult chamber choir; and King’s Chorale, the large adult choir. Their annual Christmas Lessons and Carols service featured all three ensembles and a professional chamber orchestra.

Following her graduation from the University of Illinois, she spent 10 years in Oak Lawn, IL as a choral and instrumental director at H. L. Richards High School and with the Oak Lawn Park District, where she led a choral program of five ensembles with over 250 singers from first grade through adults.

Ms. Tallman had the honor of being selected as the Music Director for the Illinois Theatre Association’s All-State Musical in 1986, 2021, and 2022. She has worked as a choral clinician and adjudicator for collegiate, high school, and middle school concert choral and show choir festivals and competitions throughout the United States and Mexico. She has been a guest conductor for ILMEA District 2 and 7 Honor Choirs, and numerous High School District Honors Choirs.

Ms. Tallman earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and a Master of Music in Choral Music Education from Northwestern University. She is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association and has been the Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Show Choir and Community Choirs for the Illinois Choral Directors Association, giving over 20 years of service to IL-ACDA. Since 1981, she has been camp manager for Showchoir Camps of America.

Adriana Del Bosque is the vice president of the board at Cadence Music NFP. She recently graduated from Joliet Central High School, and will be attending college to double major in music education and music therapy.

Brooke Schrager holds a degree in Music Education with a certificate in Vocal Performance from Elmhurst College (now University) in Elmhurst, Illinois. At Elmhurst, she studied all styles of music, including but not limited to classical, musical theater, & jazz, under the direction of Jen Mather, Susan Moninger, Gayle Bisesi, Jeff Deutsch and Mark Streder. She is a proud member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), a Junior Board Member of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS), and a Certified Online Music Teacher through Teach Music Online.

Brooke began her teaching career in 2010 at Suburban Music in Wheaton, Illinois, where she taught private piano, voice, and voice acting lessons. In 2014, she began her position in the public school setting, teaching 7th & 8th grade Chorus & General Music at Keller Junior High School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. In January of 2015, her love of teaching in the private setting led her to start Lessons By Brooke & Company, and the rest is history! Brooke currently manages the studio, which consists of over 20 instructors and 300+ students, while continuing to teach her own piano and voice students of various ages and ability levels.

Lessons By Brooke & Company has surpassed Brooke's wildest dreams, and Cadence Music is just an extension of that! She is constantly motivated and inspired by the endless talent and passion for learning that exudes from the instructor team and all of their students.

Nuala has spent her career working in the field of education, as a classroom teacher, after-school literacy program lead, and now in curriculum development. As the daughter of a bagpipe instructor, she spent her childhood in the music world by taking voice, piano, and violin lessons. She attributes much of her love of reading and education to her time spent learning to read and interpret music, and is so excited to be joining the Cadence board! Nuala lives in Chicago with her husband and dog.

Clay Corso has played piano since the age of six, and has a diverse musical background. He is a 2019 graduate of the Elmhurst University music program, studying classical and jazz piano while performing in many ensembles. He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, and Jazz á Vienne as a member of the Elmhurst University Jazz Band. He was a winner of Elmhurst University’s Concerto Competition in 2017, and was a winner of the NAfME Honors Recital in 2016. Clay currently serves as Director of Music at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, where he has also given several recitals. He recently performed the piano score for a Chicago-based short film, "Essentials", which premiered at the Chicago Underground Film Festival. Currently, Clay maintains a teaching studio of students of all interests and ability levels. In his free time, Clay enjoys tennis, going to concerts, and spending time with his family.

Laura Stellwagon has worked in artistic administration for over ten years. In her current role as Director of Programming for Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, Illinois, she executes the Harris Theater Presents and special projects series. Significant collaborations include the 2020 presentation of Beethoven 250 featuring Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner; in the 2020/21 season, while Harris Theater’s doors were closed, programming for the brand new Harris Theater Virtual Stage; in spring 2021 the return of live performances with a special Beyond the Aria concert featuring mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and pianist Craig Terry; and in the 2021/22 season two week-long residencies–one with artists of Akram Khan Company collaborating with students and artists in Chicago, and one with artists of English National Ballet and their presentation of Akram Khan’s evening-length work Creature.

Laura’s first role with the Harris was Executive Assistant and Board Liaison. She worked with the Board of Trustees, Resident Companies, Chicago peer organizations, and Harris Theater’s leadership team. In 2019, Laura and her colleagues helped bring the exclusive North American premiere of Akram Khan’s and English National Ballet’s Giselle to the Harris where all performances sold out.

She held several positions at Lyric Opera of Chicago including Associate of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center for five years. During that time Laura worked directly with the Ryan Opera Center’s leadership team to implement the annual audition process for over four hundred singers, supported the Board of Directors, and assisted with the inaugural recital series on Chicago’s classical radio station, WFMT.

A graduate of Elmhurst University, she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2010 where she concentrated in music business, arts administration, and flute performance.

Laura plays flute and is a founding member of the West Suburban Flute Orchestra. They held their inaugural concert in November 2022 with over fifty flutists from the Chicagoland and surrounding areas. WSFO is an open, welcoming, and inclusive ensemble with a special emphasis on low flutes.

Laura believes in the power of all kinds of play, especially music, and strives to bring play into her professional and personal life. She lives in Lombard, Illinois with her husband and their dog. In addition to playing flute, Laura loves reading, rock climbing, hiking, training her dog, and gathering with family and friends.

Stanley Washington is a Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young in Chicago. In this role, Stanley provides services and assistance to companies in pursuing, securing and complying with government credit and incentive programs throughout the US and globally, including property tax abatements, sales & income tax incentives, economic development grants, employee retention credits, and sustainability programs.

Stanley received his JD from DePaul University College of Law and his BA from Elmhurst University. While at Elmhurst, Stanley was heavily involved in the music department and participated in concert choir, vocal jazz and gospel choir. His music involvement has continued at his church and the occasional request to sing for an event. Stanley takes great pride in the fact that music served as the catalyst for his entrance and growth at Elmhurst. Thus, he is passionate about paying it forward so that young people can be afforded the opportunity to learn and grow through the arts.

His current professional affiliations include serving on the Metro Board of Neighborhood Housing Services, Chicago, the Board of Directors for Berean Credit Union, and as Treasurer for the Bertha J McMorris Scholarship Fund.

Stanley lives in on the south side of Chicago with his wife, Rheanna.