Marsha Melsheimer is a registered Certification I Music Together^®® teacher and has been the licensed director of Marsha’s Music Together since January 2001. Her music education started as a young child with parents who loved to sing anywhere! She studied piano, guitar, and voice.

Marsha is the mother of two college-age daughters, and was a preschool teacher for eight years at The Nursery School at K.A.M. in Hyde Park. Now, with Music Together, she combines her passion for music with her love of young children! To contact her directly, email marsha@marshasmusic.com.

Irene Claude is a registered Certification Level I Music Together® teacher and started as a mom in the Music Together program when her first daughter was 6 months old. She has been teaching for Marsha's Music Together since 2001. Irene is a member of the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra and also leads the St. Nicholas Children's Choir at St. Paul and the Redeemer. She has a M.M. from DePaul University, a B.M.A. from the University of Michigan, and has completed Suzuki pedagogy studies and Orff-Schulwerk Level One Certification.

Irene resides in Hyde Park with her husband Joseph and their daughters, Ida and Lulu.

To contact her directly, email irene@marshasmusic.com.

Julia Allen is a registered Music Together® teacher. She started
attending Music Together classes with her son, Simon, when he was an infant and continues with her two-year-old, Peter. They all are thoroughly enjoying the program and the music.

Julia is a certified elementary school teacher. Before having her own children, she taught at the Ray School. While growing up in Evanston, she studied flute, voice, and theater. More recently, she sang with the University Choir.

Julia is also a Suzuki parent of two cellists.

To contact her directly, email julia@marshasmusic.com.

Kori Lusignan loves kids and loves music, so she is very happy to be teaching Music Together! A classically-trained vocalist, oboist, and piano player, Kori attended the University of Wisconsin on a full music scholarship, but majored in political science and French. Despite this slight professional detour, once she took her daughter, Ellerie, to Music Together class and saw how incredible the program is, she knew it was time to return to her musical roots. Kori became a registered Music Together instructor in the fall of 2006, and looks forward to lots of music-making in the years to come!

When she isn't busy making music, Kori spends her time hanging out in Hyde Park with her daughter and her husband, Mike. She is currently pursuing her masters degree in Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern University. To contact her directly, email kori@marshasmusic.com.

In addition to taking care of her one year old daughter Nourit, Elizabeth (Liz) LaCroix currently teaches private piano lessons, teaches Music Together classes, and manages a Training Grant for the Developmental Psychology program at the University of Chicago. She is also a member of the Music Teachers of Hyde Park.

Liz received her Masters of Music in Collaborative Piano Performance from Boston University in 2003, and her Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance from Wayne State University in 1999. She has studied French in Quebec and Paris, and German in Vienna, Austria.

Liz enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband, reading, taking walks along Lake Michigan, and practicing yoga (during those rare hours when the baby is asleep!).

To contact her directly, email liz@marshasmusic.com.

Melissa Guilfoyle played violin and piano growing up in Rockford, Illinois. She received her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1998 and her Master of Music Education from Northern Illinois at Dekalb in 2002.

Melissa taught Suzuki violin for 8 years and Suzuki piano for 2 years at Rockford College Music Academy. She is also a certified public school teacher and taught general music for 1 year and orchestra for 8 years. She has Orff Certification Level 1 and is a registered Music Together® teacher.

Melissa lives in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago with her husband and their two young daughters and they enjoy making music together, too!

To contact her directly, email melissa@marshasmusic.com.

Athaliah Renee Watkins is a Chicago native with a great love for music and children! A student currently studying Education Policy and Classical Greek at the University of Chicago, she has also worked full time in Children’s and Teen Ministry at the Apostolic Church of God (Chicago, IL). Athaliah’s introduction to music began very early in a household with 7 other children. Being the child of preachers and avid music listeners—a musician was born!

Athaliah’s singing voice was first noticed in kindergarten when performing for a Christmas pageant at school; she received voice lessons and would by the age of 10 pick up the flute to go on to perform in her high school’s marching band, flute and woodwind choirs as well as the symphonic band. She is currently working to add guitar to her repertoire! Athalish’a love for music runs deep and she is excited to be on board as a registered Music Together® teacher.

To contact her directly, email athaliah@marshasmusic.com.

Jonas Friddle is a North Carolina native with a history in the Appalachian music tradition. He plays the guitar, mandolin and banjo. After graduating from Berea College he spent a year abroad as a Watson Fellow studying community building through traditional music in Ireland, Scotland, Australia and Canada. He currently lives in Uptown Chicago and works part-time with The Old Town School of Folk Music.

Jonas is a registered Music Together® teacher and enjoys the community music making with the families!

To contact him directly, email jonas@marshasmusic.com.