Meet the Music Makers of Western Springs Faculty
Jeremy & Gwen Michor (Owners and Studio Directors)
Music Makers is a family-owned business run by Jeremy & Gwen Michor of Western Springs. The school was started in 1978 by Jeremy’s mother, Penny Wright, with Penny teaching in her home until the move to Grand Avenue in 1986.
Jeremy took over the business in 1995 with his wife Gwen joining him in 1998. Jeremy and Gwen believe that the school’s professional staff, friendly atmosphere, and wide variety of programs are what draw students of all ages and talents to Music Makers. They are the proud parents of four beautiful children, all of whom are involved with Music Makers lessons/theatre classes. In his spare time, Jeremy also co-directs the Spirit Choir at St. Francis Xavier in La Grange and enjoys singing and playing guitar in the locally popular band, Hidden Village.
Hope Arthur (Piano, Voice & Accordion)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays & Thursdays
Hope Arthur is a classical and ragtime musician who holds a B.M. in piano performance as well as a B.A. in German studies. She graduated with the Outstanding Senior award for Music and an Outside Field. A composer, performer, and instructor with a special interest in ethnomusicology, Hope has more than ten years of teaching experience with students of all ages and musical interests. In 2012 Hope was the winner of the IPFW Concerto Aria Competition and was a soloist with the university orchestra. Also in 2012 Hope traveled to Saarburg, Germany, to perform at the Saarburg Seranaden, a festival featuring chamber music. In 2014 she was a featured artist at Schloss Stubenberg (Castle Stubenberg) in Stubenberg, Austria. She is the founder of the Hope Arthur Orchestra, a musical ensemble that focuses on performing original bodies of work and collaborating with arts organizations such as Fort Wayne Ballet, Mikautadze Dance Theatre, Fort Wayne Cinema Center, Pyroscope Entertainment and many more. Her ensemble won an Artie Award in 2013 for Outstanding Collaboration with Fort Wayne Ballet, Too. Since graduating, Hope has been focusing on expanding her audience through touring nationally and she also continues to collaborate with filmmakers, musicians, artists and dancers locally and across the world. Hope is very excited to join the team at Music Makers and to explore music and art making in Illinois.
Michelle Akin (Piano, Cello & Bass Guitar )
Teaches private lessons on Thursdays & Saturdays
Michelle Akin began her music studies on the piano as an eight year old, taking lessons for 10 years. She began her cello studies a few years later at 10 and just like in ‘School of Rock’ was tapped from the school orchestra to join the jazz band on bass guitar at 14. During her high school and college years she was named to the all state honors orchestra for two years, playing principal cello her junior year and then as a senior she was named to the all state honors jazz ensemble. She was featured in an article in Downbeat magazine while in high school, and wasalso invited to perform in Helsinki, Finland with the National Honors Orchestra.
Michelle attended DePaul University where she performed in the orchestra and jazz ensembles and other small ensembles. While at DePaul she studied cello with Bill Cernota and Larry Gray and bass with Larry Gray. Post college she has performed and taught all around Chicago and across the country in many different musical ensembles playing many styles of music. Michelle has been teaching for over 30 years and believes that any time spent sharing music with others is time well spent!
Jan Benson (Piano)
Teaches private lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays
“If one can learn something as complex as a spoken language, one can learn the language of music regardless of innate musical ability, especially if it is taught in a similar fashion. The fine arts are an expression of the soul. Our art both shapes and is influenced by our culture. The importance of engaging with the arts in some form for emotional and physical health as well as life enrichment cannot be overemphasized.”
Mrs. Benson has always known she wanted to be a musician and a music teacher. She loved playing school, performing on the piano for family, and organizing neighborhood talent shows as a child, and her first experience teaching music was actually during her high school years when she offered piano lessons to neighborhood children. She brings to Music Makers over 20 years of experience teaching general and choral music to DuPage County K-8 children in the public school system, and she currently teaches in Naperville School Dist. 203.
Mrs. Benson earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree at the Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction degree from Concordia University in River Forest, IL. While also a bassoonist, having played for 10 years with the Fox Valley Symphony, Mrs. Benson draws heavily on her 12 years of piano training on a daily basis for all of her music instruction. She is delighted to be part of the Music Makers team and guide others on their musical journeys!
Katie Cousins (Violin, Viola)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays
"Everyone, no matter how young or young-at-heart, has a unique viewpoint to reveal, and music is an ideal universal language in which to do just that. Learning a new art should be both enjoyable and challenging; through music, students of all ages not only learn how to work with an instrument, but also how to diagnose and approach difficult problems, exercise critical thinking, and learn to work with others to reach a common goal. In lessons, I aim to create an environment in which students feel comfortable exploring both technical processes and an awareness of sound - music reading, ear training, listening, and an appreciation of musical history are all important facets of my teaching."
Violinist Katie Cousins is a versatile performer and teacher with a passion for an enormous range of musical styles, and she has been featured on stages across the US and Europe. Currently based in Chicago, Katie regularly performs with several ensembles throughout the Midwest, including the Illinois, Kalamazoo, Peoria, and Northbrook Symphonies. A lifelong lover of the stage, she has also appeared with many musical theater and opera orchestras from Chicago to New York.
With a special passion for chamber music, Katie has enjoyed sharing both masterpieces and hidden gems of the repertoire with international audiences. She is a founding member of SomArté, an actively touring piano trio based in Chicago, as well as a member of the Living Room players, a chamber music collective based in Oak Park. She has worked with members of the Emerson, Pacifica, and St. Lawrence string quartets, and in the fall of 2011 co-founded Isosceles, a violin-saxophone-piano trio with which she toured across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US.
Katie holds a M.M. and GPD in Violin Performance from the Hartt School in Hartford, CT. Before completing her graduate studies at Hartt, Katie received a B.S. in Music Education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She is a strong advocate for the development and strengthening of music programs in schools across the US, and has been teaching in private, small group, and classroom settings for over 15 years.
Joshua Paul Daniels (he/him/his) is a composer based in Chicago, IL. While studying for his Bachelor of Arts in Music at Spring Arbor University he won their Composition, Vocal Performance, and Vocal Leadership awards. Additionally, he won Spring Arbor University's 2018 Christmas Carol Composition Competition. He then moved on to earn his Master of Music in Composition from Central Michigan University. While there he won a second place honorable mention in their 2020 Large Ensemble Composition Competition. Since his graduation from Central Michigan University in 2021 he has set down roots in Chicago. In 2025 he was commissioned to write The Caged Skylark for CMAC: the University of Chicago Glee Club. He also had a performance by Drew Hosler with Vox Novus' 15 Minutes of Fame, and collaborated with Hope Arthur to write and record a piece for prepared piano.
As a teacher, Joshua takes a holistic approach to teaching — taking lessons beyond just technique and how to make music happen. He also encourages songwriting for those interested, and teaches a little about music history when a famous composer or piece comes up in the curriculum. Additionally, he incorporates ear training and theory skills into lessons to deepen the students' intrinsic knowledge of music. He is focused on nurturing a deeper appreciation for the craft, in addition to the "how to" of music making.
Juliet Dawson (Violin, Viola)
Teaches private lessons on Tuesdays & Fridays
Juliet Dawson is a violist/violinist who has been passionate about string music ever since she was tricked into playing the viola at age 11. Since then, she has received her BM in viola performance from the University of Michigan and her MM from the Hartt School of Music.
As a chamber musician, she has performed as part of Hartt’s prestigious chamber program Performance 2020, along with colleagues and professors from both U of M and Hartt. She performs with the Living Room Players, a diverse collection of professional musicians in the Chicago area, and is also a member of the Elements Ensemble, a group of musicians that most recently performed in Iceland. Currently, she is head of the Chamber Music Program at Music Makers of Western Springs, and coaches and performs with all the student ensembles.
As a soloist, Juliet debuted with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in 2007. Since then she has appeared in scholarship showcases as well as faculty concerts. She performed with the Hartt Symphony Orchestra as a winner of the 2012 Paranov Concerto Competition, performing the first viola concerto in over a decade of the competition’s history. In 2017, she performed as a duo artist for the Church of Beethoven, and in 2018, as a solo artist for the David Adler Center Performing Artist’s Concert Series.
She has acted as principal and section viola of her scholastic orchestras, as well as regional, baroque, and opera orchestras in Connecticut, Iceland, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and New York. She is currently playing in orchestras in only three of those states.
She has been teaching private lessons since she was 16 years old, and works actively at the David Adler Center and also Music Makers of Western Springs.
As of 2019, she has joined the faculty of the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL, as the professor of violin and viola.
Michel Domingue (Piano, Violin, Guitar)
Teaches private lessons on Wednesdays
Michel Domingue began violin lessons at seven years old in Austin, Texas, where he was born. He continued both violin and piano lessons in Montreal, Quebec, where he moved as a teenager and continued his music studies at McGill University. One of his violin teachers was Mauricio Fuks, who is presently teaching at Jacobs School of Music at the UI Bloomington, Indiana.
Michele played violin in several continued his music studies at McGill University. He played violin in several Canadian orchestras and piano for parties and dinner entertainment. Michel moved back to the US in 2000 and began teaching violin and piano in conservatories and schools in Chicagoland. He also became music director of several Chicagoland churches, playing organ, piano and directing choirs. He is presently the assistant music director of St. Thomas More church in Munster, Indiana where he accompanies the choirs and directs the Youth Chorale.
Since he was born in Texas, Michel enjoys strumming the guitar and plays not only country music, but also some folk, blues, rock and jazz music. Since people have said that his voice resembles very closely that of Sinatra’s, he is hired to sing for events and gigs. Since his mother was from France, he enjoys singing famous French songs. Michel lives now in Darien, Illinois.
Mary Gibson (Piano)
Teaches private lessons on Wednesdays and Fridays
Mary holds a Bachelor of Music Degree and Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Chicago Conservatory College with a voice minor.
Her musical journey includes private piano instruction, choral educator/conductor of 32 years: those being spent at Montini Catholic High School, Lombard (12 years) and Lake Park High School, Roselle (20 years). In her role as choral educator Mary has served as vocal director for numerous musicals. Her choral students have participated at the All-State level at the Illinois Musical Educators Associations (IMEA) Choral Festivals.
Mary has also enjoyed being the vocalist for the Glen Ellyn Jazz Ensemble. She has worked with college level students as an accompanist for the Elmhurst College Choir Program under the direction of Susan Moninger.
Mary enjoys the collaborative efforts of parent, student and teacher in creating and developing the immense joy of music.
Fritz Gross (Violin)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays
Fritz knew from 2 years of age that he wanted to play the flute, but he ended up falling in love with the violin. He began at age 3, using the Suzuki method and even played at the Chicago Symphony Center at the Memorial Service for Dr. Shinichi Suzuki at the age of 11. He lived for a time in the Caribbean, playing in local churches and schools and teaching the Suzuki method on the island of St. Eustatius. While in St. Eustatius, he was sanctioned by the government of Holland to work with an island composer for a performance to be attended by the Governor. He came back to the States in 2003 and promptly went on a European tour, playing in Budapest, Prague, Vienna and the Czech Republic.
Fritz was partially homeschooled while in the Caribbean, and went on to receive scholarships to both Indiana University and Valparaiso University (Indiana). He attended Valparaiso, majoring in Music Performance (Violin). He excelled at Valparaiso both in groups and competitions. He currently works with the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest and has stood in as Concert Master under Maurice Boyer. He is comfortable with all genres including Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Rap, Reggae, Country, Blues, Jazz and Musical Theatre.
Jonathon Hand (Piano)
Teaches private lessons on Tuesdays
“The truth is that learning to play the piano does require determination, discipline, and patience. To bring great music to life, one must enjoy the opportunity, in essence, to learn a new language, to develop efficient ways of practicing. It takes a good teacher to guide students through the process. It takes a great teacher to inspire them, and to make it fun.”
“Mr. Jonathan” grew up in Pennsylvania, studied piano and music theory at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia, and graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown with a B.A. in Music and a minor in Natural Science. While at Muhlenberg he taught piano, provided piano accompaniment for Kurt Weill’s opera Down in the Valley, conducted Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, managed the College Choir and inaugurated its first foreign tour. Following a full-time position with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, he made his first career in philanthropic fund-raising. In 2019 he returned to teaching and has enjoyed every minute since!
With each student, he strives to inspire careful listening and the attention to rhythm that will enable them to play harmoniously with other musicians and groups. Indeed, the majority of his students, some as young as five, are engaging in duets, playing songs from memory, and participating in recitals. Some of his students take up a second instrument, and when they do, he is excited to attend their school orchestra and band concerts.
Beyond his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Jonathan regularly performs at senior residences throughout metropolitan Chicago, takes pleasure in accompanying theCelebration Singersat the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale, and continues his own studies of chamber music at summer music camps.
Rob Hynes (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Banjo, Mandolin, Rock Band Instructor)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays
"My teaching philosophy centers around making lessons and practice fun through the exploration of a wide variety of techniques and styles. It is my belief that this is the key to growth. I strive to instill a firm understanding of music fundamentals and instruct while using the student's favorite songs as examples. Skills developed during lessons are sight reading, improvisation, ear training and more."
Robert Hynes has been an instructor at Music Makers of Western Springs for over ten years and enjoys the chance to share his love of music through private & semi-private lessons, guitar ensembles, and Rock Band. Instruction is available for all styles of guitar including classical, jazz, rock, blues, slide/bottleneck, country/bluegrass, and pop. Other instruments offered are bass guitar, ukulele, banjo, and mandolin. Skills taught in lessons include sightreading, ear training, chord comping, song and solo transcription, technique development and songwriting. Robert is also responsible for guitar repair at the studio.
Having written music & performed with a wide variety of groups throughout the Chicagoland area for almost 20 years, Robert has built an impressive live-performance resume including stops at the Taste of Chicago, Park West, and House of Blues. The Robert Hynes Band - a group featuring his original compositions - has shared the stage with acclaimed national acts such as Buckwheat Zydeco, the Mighty Blue Kings, Rusted Root Trio, Leo Nocontelli (guitarist of the Meters), and CJ Chenier. He has performed in wedding bands, jazz ensembles, blues bands, cover bands, and done studio work for other acts as well.
Robert first learned guitar and piano at a very young age from his father, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist. Piano, guitar, voice, and viola lessons were continued at school and at the house of a next-door neighbor who was an instructor. Robert has attended Downers Grove South High School, Davea Career Center (Media Technology), and College of DuPage, and has received countless hours of private guitar instruction from the area's finest guitarists.
Raleigh Kathman (Guitar, Bass, Piano, Ukulele)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays
A guitarist and musician originally from Chicago, Raleigh earned his Bachelor of the Arts degree in Guitar Performance from Columbia College Chicago. While attending Columbia, he also studied guitar privately with David Bloom at the Bloom School of Jazz. In 2017, Raleigh was invited to attend a six month apprenticeship in Berlin, Germany to study composition as well as advanced practice techniques with composer and touch guitarist, Markus Reuter.
He has been teaching private guitar lessons and directing performance based ensembles for close to a decade both in the Chicagoland area and more recently in Northeast Ohio. His students have performed full concert sets at venues such as Buddy Guy’s Legends, House of Blues Chicago, the Fender Center in California, Brother’s Lounge, Beachland Ballroom, and many others.
Raleigh has performed with and contributed writing to a diverse array of original songwriters and artists in Chicago and Cleveland. He has performed with the Columbia College Blues ensemble at the 2013 Chicago Blues Fest, at Navy Pier with the jazz-funk outfit Friends of the Program, as well as with modern rock ensembles Pavlov3 & the Gabriel Construct who performed alongside John Zorn at the Progtoberfest music festival hosted by Reggie’s Rock Club. Raleigh is currently composing music for the touch guitar as well as continuing to work on developing a new curriculum for the instrument.
Abby's passion for music started at five years old when she began piano lessons. By age 8, she was performing for small groups at local retirement homes. At age 10, she began to train in classical singing, and started playing guitar and ukulele two years later.
In her younger years, Abby competed in local singing and piano competitions, winning multiple awards. During her teens, she played gigs with multiple bands, and even some solo opportunities and spent time as an accompanist. She is well versed in many styles of music, including classical, jazz, blues, folk, rock, and pop; and has experience writing/composing music as well.
She is passionate about making lessons fun, focusing on teaching the music theory needed through means that inspire and excite the student!
José Ormaza (Drums)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays
Born in Quito-Ecuador, José began his musical studies at the School of the Ecuadorian National Symphony Orchestra. He moved to Chicago in 1998 where he received his undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies at Columbia College. He completed his Masters degree in Percussion Performance at Northeastern Illinois University. He has played with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and with the Ecuadorian National Symphony Orchestra as a soloist. He has toured and recorded with the Grammy nominee Cuban artist Chuchito Valdez. Currently, he is active performing around the Chicago area playing in a variety of bands covering different styles such as Jazz, Rock, Latin Jazz and Funk.
Sydney Waleski earned her bachelor’s degree in music, with a focus in vocal studies, from Illinois State University in 2019. There, she directed and led a campus a cappella group (On The Brink of Normal) for 3 years, which helped build her passion for ensemble-directing and teaching music. She also led the group to their first ever International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competition.
Besides her love of a cappella, Sydney has played the piano, violin, and viola for most of her life and is excited to share these life long skills with her students! She believes teaching is all about teamwork between the teacher and student to reach a shared goal.
When she isn’t doing music, Sydney is a member of the sales team at the Trek Bicycle Store in Downers Grove.
Emily Weber is a professional actor, pianist, and singer originally from Western Massachusetts. A recent graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Emily holds a BFA in Musical Theatre with a Dance Concentration. Growing up with a background in classical piano, Emily has accompanied for theatre productions, churches, and performances around Western Massachusetts and Chicago. Emily believes that learning is a unique experience for everyone that encourages patience, fun, and a love for music.
Emily is a soprano with a classical foundation and a musical theatre background. She is versatile in styles such as musical theatre, pop, rock, jazz, and more. In addition to teaching music, Emily has worked as a theatre instructor and choreographer for organizations and theatres around Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Chicago. As an actor, Emily has worked with companies including the Paramount Theatre, the Majestic Theatre, and the Barn Theatre in roles like Cinderella in R+H's Cinderella, Alice in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Lucy in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown!
Marissa Zagoudis (Piano, Voice, Music Technology Advisor, Wee Sing Instructor)
Teaches private lessons on Mondays - Thursdays
"My students and I become music detectives in class. We search for clues, such as symbols, title, and tempo, to play the "mystery" piece technically and musically to the best of one's ability. We look and listen for matching measures to "solve" the song more efficiently."
Marissa was born and raised in Western Springs, IL. She attended St. Francis Xavier Grade School, Lyons Township High School, and North Central College. Marissa was involved in music activities throughout her school career and was blessed to have studied under talented mentors. She believes music has a unique ability to enrich people’s lives. Marissa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and received her Type 10 Teaching Certificate from the Illinois State Board of Education in Spring 2010. As an educator, Marissa hopes to inspire others to develop an appreciation for music and to strive to reach their musical potential. She currently teaches beginner piano and voice lessons at Music Makers of Western Springs.