Community Voices

The Springfield Choral Society will hold a two-day musical festival on March 21-22 called “Songs for the Unsung.” Director of the Springfield Choral Society Jacobsen Woollen and Vice President of the Sangamon County Historical Society Linda Schneider spoke to Community Voices about the festival which will incorporate lesser known stories of women in Springfield’s history. For ticket information visit: https://www.springfieldchoralsociety.org/Provided by the Springfield Choral Society, the events of the two-day festival are broken down below:Songs for the Unsung: Springfield HeroinesFriday, March 21, 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian ChurchThe small ensembles of the Springfield Choral Society join forces with actors from the Sangamon Historical Society, interweaving life-narratives of significant Springfield women with thematically-related works by female composers. Featuring music of Carole King, Meredith Monk, Hildegard von Bingen, Elaine Hagenberg, Barbara Strozzi, Dolly Parton, Moira Smiley, Chen Yi, and Dua Lipa.Songs for the Unsung: Susan Lawrence Dana and the Fight for Women's Rights (Musical Tours of the Dana-Thomas House)Saturday, March 22, 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m., Dana-Thomas House State Historic SiteThis hour-long event will begin with a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright home, focusing on the extensive Women's Rights campaigning of its builder Susan Lawrence Dana. The tour will be intermingled with musical selections performed by SCS singers from the three…

Deanna Knight is a local drag queen. She spoke to Community Voices about her journey in drag, the drag scene in Springfield, and the impact of recent political shifts on the community. She also highlighted her efforts to uplift the community through upcoming events Drag Bingo with Otis & Ethel on April 4th and Club La Cage: An Evening of Springfield’s Best Drag Artists on April 5th, featuring talented drag queens and kings.

Frank Lloyd Wright expert Tim Totten and Dana Thomas House Foundation past president Cinda Klickna, spoke to Community Voices about Frank Llyod Wright's Imperial Hotel Tokyo. Tim provides background on Wright's life during the hotel's design, he explains the unique architectural features and the hotel's resilience during the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Tim also shares about the hotel's legacy and future. Cinda shares details about the upcoming event, "The Perilous & Amazing Journey of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel – Tokyo," happening at The Inn at 835 on April 11, 2025. Tickets and more information can be found here.

The Honorable Cheri Bustos is a UIS Public Affairs Reporting program graduate, former Congresswoman and recipient of the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award. Bustos spoke to Community Voices about how her experience in the PAR program influenced her career and her time as a Congresswoman. She also discussed her achievements in Congress, the importance of bipartisanship and her current role at Mercury Public Affairs.

Capital City Improv will present "Improv Roulette" on March 22 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Directors of the show Dave Kimsey and Lacy Oakley spoke to Community Voices about what the audience can expect at the improvised show. They also shared how public workshops introduced them to the comedy troupe and how improv has helped them in other areas of their lives. For ticket information visit: https://www.hcfta.org/tickets

Steve Sykes, the 2024-2025 Our Stage / Our Voices Artist-in-Residence at UIS, is working to make participation and enjoyment of theater more accessible for the disabled community. The Our Stage/Our Voices program seeks to provide opportunities for performing artists who are members of historically underrepresented communities to address the issues of inequality in the regional performing arts with the goal of achieving diversity and inclusion. Steve spoke to Community Voices about his inclusive improv workshop, insights on theater accessibility, and his upcoming production of Almost, Maine, featuring abled and disabled performers. The show will be performed March 13-16 in the UIS Studio Theatre. Tickets and more information can be found here.

Kristin Nisbet White is the Employer Development and Informatics Liaison at the University of Illinois Springfield. She spoke to Community Voices about her career in career development, the challenges employers face in the job market, and trends for recent graduates. She also highlighted the upcoming UIS Career Connections Expo on March 21, 2025. More information about the Career Connections Expo can be found here.

In this episode of Community Voices we share Innovate Springfield's podcast, "Founders, Failure and Fun." The episode features Paul Magelli, a seasoned entrepreneur and director of Illini Angels, a network of University of Illinois alumni investors. Conducted by Innovate Springfield's Director Ben Hage, the interview delves into Magelli's journey in founding multiple companies, his early interest in entrepreneurship sparked by fireworks, and the invaluable lessons he learned about customer relations in his startups. Magelli also shares stories about his most memorable ventures, including founding Apertio, and discusses the importance of maintaining connections with people from his past companies.

Ruth Spiro is an Illinois-based children's author known for her science-focused books for young readers. Spiro spoke to Community Voices about her new books “How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up" and "Baby Loves Meteorology." She also explained how she breaks down topics like aviation and coding for young readers.For more information visit: https://ruthspiro.com/

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra presents its "Magical Music of Harry Potter" concert on March 7 at the UIS Performing Arts Center and March 8 at the ISU Center for the Performing Arts. Music Director Taichi Fukumura spoke to Community Voices about the concert which will feature music from each of the Harry Potter films. For more information visit: https://www.ilsymphony.org/

Dr. Lesa Johnson is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois Springfield. She spoke to Community Voices about her journey into sociology, her research on racism's effects on the Black community, and suggestions for how people can address inequality. Dr. Johnson also talks about an upcoming symposium and workshop on anti-Black terror in Illinois and reconciliation. More information about the event can be found here.

Jimmie Cecil and Josh Turner are members of the Springfield Chess Club, an organization which brings chess players in the area together. They spoke to Community Voices about the club, its members and how the organization helps its players build skill. To learn more about the Springfield Chess Club visit http://springfieldchessclub.com/

Jen DeJong is the owner of Sicilian Encounters. She spoke to Community Voices about her business through which she helps guests explore Sicily and her mother's hometown, Montevago, like a local. She explained the history of Sicily and its rich culture and cuisine. She also shared what it was like growing up with an Italian parent and grandparent and how she hopes to create more opportunities for cultural exchange between Illinois and Montevago residents.To learn more visit: https://www.sicilianencounters.com/

Michal Dawson Connor performs his arrangement of sprituals that he has researched from the era of American slaverly Feb. 28 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. He joins Community Voices to share his passion, reflect on his time performing in the Lincolns of Springfield here, and share how the Los Angeles wildfires affected him. Connor has published a book on his research, The Slave Letters.

Bill Baker is a talented chainsaw artist and the owner of Top Notch Chainsaw Carving. He also makes an appearance on the HBO Max series “Somebody Somewhere” as the “genius chainsaw artist.” An Illinois resident with carvings across the state, Bill Baker spoke to Community Voices about his interest in chainsaw carvings, safety practices and, of course, the hilarious behind-the-scenes story of his TV appearance.For more information about Bill Baker visit: https://www.topnotchcarving.com/

Olivia Lett is the head coach of the University of Illinois Springfield Women's Basketball Program. She discusses her journey from player to coach, her coaching philosophy, and the challenges and triumphs of leading a collegiate team. Coach Lett also gives insight into women's basketball and how it has evolved.

The central Illinois band, Crash Planet, has two EPs out — 2023's Subconscious and 2024's False Summit. They play shows in the area and are planning a regional tour.

Kevin Veara is a new member artist at Perspectives Art Gallery in Petersburg. He spoke to Community Voices about his passion for nature and his process of painting birds using vibrant colors and geometric patterns. Veara will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Perspectives Art Gallery on Feb. 15-22. The opening reception is on Feb. 15, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. with an artist talk at 2:00 p.m. For more information about Veara and his exhibit visit: https://perspectivesartgallery.com/product-category/kevin-veara/To visit Veara’s website visit: https://www.kevinveara.com/

Illinois History Day (an affiliate of National History Day) is a project-based learning program for 6th-12th grade students. The program enhances learning history through research, analysis, and discovery. Students are asked to pick a topic of their choosing related to the National History Day theme and use the research skills they learn in their classrooms to develop a project. Projects consist of papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites. This year's theme is rights and responsibilities. Illinois hosts 4 regional contests and then a state contest where students present their projects and topics. Laura Mitchelle Illinois History Day Coordinator at the Illinois State Museum spoke to Community Voices about the origins of Illinois History Day, how teachers can prep their students, and the need for volunteer judges for the state contest. The Illinois State History Day contest is May 1, 2025 in Springfield. For more information about Illinois History Day and volunteering click here.

The Chatham Area Public Library hosts an annual murder mystery fundraiser, and this March marks the 25th time there’s been a murder in the library. Library Director Amy Byers and playwright Ryan Byers spoke to Community Voices about the fundraiser and how it helps contribute to the programming provided at the library. Ryan Byers also shared how he writes a zany, original script each year.The murder mystery will take place at 7 p.m. on March 14-15 at the Chatham Area Public Library. For more information or for tickets visit: https://www.chathamlib.org/murder-mystery