Louise Kelly

Louise Kelly is an accomplished singer, pianist, songwriter, performer, educator and podcast producer. Her musical story has been heavily influenced by Stevie Wonder, and has unfolded through many genres including jazz, rock, pop, classical, and arriving presently in her own singer-songwriter style. Performing professionally since age 16, Louise is a seasoned band leader and has performed with groups at prominent Chicago venues such as the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, and Soldier Field.

 

Currently as a songwriter and performing artist, Louise performs standards and pop tunes in a jazz-lounge-style duo, acts as leader for a band performing original songs and popular covers, and is one of the key organizers of Songwriters in the Round, a quarterly songwriter-showcase in Downers Grove.  

 

Louise is deeply passionate about connecting with and learning from nature. She was awarded an Illinois Arts Council Agency grant to write an interactive musical assembly teaching children about the prairie in collaboration with environmental educators Jean Kent, Jackie Flanagan, and a local sustainability nonprofit, SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education.) She continues to bring the “Deep Roots” program to local schools and community groups.

 

As a certified teacher with an MA in music education, Louise founded and is the current director of LMK Studios, a piano studio with a roster of 3 teachers and 75 students. The student-centered studio focuses on piano as an outlet for creativity and self-expression, with composition and songwriting woven into the curriculum.