Katie Henderson has dedicated her life’s work, for over 30 years, to helping children, families, and adult educators understand the intrinsic motivation and power in music to profoundly effect lives. Katie believes that an investment in children is an investment in the future of our world. To that end, Katie founded Music Connections in the fall of 1994, in the basement of her home, to serve the Central Illinois area. Twenty-six+ years and thousands of children later, Music Connections hosts a faculty of 6-9 educators and staff, and is ranked with “Conductor’s Circle Maestro Status” in the top 1% of programs of its kind worldwide. (In May of 2020, Music Connections was ranked #6 in the United States and #10 among thousands of educators in 73 countries worldwide.) Becoming a Not-For-Profit Corporation in 2008, Music Connections Foundation expanded its mission to serve hundreds of at-risk and special needs children and families and senior citizens each year, free of charge. Katie obtained her degree in Piano Performance and Music Therapy from Illinois State University and has worked extensively as a Musical Director and Professional Accompanist for organizations such as Holiday Spectacular, Inc. and Prairie Fire Theatre. She is mother to Mike, Ben and Grace, grandmother to seven, and wife to Scott, her life’s partner of 30 years!