Lia Nicine McCoo

To meet Lia is to meet Presence, wrapped in bright fabric – sometimes flamboyant, never dull! She is an accomplished singer/musician with a voice, sometimes rolling and deep, sometimes light and soaring… as wide as a river and powerful enough to lift a roomful of human spirit. She has the innate sense to recognize the wonder in a child’s eyes and the ability to spin a tale right on the spot.

Music has brought Lia around the world… to 40 US states, Canada, England, Denmark and Germany with the Chicago Children’s Choir; to Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan with her college concert and jazz bands; to Israel as a tour musician with synagogue tours; and to Moscow University as a tour musician with church tours. Lia has lyric diction in 17 languages and enjoys learning from each culture she meets and sharing them with others.

Attending Coe College, Lia made first chair flute in her freshman year. Majoring in vocal performance and music theory instruction, Lia minored in art and excelled at ceramics, textiles, macrame and printing. She lettered on varsity volleyball for three years (and a starter for two) and was captain of junior varsity for one.

Lia’s poetry was published in the Coe College Literary Review. Her poem entitled “All I Really Want” can be found at http://bit.ly/xmnNoj

Lia transferred to Columbia College in Chicago and finished up in Theater/Music with a minor in Modern Dance (with tap, jazz, folk, improvisation and ballet).

Lia has taught for four years in the Chicago Public Schools, as Associate Director of the Chicago Children’s Choir; two years in the Chicago Public Schools as special education for high risk “chapter one” children in dance, drama, creative writing and art; and two years as a music teacher for Gospel Outreach Christian Schools with 250 K-12 students on her weekly teaching roster. Lia has enjoyed teaching beginning Hebrew to children for ten years in Rogers Park and has served on staff in religious education at Village Church, Lincolnshire (grades 3-5) for two years, and again in Hope Church in Vernon Hills (grades 3-5) for three years.

Lia is on staff at the First Unitarian Society in Hyde Park, Chicago for the past 12 years as the Children’s Music Director.