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Flossmoor Community Church, at 2218 Hutchison Road in Flossmoor, is presenting Vonda Hardesty at her free concert entitled ''Thirty Years of Playing Music'' on Sunday, October 4, at 2 p.m.
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Lifelong resident of Beecher, Vonda Hardesty, is preparing for a free concert to be held at Flossmoor Community Church at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 4. The performance will be a celebration of her playing music professionally, mainly in churches, for over 30 years. The concert is Hardesty's way of saying ''thanks for the gift'' and also her way of sharing this gift with the community. All are invited to hear her magnificent organ and piano playing, along with melodies from a host of others who have performed major roles during her career. The concert will include several of her musical friends from her years of playing piano and organ. Cara Scott was a choir director at Marian Catholic High School with whom Hardesty worked at Marian and with whom she continues to work at Flossmoor Community Church. Scott will be singing as well as playing four-handed piano duets and piano and organ duets with Hardesty. Doug Ulreich, choir director at Faith United Protestant Church of Park Forest and a mentor to Hardesty, will be singing at the concert. Hardesty also invited the Grande Prairie Singers, an auditioned mixed choir for singers in Chicago Southland, for whom she accompanied. The Flossmoor Church Choir, Faith United Protestant Church Choir, and Marian Student Choir also are invited to sing. Hardesty is the organist and choir accompanist for Flossmoor Community Church, which will host the concert in its refurbished sanctuary. Although Hardesty has been on staff at FCC for more than four years, her start in music reaches deep into her history. Her mother died when she was five but longed for one of her five children to play music.
To encourage this legacy, she left Hardesty a Lowrey Organ. When Dad remarried, Hardesty's step-mother brought not only her four children but also a Baby Grand piano to the home. After being taught how to play the organ and also taking piano lessons, she Ð encouraged by Dad Ð played for the choir at their home church, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church on Eagle Lake Road in Beecher. By the age of 13, she was playing for weddings. Vonda married shortly after graduation from Beecher High School, and she continued to work at St. John's Church. Her neighbor regularly listened to her practicing through her screen door, and suggested that she audition at her church. The competition against nine others was steep, but the result was Hardesty's first career move which lasted 13 years at Faith United Protestant Church in Park Forest. About five years ago, she was hired at the Flossmoor Community Church. Her musical career also includes serving as choir accompanist for Marian Catholic High School. Marian's theatre department contacted her to play for the school's musical, ''Into the Woods'' by Steve Sondheim because of her ability to play difficult music. Now, 8 1/2 years later, she continues to work five days a week at the school, along with doing four concerts and a musical each year. She also accompanies many band students at their solo and ensemble contests. Vonda has been married to Tom for 24 years. She and Tom love riding their Harley Davidson motorcycle, causing her to become known as the ''biker organist'' at Flossmoor Community Church. The Hardestys have two daughters Ð Emily, a senior at Beecher High, and Erika, who is majoring in special education at Northern Illinois University. Hardesty is grateful for her gift of music, which allows her to have a job which she loves. Vonda offers special thanks to her previous directors, who made 30 years of music possible: Nancy Mirocha, Cara Scott, and Michelle Howisen at Marian High School; Doug Ulreich at Faith United; Dr. Lisa Kristina of the Grande Prairie Singers; Bradley Williams, Deborah Williams, and Mike Rugen at Flossmoor Community Church; and Al Jackson, of the South Suburban Chorale. Join Vonda and Flossmoor Community Church as they celebrate 30 years of playing music. For more information email Vonda Hardesty at pianomusic9966@aol.com. Dawn Wolf is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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