Sandy Van Laningham is a multi-instrumentalist, artist, music director, and songwriter. Since she was 10 years old Sandy has tackled learning various instruments including voice, piano, ukulele, percussion, clarinet, keytar, guitar, drums and well…pretty much any noise making object!

She is a singer-songwriter who received a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Columbia College Chicago, honing in her abilities as a vocalist, pianist, and composer; later attending Second City Chicago to dive into the world of improv, musical direction for comedy, and voiceover acting. She’s studied various styles of music throughout her career including classical, musical theater, jazz, pop, and rock. Sandy is a musical theater kid through and through who loves the arts and getting to create it!

In her more recent years she’s helped co-found a music school in Glenview and is a new teaching artist for Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Theatre’s Arts XChange program, where she works to integrate the arts into CPS curriculum. Currently she’s gigging around the city with her band The Devilish Winks and working to finish her first solo record.

Over her years as a teacher, Sandy has worked tirelessly to develop her own teaching methods according to her students’ needs. Getting to work with all age groups has given her a wide perspective into how each mind learns and interprets music. Truly a wondrous thing to behold! Building the confidence of her students’ abilities is her primary goal as an educator.