Sarah Marie Dillard is a singer/songwriter, band leader and private music educator from the Central Illinois area. She is a proud advocate for fine arts and actively champions fair and equal pay for artists, cross-generational music education, free and accessible music education for all students regardless of class/background/learning ability, and the practice of sub-creation as a means to better quality of life. Her evident passion for arts education recently led her to membership on the Illinois Central College panel for Music Business development, and she is extremely positive about the work the panel is already doing to groom young, local musicians into competent and confident music business entrepreneurs. She is also an active member of Arts Partners of Central Illinois and continues to be inspired by their worthy work of planting and growing artists in the Peoria area. Appropriately dubbed “The Songbird of Central Illinois,” Sarah is proud to proactively take part in making a new name for Peoria as a city that highlights the exceptional talents of seasoned veterans and provides the opportunity and encouragement for young artists to grow!
Sarah has been honored to be featured alongside many talented artists including Maia Sharp, Linda Taylor (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Lissie, The Way Down Wanderers, Chicago Farmer, David Hoffman (Ray Charles Orchestra), Mike Nellas (Matthew Curry Band) and Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear.