music in residence ■

Bringing Music and Community Home

Music in Residence exists to deepen well-being through human connection. We bring neighbors and music artists together in homes, creating spaces that nurture community and sustain the artists who sustain us.

Everything we need is right here — we just need something to bring us together.

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Us, in 4 minutes

"The world needs more music and art together to meet the crises of our times. There may be no more direct pathway to better health and community, and no more enjoyable one as well."

— Dr. Dacher Keltner, on Music in Residence

Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, and scientific advisor for Pixar's Inside Out

"Our individual and societal sanity depend on connection; so does our physical health. The rising loneliness epidemic is not just a psychological phenomenon — it is a public health crisis."

— Dr. Gabor Maté, MD

Physician and bestselling author, The Myth of Normal

Today, many people in our community face a growing sense of alienation, anxiety, and isolation. Loneliness is a declared epidemic that directly threatens our individual and collective health.Simultaneously, local artists navigate a broken system that rewards fame over community service, forcing them to compete for attention online to survive. Artists often lack the essential community, space, and economic support needed to sustain their creative work.Our communities need their artists, and our artists need their communities.

Music in Residence is the bridge. By connecting neighbors in local homes through music, we create an upward spiral: artists earn a living wage for meaningful work, while residents find the healing and human connection that can mend our social fabric.We do this through a tradition as old as time: people in a room with music.A host opens their home — for an evening with friends and neighbors.
A local artist performs — paid a sustainable wage for meaningful work.
Community is deepened — people connect to each other and themselves.We call them soirées — and we envision a world where they're commonplace. Where artists succeed not through luck or fame, but through the mutual support of community.Building a new way to be a musician in society; reviving an old way to find connection in community.

Tending to the Roots

"Although I have been a working classical cellist for more than half my life, I did not identify as an artist. It was that room full of people who invited me to ask, 'what if I did?' That simple seed meant I would start composing, curate music for a ballet, and organize a social chamber music series with the Oak Park Park District. Music in Residence cared for me in a way no one or nothing else ever has, and I'll never be the same because of it."— Jean, classical cellist and Music in Residence artist

"I couldn't think of a more meaningful and fun way to start the year than by hosting a local artist in our home with friends and neighbors. Experiencing music together like this fed our souls."— Music in Residence host

Since 2023, from one Oak Park living room

Founders Nathan and Heather Peterson built the foundation from their Oak Park home in 2023, establishing Music in Residence as a 501(c)(3) in 2025.

30 soirées

40 artist gatherings

Hundreds of people connected

In 2026, we're growing from one home to many.

Founder's Story

Several years ago, during the height of covid and in the throes of grief after the loss of a child, I found myself in a Target parking lot.
Like many during that time, I was in a fog of uncertainty and anxiety. I felt disconnected from myself and others.As I left the store and reached my car, the sound of a violin came from across the parking lot. Like a light, it broke through the fog and reached my heart. Tears and months of emotions flowed to the surface. As I listened to the music, I started to feel reconnected.I never did see the player of that violin — but I like to imagine that whoever it was woke up that morning, said to themselves, "that's enough," and — despite feeling the same anxiety and uncertainty so many of us felt — got up, picked up their instrument, walked out into the world, and played.

Fast-forward three years to last November...I was drinking a coffee and checking my phone when I had the sudden realization that I could no longer tell if what I was seeing on the screen was real. My immediate response was to call up all the local musicians I knew and invite them to our home.Many artists came. I asked them what they needed most to keep doing their creative work. Their top three needs: community, space, and business support.The next morning, on my walk through Oak Park, I realized something: these artists' biggest needs are three of the most abundant resources in our community. And what these artists have to share has the potential to revitalize our community from the inside out.Everything we need is right here — we just need something to bring us together.That realization led me and my wife Heather to found Music in Residence.

There are 3 main components to the model we’re building:1. Artist community—we’re building a network of local music artists, and an incubator that supports their development, so they can share their work with the world with the support of their community behind them.2. Soirées—we’re building a network of local hosts who want to use their homes as a space to bring their friends and neighbors together for human connection and live music from local artists.3. Business support—we’re building a partnership between artists, hosts, and the local businesses and philanthropists who want to support our culture's health and growth.Bringing people together and helping them connect locally invites a profound local and global shift.This is how we heal our nation and our world — by starting where we are, by "tending to the roots," we allow health to flow through us to the whole body.This may sound lofty, but it’s exactly the way it worked that day in the parking lot, when an artist decided enough was enough, picked up their instrument, went out into the world, and played.— Nathan Peterson, Founder and Executive Director

Read more about the vision behind Music in Residence →

Get Involved

Our vision is to support 1% of the homes in our community to become Music in Residence homes. We're starting in Oak Park with the intention of supporting more communities in the future.Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts (2022–2025) supported 2,000 artists and generated €1.39 return for every €1 invested. Artists spent more time creating, experienced less financial stress, and reported improved wellbeing. The program is now permanent. Oak Park equivalent: ~20 artists — close to the scale we're building toward.This vision supports mental health, it supports the arts, it supports the economy, it supports community, and most importantly, it supports our humanity.And this vision includes you.Here's how to join us:

Become a Host
Open your home for a soirée. We connect you with a local artist and support you the whole way. Learn more about hosting here.If you'd like to host, submit this form to start the process!

Become a Sponsor
$3,000 funds one soirée. Your investment goes directly to artists and community. Learn more about hosting here.

Become a Donor
Donations fund the operations and programming core that makes everything else possible. Learn more about giving here. Click the donate button below to jump in!

Our Artists

Here is a list of some local artists (more to come) who would love to partner with you to create an unforgettable experience for your friends and neighbors.If you're interested in hosting one of these artists, reach out.

Jean Hatmaker, Classical Cellist

As a classically trained cellist, my primary desire as a musician is to serve as a conduit between the gorgeous art I admire and the lovely souls who trust me with their attention, one concert at a time. I believe that classical music belongs to everyone, can and should meet them on their terms, and requires no amount of initiation to embrace. I’m curious about how different pieces of music make people feel, the conversations they inspire, and the passions they can ignite. I live in Oak Park with my husband, my cat, and my dog, and enjoy a robust performance career with several regional orchestras along with my chamber music enterprises: Kontras Quartet, and Merida Trio. I also teach privately in my home and at Grace Lutheran School in River Forest. I’m an emerging composer with a few pieces under my belt, including a ballet I just premiered in Boulder in the spring of 2025. Outside of my musical pursuits, I’m a “retired” amateur ballerina, and am dabbling with reading tarot.Favorite store in Oak Park: Village and Vessel
Favorite OP restaurant: Citrine
Favorite book read in 2025: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Ask me about: the story behind Janacek’s String Quartet #2Instagram: @cellogenie84Listen to Jean's music →
Learn more about Jean on her website →

Constance Volk, Flutes and Art

Learn more about Constance on her website →

Sara Beth Thomas, Singer-Songwriter

Sara Beth Thomas is a rising jazz vocalist based in the vibrant Chicago music scene. Born and raised in Mexico and Portland, her unique cross-cultural background infuses her music with a rich blend of influences, from Latin rhythms to jazz standards. As a passionate storyteller, her love for music blossomed into a career as both a jazz vocalist and singer-songwriter. Whether through her soulful melodies or her heartfelt lyrics, Sara Beth captures the essence of emotion and experience, weaving tales that resonate with audiences across diverse genres, cultures, and ages. Find her performing in Chicago jazz clubs such as Le Piano and Clara.Listen to Sara Beth's music →
Learn more about Sara Beth on her website →

Graham Scott, Composer and Pianist

Learn more about Graham on his website →

Nathan Peterson, Singer-Songwriter

From Nathan:
I'm a singer-songwriter of 27 years. I write what is most deeply personal to me — and often most universal.I played with a band for the first 18 years of my career and became a solo artist 10 years ago during an incredibly beautiful and painful season of loss in our family. I've since written two books on staying present amid uncertainty and have given keynotes nationally—helping audiences breathe deeply and feel deeply supported.I'm working on my 7th album and a tour called "Songs for the Nervous System."Listen to Nathan's music on Spotify →
Learn more about Nathan on his website →