Holy Family student will represent her school at prestigious music conference

Bella Branshaw is only 12 but she’s already made music and musical theater her life.

Her goal is to play Glinda in “Wicked” on a Broadway stage and she is the only student from Holy Family Catholic School in Shorewood participating in any of the divisions of the Illinois Music Education Association’s conference, which will be held Jan. 26 to Jan. 29 in Peoria.

According to its website at ilmea.org, the Illinois Music Education Association “exists to advocate for universal access to comprehensive music education; deliver exemplary professional development for educators; and provide outstanding musical experiences for all Illinois learners facilitated by licensed music educators.”

Bella, a sixth-grader at Holy Family, will sing in the IMLEA elementary state choir as an alto on Jan 29.

“This is a huge accomplishment for her and a huge honor for the school to have her representing them,” Tamara Malebranche, Holy Family music teacher said.

Malebranche who came to Holy Family as its music teacher this past fall, said Bella’s mother Denise Branshaw had called her early in the school year to see if Malebranche had any musical opportunities for Bella to “show her Holy Family Pride.”

Malebranche said she immediately thought of the IMLEA conference, since it’s “the” conference students in fifth through 12th grade and music educators aim to participate.

“I go all the time as an educator,” Malebranche said. “But it’s my first time taking a student…for us music geeks, it’s a big thing.”

Malebranche said she and Bella rehearsed after school a few days each week. For the audition, Bella had to learn several songs in different languages, including Latin, Chinese and Swahili, Malebranche said.

Although Malebranche said Bella has natural talent, Malebranche also said she’s even more impressed with Bella’s determination, drive and perseverance.

“I know her ultimate goal is to win a Tony award one day,” Malebranche said.

Heather King, studio director for piano and voice at Simply Music Studios in Joliet, said she started working with Bella in May of 2020 and said she “immediately saw her passion for musical theater.”

“She is one of the hardest-working kids I know, and she practices tirelessly for performances and auditions,” King said in a Facebook message. “She participates regularly in the 815, a concert event for kids that I coordinate each month at The Forge in Joliet, and regularly auditions for musical theater both locally and nationally. I can’t wait to see what her future holds.”

Bella also takes lessons in acting, voice, vocal, dance, piano and guitar during the week, as well as the occasional ukulele lesson, Bella said.

“Doing all this stuff helps out with the training for my voice and my acting,” Bella said. “And it’s always good to know an instrument or two.”

Denise said Bella has performed locally with the Limestone Stage Community Theatre in Lockport and has participated in a summer camp with the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Bella will also attend a workshop at the Broadway Artists Alliance in New York in the near future, Denise said.

None of these activities appears to interfere with Bella’s schoolwork and Denise is searching for the right performing arts school for Bella’s high school years.

“She’s a straight-A student,” Denise said. “School has always come easily for her.”

For information, visit ilmea.org/allstate-chorus-information.