While most might reduce the meaning of the word “investing” to numbers on a screen, Springfield pianist and composer Cindy Dittrich has built a life that proves some of the most rewarding returns are measured in confidence and creativity.
Cindy’s passion for music began almost before she can remember. Growing up near Chicago, music was a soft yet steady anchor in her daily life. After her sister was given a piano, Cindy became fascinated with the contrasting black and ivory keys and the tinkling tones made by the large instrument that sat in her living room. She pleaded for lessons and eventually convinced a visiting teacher to take her on as her youngest student. It never mattered that there were no musicians in her family or many peers who shared her interest—she simply loved playing.
That love seemed to deepen every day, and she found ways to drink up tones, chords, and melodies from any musical well from which she could draw. She recalls time spent as a young child listening to classical radio, which introduced her to legends such as Vladimir Horowitz and Artur Rubinstein. Their recordings began to fuel dreams of becoming a concert pianist.
By high school, she had joined band, orchestra, and later jazz band, and her competitive nature sharpened her discipline. Yet during her junior year, a full-time music career felt uncertain outside of teaching.
Yielding to the perceived practical reality, Cindy invested her time toward a degree in biomedical engineering, built a career, and started a family. However, music never disappeared from her life. She taught private lessons, submitted original songs to Nashville producers, and continued to refine her craft. After a move to New Jersey stalled her engineering work, Cindy’s focus returned to music and long practice hours resumed. Eventually, family ties—and a desire to avoid frigid winters—led her to Springfield, where her music took center stage.
In Springfield, Cindy went “all in” on her music. She started by building a private piano studio, accompanying choirs, playing church piano, and performing with community jazz and professional big bands. When her daughter began violin lessons, Cindy discovered the Suzuki method for piano. Four years of intensive training followed, expanding her philosophy of teaching and deepening her belief in early music education.
Yet her own music still lingered inside her without a clear way out—until self-publishing changed the equation. Over the past several years, Cindy has invested thousands of hours studying composition with a renowned editor, learning to write pieces that are accessible and student-centered, and building a brand of inspiring music. As her portfolio grows, she is learning to appreciate and embrace the reality that excellence comes through consistent effort and that music is an investment in the parts of the soul that shape who we become and how we learn to belong.
Today, Cindy’s compositions are performed across the region and are regularly featured in recitals, festivals, and concerts. Each performance, she says, feels surreal.
Cindy believes that music is always worth investing in. Teaching molds the next generation, composition gives voice to ideas waiting to emerge, and performance connects people from all walks of life, uniting them in a shared experience. In Springfield’s vibrant music community, the dividends of Cindy’s sacrifice are evident well beyond the studio—they are enriching lives and reminding many that some of the best investments are ones that continue to resonate long after the last note fades.
Find Cindy’s music at https://CindyDittrichMusic.com
...music is an investment into the parts of the soul that shape who we become and how we learn to belong.