She has sung under the neon lights in Nashville and performed opera with the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago, but it was the sound of her heart that drew vocalist, musician and teacher Cassandra Vohs-Demann back to her roots and to support its growing arts scene in her hometown of Woodstock.

She created A Place to Shine Music, where she provided instruction in voice, acting and produced music events. She was a founder and co-artistic director of the Woodstock Community Choir, bringing people together in harmony. And today, she operates her business, Cassandra VohsDemann LLC, Your Confident Voice, where she speaks and coaches professionals in speaking and communication. She especially enjoys working with nonprofits and their leadership, which she noted is often led by women.

“It’s important you own your own voice,” Vohs-Demann said. “It’s always been my passion to help people find their voice and share it.”

And Vohs-Demann is still singing and performing in and around McHenry County as well.

“There’s a rich culture in Woodstock, and I think it’s only growing,” Vohs-Demann said. “It’s a great community to be a part of.”

She is among the current group of 10 recipients of the Women of Distinction Awards. Bestowed by Shaw Local-Northwest Herald, the honor recognizes women in McHenry County, nominated by their peers, friends and loved ones, who provide leadership in their fields of expertise, serve as role models and mentors, advocate positive social change or give back to their community through time, talent and resources. A new class of honorees will be celebrated in June.

“Cassandra’s dedication to empowering others is at the core of everything she does, wrote Kelli Wegener, one of several individuals to nominate Vohs-Demann as a Woman of Distinction. “She continues to invest her time and talents to provide opportunities for people to grow, learn and do what they love. Music is her tool for uplifting others, building community and boosting confidence – especially among women.”

Vohs-Demann grew up on a farm in Woodstock and said that from as far back as she can remember, she was obsessed with music. She learned to play the clarinet in middle school and taught herself to play piano. She said in high school, she found her people and choir. She tried to study psychology in college, but it wasn’t long before she changed direction to a major in music and pursued classical opera singing.

While studying and performing opera, she found herself drawn to writing music and performing with bands, which ultimately led to her shift from classical to pursuing her own music. She went to Nashville and met with a producer as she contemplated moving her life to the Music City.

“It was my choice to bring my life back here, and when I did, I wanted to make a difference,” Vohs-Demann said.

As she reflects on what it meant to grow up on a farm, she said it taught her that good things take time; things can’t always happen quickly.

“You’ve got to work hard and over time, you can build great foundations for the things you love,” Vohs-Demann said.

Whether it’s leading a speaking engagement or performing a song, these items take practice time, and Vohs-Demann enjoys the opportunity to help others hone their skills.

“I started building things I thought would help the community from an arts perspective,” Vohs-Demann said.

In 2014, she and Jessica Neihengen began to explore the idea of a community choir in Woodstock. It was no surprise when the community showed a strong enthusiasm for the idea, and the choir launched its first season in 2015.

“It was a true community choir,” Vohs-Demann said, adding that members ranged in age from those in their 20s to their 80s.

Neihengen said Vohs-Demann has a passion for bringing people together and creating joy.

“Her dream of creating a choir caused me to be more involved in the community and I have made many friends because of it, including her,” Neihengen wrote in her nomination of Vohs-Demann as a Woman of Distinction.

After 11 years with the choir, Vohs-Demann has retired from her role. She remains busy with her business, serving on the Woodstock Opera House Advisory Commission and developing new youth programming in collaboration with the Friends of the Opera House.

When Vohs-Demann was invited to help the nonprofit Main Stay Farm, it wasn’t long before she developed an affinity for the therapeutic farm in Richmond. She has led workshops and performed at Main Stay Farm, and she is honored to serve as an emcee for the organization’s gala for the third year in a row in June.

“I fell in love with the place,” Vohs-Demann said.