Mr. Baker
Director of Choral Music
Sam Baker is the Director of Choral Activities at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois, where he has taught for the past 12 years. Mr. Baker holds a Master of Music Degree in Music Education from Western Illinois University and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from Elmhurst University, where he graduated with honors.
During his undergraduate career, he served as the Student Director of Late Night Blues, the internationally recognized vocal jazz ensemble at Elmhurst University, studying under the highly acclaimed director, Professor Susan Moninger. Mr. Baker completed his final graduate project on “Developing and Implementing a High School Vocal Jazz Curriculum.”
Mr. Baker has 17 years of experience teaching at the high school level. Before his time at Lake Park High School, he taught at Lyons Township High School District 204 in LaGrange, Illinois, and Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 in Zion, Illinois.
Mr. Baker prioritizes touring experiences for his singers, who have performed across the United States. He has taken his choral groups to San Francisco, Orlando, New Orleans, Nashville, New York City, and throughout the Midwest. His students have had opportunities to perform at a wide variety of venues such as university campuses, theme parks, sporting events, private parties, churches, retirement homes, village community events, K-12 schools, public libraries, and more. He values collaborating with other music educators to provide unique experiences for students.
At Lake Park High School, Mr. Baker has grown the vocal music program to include three traditional choirs and two vocal jazz choirs during the school day. He has been vocal director for numerous musicals over the past 15 years. Some of his past shows include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Ragtime, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Beauty & the Beast, The Addams Family, Grease, Seussical, and many more.
In addition to teaching and directing musicals, Mr. Baker is a professional musician who performs for public and private events across the Midwest as a dueling pianist. He enjoys leading worship on vocals, guitar, piano, and bass guitar on teams across Chicagoland, such as Willow Creek Church in Huntley, Illinois. He is an active choral music clinician and adjudicator for competitions, summer camps, and special events.
He authentically enjoys the opportunity to assist singers of all ages and abilities grow in their technique and passion. Outside of the school day, Mr. Baker enjoys basketball, fishing, golf, travel, the Packers, and hanging out with his wife Kelly, children Paige and Levi, and labradoodle Annie.
Mrs. Westerlund
Accompanist & Paraprofessional
Rachel Westerlund is a pianist, educator, and marketing professional with a deep-rooted passion for music, storytelling, and creative connection. She is honored to serve as Staff Accompanist and Paraprofessional for the Lake Park High School Choirs.
Rachel holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with a focus in Piano from Illinois State University, where she gained experience in both therapeutic and performance settings and served in leadership roles at the collegiate, regional, and national levels within music therapy organizations.
She has been teaching piano since 2008 and brings over 15 years of experience as an instructor, collaborator, and accompanist. Her musical background includes working with choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists, and performing as a pit musician in productions such as Pippin, Schoolhouse Rock, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, 1776, Oliver!, Shrek, Beauty and the Beast, and Mean Girls. In addition to piano, Rachel also plays organ, guitar, and ukulele, and brings a versatile, student-centered approach to music-making.
At Lake Park, Rachel supports all choir ensembles by providing piano accompaniment for rehearsals and performances, as well as assisting with day-to-day program operations. She is passionate about creating meaningful, inclusive rehearsal spaces and helping students grow as artists, collaborators, and community members.
In addition to her work at Lake Park, Rachel serves as Marketing Manager for the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), where she brings a strategic and creative lens to her work—supporting the organization’s mission through thoughtful brand development, digital outreach, and community-centered communications. Her marketing work is grounded in authenticity, accessibility, and creativity.
She also runs Life in Letters Creative Studio, a boutique business offering digital design, branding, and marketing services for small businesses and nonprofits. She holds certifications in Google Analytics, email marketing, digital advertising, social media marketing, and project management, and is currently pursuing additional training in UI/UX design and full stack web development.
Outside of her professional work, Rachel enjoys reading, crochet and embroidery, swimming, and spending time with her husband, Kevin, and their two energetic Australian Shepherds, Milo and Max. She is delighted to be part of the Lake Park music faculty and looks forward to supporting students as they create, connect, and share the transformative power of music.