It All Started at Park Day

Homeschool park day. It's supposed to be for the kids, but we all know that the parents need it just as much as anyone else. And the truth is, this movie might not be getting made at all if it weren't for one fateful conversation that started up at a homeschool park day in Glendale, California.

Maggie was talking to her friend Cindy Shapiro, a fellow singer and homeschooling mom, about how hard it is to make the time to get out and perform. Wouldn't it be great, they thought, if they could get a group of people together who would support one another and provide that added push needed to hit the stage? Maggie and Cindy mentioned the idea to Lisa Creahan (yep, another homeschooling mom) and the three of them decided to make a go of it. They called group The Performer's Collective and almost immediately others joined in, including Maggie's son, Finneas, who had recently started writing his own music. The group held rehearsals and signed on at Open Mic nights around town. Since they had a responsibility to one another to show up and perform, it suddenly became easier to make it happen.

Maggie sings while Patrick plays guitar

So many good things came from this effort to provide support for one another, it's hard to believe. Lisa recorded a song with Keaton Simons that ended up on Beverly Hills 90210, Cindy fulfilled a lifelong dream and became Artist-in-Residence at Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris, Maggie's son blossomed into a confident singer/songwriter and formed his own band, and Maggie met former Saturday Night Live writer Lori Collins (she joined the Collective, too) and the two women started writing the script that would become Life Inside Out.

Check back to hear about Lori and Maggie's mid-life return to singing.