Story by Diego Alcaraz-Monje
Photos by Ella Johnston
Lydia Cantrell-Montalvo of Bowling Green said that her entire life revolves around music.
Cantrell-Montalvo said she has been singing since she was young, growing up around musically talented people on both sides of her family. She said that she has participated in local theater and choir throughout her life, especially during her time at Greenwood High School.
Cantrell-Montalvo said even if it wasn’t for the influence of her family, she would’ve still gone into music.
“I love that it is a universal language,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “No matter what language you’re singing in, everyone understands.”
Cantrell-Montalvo said that because of her passion for the art form, she decided to teach music.
“I personally believe, as a teacher, every single person has the right to learn to sing, because it is your given instrument,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “You don’t have to go and spend thousands of dollars picking the right one. It’s just there, and it’s yours.”
Cantrell-Montalvo said she graduated from WKU with a degree in vocal performance in 2022. She said she went on to get her double master’s degree in vocal performance/pedagogy and choral conducting from Campbellsville University.
After graduating in the spring of 2025, Cantrell-Montalvo said she was approached by the chair of WKU’s music department to teach a group voice class.
She said she has been teaching the class since the fall 2025 semester, and that the class takes a different approach to teaching since most of her students do not sing much.
“After having the first class, I found my groove,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “I found the best ways to go about it, and [figured] out what to incorporate to make it relatable to these students and what they’re going to do when they graduate.”
Outside of teaching at WKU, Cantrell-Montalvo said that she has had her own vocal studio, LCM Performing Arts, since 2022. She said that she prefers to teach one-on-one, especially because she likes to create relationships with her students.
“It’s a very personal thing learning an instrument, but specifically learning an instrument that’s within you,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “You can definitely tell a lot about someone or how their day is going just by how they do your first couple of notes.”
She said that she has over 16 students and tries to teach every day because of her love for it.
Currently, Cantrell-Montalvo said the company is transitioning to a larger theater company. She said she was inspired to do so by her experiences and those of others who have experienced favoritism in Bowling Green’s existing theater programs.
“I cannot sit by and watch as people lose their passion when I know I can do something about it,” Cantrell-Montalvo said.
Alongside her studio, she said that she also teaches at the Broadway United Methodist Church, where she grew up going. She said that she is the assistant choral director for the church and primarily teaches younger members of the church.
“They are crazy, but I love it,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “They love the music; they love dancing and jumping. That’s another thing that has just kind of made me go, ‘wow, music is something that really does bring people together.’”
Minister of worship for the church, Ellen Murrey-Lockhart who hired Cantrell-Montalvo, said it makes her proud to see Cantrell-Montalvo grow up and work alongside children
“To watch her kind of come full circle, and now, she’s the adult that’s mentoring young people,” Murrey-Lockhart said. “Not just musically, but also helping them in their faith and their lives and decision making and just being that supportive person, watching her do that makes me really proud.”
Continuing to use her musical talents, Cantrell-Montalvo said she is a performer with Parties with a Princess, where she dresses up and performs as various Disney princesses at events and birthday parties. She said that for her, it feels like fulfilling a wish to be able to provide the experience for children.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a princess,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “I am now a princess, and I get to do that for kids. So, as amazing as it is performance-wise and professionally and character building, it’s also just magical.”
She said that she enjoys it because she is able to see the audience react to her in real time, which she can’t do when she is singing or acting, but can be the ultimate challenge as a performer.
“Sometimes I have to make up things on the spot,” Cantrell-Montalvo said. “These kids are watching you in real time, and each princess is very different, so you have to change your mannerisms.”
Cantrell-Montalvo said that she has played a wide variety of princesses in her time with the company, but enjoys playing Glinda, Elsa and Aurora.
Emily Summar, the owner and founder of Parties with a Princess, said that Cantrell-Montalvo is one of the only actresses who has been requested to play certain characters.
“I had a mom back in January that completely rearranged her birthday party so that she would have the birthday whenever Lydia was in town, so that Lydia could perform,” Summar said. “She’s definitely made a name for herself as a performer, and people know of her playing the characters, but really know what a great performer she is, and her high quality entertainment.”
She said that when Cantrell-Montalvo sings, she can see both children and adults in awe.
“She had such a longing to create a community for so long that it really led her to open up her voice to do so,” Summar said.
