Who We Are

All of the trainers at The Sound Center are highly trained professionals. They bring their expertise to your particular issues, and look forward to answering any questions you have. Contact us for more information.

Michelle Eppley, Director

Michelle Eppley is founder and director of The Sound Center. She helps people unlock their vocal power, redesign foreign and regional accents, and speak clearly and fluently. Accommodating individuals and groups since 1997, Michelle focuses on helping people establish confidence, polish, and image to achieve effective and intelligible communication capabilities. Clientele include executives from all professions, broadcasters, engineers, entrepreneurs, and teachers; corporate clients include Glad Manufacturing, Sears, Lexus, Ford, K-Five Construction, Lawson Products, law firms and many small businesses. Before establishing The Sound Center, Michelle worked in a variety of locations providing instruction and enhancement for voice, speech and accent. She has experience on-site at corporations, hospitals, a speech-language clinic, skilled nursing facilities and schools. She has also served as an instructor in the DePaul University English Language Academy, teaching an intensive accent modification course.

Michelle earned a Bachelor of Music at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, studying under a performance scholarship in voice, and a Master of Arts in speech pathology from the University of Iowa. She is nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and licensed by the State of Illinois. She holds a professional membership in the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and co-founded the Voice Consortium of the Chicago Audiology-Speech-Language Association. She is a member of the Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is a frequent performer and presenter.

Sharyn Reiff, M.A., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist

Sharyn’s goal is to maximize effective communication skills for individuals with speech, language, voice, fluency, accent or dialect challenges. Her area of special interest is working to enhance effective English speaking skills for people with accents or dialects. Sharyn uses specifically designed evaluation and training techniques and incorporates hands-on experience from years of work with clients of all ages and all levels of expressive ability. Her clients report that developing effective verbal communication skills has led to increased self-confidence, an improved vocal and physical image, more successful group participation, and greater career opportunities. She has conducted this training successfully on-site at numerous corporations, universities, schools and other professional settings which has enabled clients to integrate their newly acquired speaking ability more easily into their daily professional and personal speaking situations.

Sharyn Reiff earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders from Northern Illinois University. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, is licensed by the State of Illinois and holds professional memberships in the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the North Suburban Speech and Language Association. She holds a Standard and Secondary Teaching certificate with endorsement in Speech-Language Impairment. She has worked in both public and private sectors to provide evaluation, treatment and consultation services for individuals exhibiting a wide range of communication issues.

Inez Berman, M.A., CCC-SLP, Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist

Inez S. Berman is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in the pediatric population. At The Sound Center, she works with ages 0 to 15 with oral motor weaknesses, speech articulation disorders, stuttering, receptive and expressive language delays and disorders, and augmentative communication training. Her sign language skills allow her to provide services for hearing impaired children up to one year, and she is able to work with toddlers in Spanish. Inez is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Iowa, and she is currently a state-accredited Early Intervention Specialist. Her experience ranges from early intervention home settings, elementary schools, junior high schools and private practice.

Mary Kate Sweeney, English Language Tutor

Mary Kate Sweeney provides advanced English language tutoring at The Sound Center. From grammar and vocabulary development to English as a second language, she will focus on the areas that you need most to be successful. Reading, writing, pronunciation,and listening skills are combined to create an individual learning plan for each client. Mary Kate has an M.A. from Yale University, and a B.A. from Marymount College Tarrytown. She is on the adjunct faculty at Benedictine University and Waubonsee Community College.

The Sound Center Facility

The Sound Center is a spacious, well-lit venue that accommodates classes and individual training. Its downtown Downers Grove location is minutes from the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Metra train line that runs from Chicago to Aurora. The Sound Center is near Naperville, Hinsdale, and all suburbs west and northwest of Chicago, easily accessible via I-355 and I-80.

The Sound Center accommodates an ever-increasing customer base with widely diverse needs. Specific services offered include: rehabilitation of injured voices, voice enhancement, accent modification, presentation skills, and speech retraining.

The Sound Center may be available to host your next workshop or class. Contact us for more information.