TICKET ORDER FORMS are currently available for download by clicking on this link. The students will take the form, receive orders from family, friends, and neighbors and bring the order form AND the money back to the directors. The deadline for orders is June 14, the beginning of band camp, to allow for food ordering for the event. More information about the event is below…

This year for the first time, OHS Band Boosters are partnering with OFEE, Oswego Foundation for Educational Excellence, to sponsor an outdoor BBQ at Prairiefest prepared by 5B’s BBQ & Catering!

THE EVENT will be Friday, June 18 at Prairiefest Park and the dinners will include either pork chops, chicken or a combination and sell for $11. There is also a hot dog meal for the kids that will sell for $5. There will be a dining area on the grounds. Drive-thru pickup is also being planned.

ALL PROFITS will be shared with OFEE and the majority of ticket profits will go directly into the student’s personal band account (approximately $3 per ticket) to potentially be used for their upcoming New Orleans band trip.

PARENT & STUDENT VOLUNTEERS: There is also a volunteer form to help at the event and each shift is 1-1.5 hours and includes ticket sales, food serving or cleanup. The boosters will also be selling soda and water at the event. Please contact the directors for information during school or Dion Novak at djn605@comcast.net at any time for more information, to volunteer or receive tickets.

Let’s make this first event a very successful one!!

This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the OHS band program. We had an excellent round of concerts with many special events. Former directors were in the audience, and Lucille Hafenrichter (member of the first OHS band) also took in the sights and sounds. The Wind Symphony had a piece commissioned especially for them by composer Nathan Daughtrey, and his piece “Imagining World” had its world debut performance. We recognized the graduating seniors and parents, and outgoing members of our Band Boosters. All in all, after 75 years, the OHS bands program is going stronger then ever. If you would like to see photos of the OHS band through the years, look below at the pictures that were shown the nights of our concerts.

The 2010 Bandquet was a great success. Several parents and students chipped in to decorate and deliver an awesome “Luau” theme. The event was catered with some great food, and the band family had a great night watching each other get some awards and having a great time. Check out some pictures below!!!

OHS has several students graduating who will be playing at various collegiate institutions next year. Trumpet player Ken Citro and clarinetist Erin Doty will be playing at Augustana. Bass trombonist Justin Smith, floutist Kevi Stredde, and euphonium player Brandon Ramsey will be playing at Northern Illinois University. Clarinetist Megan Gailey will be playing in the Marching Redbirds of Illinois State. Trombonist Ken Christy will be playing at Drake University, and Joe Kulick will be playing at Kansas State. Dan Arnold, trombonist at large, will be playing at Calvin College, and Ryan Adorjan closes out a very strong low brass section by playing trombone at North Central College. Congrats to all of all seniors, and good luck to you in your future musical endeavors!!!!!

Two special events occurred last week, honoring OHS Band students for their excellence, in and out of the band room.

This is the first year that OHS has had a chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. To be a part of Tri-M, students need a minimum GPA, show excellence on their instrument, leadership and exemplary conduct, and be recommended by a teacher. This year’s inaugural Tri-M class from band are:
Ryan Adorjan, Jake Berry, Andrew Bockus, Ken Christy, Joey Corbino, Brad Donati, Erin Doty, Courtney Friesen, Megan Gailey, Hannah Kaitschuk, Mark Hansen, Tom Hopkins, Jenna Kaleel, Joe Kulick, Kayla Lee, Melanie Lloyd, Amanda Muscato, Eric Novak, Jessie Parkhurst, Brandon Ramsey, Bridget Rodino, Jessie Runyon, Mike Scaramelli, Erin Smith, Caitlin Strange, Kevi Stredde, Mike Supej, Alex Takacs, Amanda Watts, Rebecca Webber, Ben Wooley, and Ryan Zerna.

Every year, OHS sends students to participate in the Fox Valley Honor Band. These students rehearse for two days with the best students our area has to offer, and puts on an amazing concert. This years guest conductor was Dale Lonis, conductor of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. The OHS students who participated this year were Matt Adams, Andrew Bockus, Collin Bradley, Brad Donati, Emily Ericson, Josh Fornek, Courtney Friesen, Cassie Johnson, Hannah Kaitschuk, Melanie Lloyd, John Norris, and Mary Watson.

Within one week in mid-April, two outstanding college wind ensembles visited OHS to perform and do clinics with our groups. First off, on Wednesday, April 14th, Thomas Bough and the NIU Wind Ensemble paid a visit to our auditorium and performed an outstanding concert for our entire band program, with our own Wind Symphony opening up for them. One of the pieces they performed featured Mark Ponzo, Professor of Trumpet, and our group was among the first people ever to hear this brand new song. Dr. Bough came in the previous week a did a clinic with the Wind Symphony, working with them on their festival songs.

The next week, on Monday, April 19th, the North Central College Wind Ensemble under the direction of Lawrence Van Oyen came in and did a performance and clinic session with our top freshman group, the Chamber Winds. Because the stage was set up for the play, we had to do the entire session in the band room, which made for a very cramped but cozy atmosphere. After an excellent and varied concert, our students were able to sit amongst the collegiates and play and learn with them. Dr. Van Oyen has a great way of working with young people, and our students got a lot out of the session.

On March 11th, the OHS Band Department held its annual JazzNite. Featured on the concert were the Jazz Ensemble II, the Stay Tuned Jazz Choir, and the Jazz Ensemble I. The groups all played fantastic, and the soloists showed off their improvisational expertise. The highlight of the evening was guest artist Ian Torres, who amazed the crowd with his incredible trumpet playing. If you would like to hear some of the songs from the evening, click here to go to our Performance page. (you will need the band password…if you don’t know it, ask your kids or email Mr. Schoenbach at kschoenbach0922@oswego308.org .) To see pictures of the evening, go to our Pictures page or click here.

On March 10th, the OHS Wind Ensemble got to have a one hour question and answer session with film composer Jermaine Stegall from Los Angeles. The conversation was conducted via Skype, and though the video quality was not the best, it still enabled us to see and speak to Jermaine, and him to see and speak with us, both in a much more personal way then a phone call. The students were able to ask him questions, viewed some videos of him conducting film orchestras performing his own music, and see a movie with his music behind the scene. To see three video clips of the session, go into the video link to the right, or click here.
For a link to Mr. Stegall’s website, click here.

The Oswego Band Boosters are an incredible organization who without whom, quite simply, our program could not function. Because a big part of what they do requires money going in and out, they have a set of By-Laws that they operate under. Over the past few months, we have worked to change some things, word things differently, etc. If you wouldn’t mind checking them out and providing any input, good or bad, that would be great. If there is something we missed, should be worded differently, or something we can take out, let us know!!! You can either comment right here on the website, or email Mr. Schoenbach at kschoenbach0922@oswego308.org. Thanks, and remember, our next Band Booster meeting is Tuesday, April 6th, and all are welcome. We will be voting on the finalized By-Laws then, as well as talking about the many end-of-the-year things going on in the Panther Bands.
Proposed 2010 Band Booster By-Laws

Last weekend, our top jazz band went to the Rolling Meadows JazzFest, an event we had not ever gone to before. We nailed our warmup, and after a decent performance, we waited for our rating. Amazingly, we were first place with only one band to play!!!! Unfortunately for us, the last band was from Decatur Macarthur, who has won 13 of the 27 Rolling Meadows JazzFests. They did end up beating us out, but we were very happy to get second place in our division, beating out many other schools(including one from Missouri who boasted having a quarter of the Missouri All-State Jazz Band the last 4 years). All in all, it was an extremely successful day for the program, as we got a Division I rating, the second place in our division, outstanding musician awards for Maddie Vogler, Ken Citro, and Mike Todd, seeing the best HS jazz bands in the area perform and give us something to shoot for, see the fantastic Roosevelt University Jazz Band play a concert, and we went home with a trophy and plaque to add to our long list of awards.
This event literally would not have been possible if it wasn’t for our great parents, who because of the budget situation, had to drive. They were Ms. Nagel, Ms. Vogler, Mr. Frieh, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Citro, Mr. Wooley, and Ms. Tormey.