January Band Updates

The biggest event happened yesterday, when for the second time in the last five years, the OHS Wind Symphony performed at the Illinois Music Educators Conference in Peoria. The concert was attended by band directors and music teachers from all over the state, and to say the students brought their A game is an understatement. The students were chosen via audition from a recording we sent in last year. Their setlist included the challenging march "Colossus of Columbia", the band standard "Chorale and Shaker Dance", the beuatiful "Irish Tune from County Derry", and the unusual jazzy closer "Niagara Falls". Our school and community have a lot to be proud of with these young people making music on this level.  
7 students from our school were selected as All-State musicians or Future Music Educators. They were Nathan Labora (trumpet), Ryan Boone (percussion), Gavin Davis (french horn), Niyasha Johnson (clarinet), Jacob Anderson (Future Music Educator), Julia Woelke (Future Music Educator), and Tobi Osibodu (Future Music Educator). 

Link to watch IMEA performance

To prepare for this performance and the upcoming jazz festivals, Director of Bands at VanderCook College of Music Brian Logan came in to work with our top ensembles.

On January 20th, our jazz bands, led by Mr. Schoenbach and Mr. Werve, travelled to Glenbrook South High School to attend the NorthShore JazzFest. First off, all three jazz bands received straight Division 1 ratings across the board, a great accomplishment and the first time this has happened at this festival. Our Orange Jazz Ensemble 2 placed 6th out of 14 competing ensembles in their class. Our Jazz Ensemble 1 did even better, 9th place out of 23 competing bands in a class stacked with some of the best jazz bands in Illinois. But at the top of the pack was our Blue Jazz Ensemble 2, who tied for second place in their room, making it the second straight year one of our second tier jazz bands has been second place at the festival. Two students were awarded Outstanding Soloist medals: Sophomore trombonist Kyle Bachara and senior baritone sax player Jimmy Gleason.  ​

Link to watch all of the North Shore JazzFest performances

Lastly, we handed out the January Portillo's Students of the Month. Check out the slideshow below to see who the recipients were.