Kylie Joann Miller

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Miller on the Christmas Eve birth of their daughter, Kylie Joann Miller!

We'll post a picture as soon as one is available!

Winter Guard Rehearsal for Tuesday, Dec. 16 - Cancelled

Due to the incelement weather, tonight's Winter Guard practice has been cancelled. Stay warm!

November Band Concerts

Congratulations to the North High Bands for two terrific concerts this week. The Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Percussion Ensemble all performed this week for appreciative audiences.

Final Playoff Performance

Congratulations to the members of the Trojan Marching Band for their fine performances and steadfast support of the North High Football Team during the 2008 IHSA State Playoffs.

North's loss to conference rival Glenbard West in the Quarter-Finals marked the end of the season for the team and the band. "We Love Our Team!" ... and have been proud to support our players this season.

Veteran's Day Program

On Monday, November 10, members of the North High Bands participated in the school's annual Veteran's Day Program: Honoring All Who Serve. Here, Mr. Jamrose rehearses the Wind Ensemble as final preparations are underway in the gymnasium.

2008-09 Winter Guard Announced

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2008-2009 DGN WINTER GUARD!

Captains: Hannah Degen, Nella Granback, Kaitlin Sheber

Caitlin Brodie

Anna Kowalewicz

Katie Kropp

Marilyn Lauterbach

Amy Moscato

Anita Pattanayak

Jen Poad

Nick Toland

Lauren Weisner

Thank you to all who auditioned!

Our first practices are October 28^th & 30th at 6:00 PM (Meet in the band room).

Supporting Pediatric Cancer Research

From the St. Baldrick's website ...


What would you look like bald? You'd look like a hero for kids with cancer! Shaving your head is a great way to show your support for kids undergoing chemotherapy treatment while raising funds for life-saving research. How does it work? Register online, post a photo of yourself with hair, send an email to friends and family to solicit donations of support, and then go to an event where you'll have your head shaved!

Thank you for partnering with the St. Baldrick's Foundation as together we fight to eliminate childhood cancers! Thanks to many volunteers like you, last year was another record-breaking year for St. Baldrick's. Here's just a glimpse at some of the great strides made in 2007:

• 402 head-shavings took place in 46 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and 13 countries.


• More than 18,000 shavees volunteered to participate in head-shaving events.


• Over $12.8 million was raised to fund research for childhood cancers.


• 2,142 female shavees proved to the public that bald is truly beautiful-more than doubling the number of female shavees from 2006.


• Four U.S. states held their first St. Baldrick's events in 2007, increasing volunteers, donations, and awareness for children with cancer.

Mr. Miller and Mr. Teague would like to thank the members of the North High Band, their families, and the members of the DGN Alumni Band for their support of our fund-raiser. We are very proud of the band's support of this important charity, and encourage others to consider becoming involved in the future.

Shave for Charity

Band Directors Bill Miller and Brayer Teague shaved their heads this evening at the 2008 Band O Rama Concert, fulfilling their end of a charity fund raising bargain. Teague and Miller challenged the members of the DGN Band to raise money in support of the North High Swim Team's efforts on behalf of the St. Baldricks Foundation. St. Baldricks provides funding for Pediatric Cancer Research. Band students, family, alumni and friends donated just over $3,200 in a week, surpassing the $2,500 benchmark.

Thank you to Mr. Dan Widner, of Daniel's Hair Care (Darien, IL) for donating his services to the cause.

These images were taken in the back-stage dressing rooms of the North High Auditorium, while the Band O Rama concert continued on stage. Teague and Miller entered re-entered the concert by running down the aisles of the auditorium with wigs on. Wigs were removed with a drum roll and cymbal crash at the front of the stage.

Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you for helping support this great cause on behalf of children.

Pre Game Video

Homecoming 2008

Homecoming '08 was a major success for the North High Bands. Friday was a very busy day for students, including a performance at the Homecoming Assembly, the Parade, and of course the Homecoming Football Game.

Approximately 60 band alumni returned to participate in pre-game, half-time and to perform in the stands with our current students. We had representatives ranging from the Class of '44 all the way to the Class of '08. It was great to have everyone back!

Hey Baby! It's Homecoming!!

miniBand Marches With Curious George!

The Trojan miniBand was THRILLED to participate in the Downers Grove Friends of the Library Storybook Parade. The weather forced the parade into the 1st and 2nd floors of the library, but everyone seemed to have a great time. Congratulations to all the young marchers that joined the miniBand in their GREAT costumes. And thanks to Curious George for this photo op!

Cross Town Classic

Last night, at the North vs. South football game, over 400 student musicians joined forces to present a stirring rendition of the National Anthem as a part of the "National Anthem Project." Thank you to Mr. Miller for his terrific work organizing the event, as well as the entire District 99 Music Faculty for the extra energy entailed.

Congratulations to the student musicians involved last night, and a special thank you to our colleagues from South High. It was a pleasure to host the Marching Mustangs!

Jazz Band Audition Results 2008-2009

Thank you to all who auditioned for the 2008-09 Jazz program. Please read the following information very carefully.

There will be TWO Jazz groups this year, following this schedule:
Jazz Ensemble: Monday – Friday (7 – 7:45 AM) Mr. Teague
Jazz Lab Band: Monday – Friday (7 – 7:45 AM) Mr. Miller

We did not have enough instrumentalists audition this year in all areas to create a third big-band (Jazz Workshop).

First rehearsals for Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab will be on Thursday, September 4th, at 7:00 AM. (Arrive at 6:55.)

Jazz Ensemble Class begins on September 4th, with Mr. Teague.

Alto Saxophone
I Mike Walser
II Andrew Zahn

Tenor Saxophone
I Joe DePeder
II Josh Williams

Bari Saxophone
Jon Box

Clarinet (as needed)
John O’Hara

Trumpet
I/II Dwight Johnson
II/I Caroline Hlohowskyj
II/III David Steffen
III/IV Peter Ralph
IV/V Richard Pospisil

Trombone
I Bryn Sitkiewicz
II Ben Utz
III Zachary Schneeweis
IV Brandon Broholm

Drums
Nicholas Goergen
Joseph Corson

Piano
Hannah Shatzer
Emma Sassano

Guitar
Mike Pool

Bass
Kelly Kedzior
Rudy Rundek

Jazz Lab Band
Class begins on September 4th, with Mr. Miller.

Alto Saxophone
I Drew Richard
II Brendan McBride

Tenor Saxophone
I Jim Blair
II Siga Lapinskas
II Candice Riha

Bari Saxophone
Xavier Schneider

Trumpet
I Erin Amundson
II Shauna Bracken
III Perry Martin
IV Maxim Becker
V Alexander Poortinga

Trombone
I Charles Barron
II Joe Butler
III Steven Stefanisin
IV Grant Crist

Drums
Isaac Stevenson
PJ O’Hara
Jon Parthun

Guitar
Nolan Schillerstrom

Piano
Patrick Long
Trevor Utz
Emily Temple-Wood

Bass
James Tandaris
Jessica Rayston
Marisa Bellie

Images from DGN vs. Prospect

Congratulations to the members of the 2008 Trojan Marching Band for a terrific season-opening performance this past Friday night. Nearly 60 band members were marching for the first time in uniform, officially moving from "Newcomer" to "Former" status by end of the evening.

Jazz Call-Backs

The following students are asked to return on Tuesday, Sept. 2, for Call-Backs. Please note the time and location:

Piano - 6:45 AM - 139 (Practice Room)

Hannah Shatzer

Emma Sasano

Trevor Utz

Emily Temple Wood

Michelle Hsu

Jennifer Poad

Carrie Smith

Jon Sheetz

Drums - 6:45 AM - 138 (Orchestra Room)

Faisal Khurshid

Matt Ruginals

Isaac Stevenson

Rob Wash

Jon Parthun

PJ O'Hara

Bass - 7:10 AM - 138 (Orchestra Room)

James Tandaris

Marisa Bellie

Jessica Rayston

Kelly Kedzior

Rudy Rendek

Guitar - 7:10 AM - 139 (Practice Room)

John Janke

Nolan Schillerstrom

Michael Pool

Max Mogaveso

Marching Band Rehearsal Time Clarification - 8/21/08

Dear Band Families-

First of all, thank you for your attendance at last night's meeting. We're excited about another great year with your students.

If you are not a parent/guardian of a Marching Band participant, please disregard the remainder of this message.

If you ARE a Marching Band family, we would like to remind you that tomorrow's rehearsal is scheduled for 5-9PM, not 4-9PM as indicated in the Band Handbook.

Sorry for this confusion! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best wishes for a great school year!

Band Camp continues

The students of the 2008 Trojan Marching Band are hard at work this week preparing for the upcoming school year.

Welcome Newcomers! Band Camp 2008 is open for business!

Parent Meeting - CORRECTION

The date for the required Band Parent/Guardian and Student meeting is TUESDAY evening, August 19, 2008, at 8:00 PM. The meeting will be held in the North Auditorium.

The date has been published accurately, and consistently. One of our mailings inadvertently stated that August 19 is "Monday." We apologize for the error.

Please help spread the word to band families that the meeting is on the evening of Tuesday, August 19.

Thank you for your help.

July 4th Parades

Thank you to all the members of the North High and South High Marching Bands that participated in today's Independence Day Parades. We really appreciate your support, as do the Villages of Darien and Downers Grove.

Happy 4th!

D99 Honors Band - European Tour

Follow the District 99 Honors Band while they tour Europe from June 7-20. A team of 10 student Bloggers will share their daily reflections at the following official tour blog:

d99honorsband.blogspot.com

Good morning from the Indy 500!

Unloading @ the 500

Indy 500 Festival Parade

Ready for the parade

We're "live" in Indy!

2007-2008 DGN Color Guard Announced

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2007-2008 DGN COLOR GUARD!

Captains: Hannah Degen, Nella Granback, Kaitlin Sheber

Caitlin Brodie

Tegan Clinton

Jackie Grobe

Anna Kowalewicz

Katie Kropp

* Marilyn Lauterbach

Amy Moscato

Anita Pattanayak

Jen Poad

Lauren Weisner

Our first practice is June 11^th at 6:30 PM (Meet in the band room).

If you are going to miss any summer rehearsals please bring written notification to the June 11^th practice.

* Please contact Mr. Teague at North High.

Almost Ready To Go!

The Trojan Marching Band took to the streets of Downers Grove this past Saturday to prepare for their performances at the Indianapolis 500 Festival and Race (see our previous post for more details). A big thank you to the Village of Downers Grove and to our neighbors around North High School for allowing us to have this very important rehearsal. It was nice to see so many families come out to enjoy the music and to cheer us on. We hope we have the privilege of giving you your own private parade again really soon! Until then, we look forward to seeing you again when we perform as part of the District 99 Marching Band (with the Marching Mustangs of Downers Grove South H.S.) in the Downers Grove and Darien Independence Day Parades!

IPL 500 Festival Parade to include the North High School Trojan Marching Band

INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2008) – The 500 Festival announced today the Trojan Marching Band from Downers Grove, Illinois, will take part in the 2008 IPL 500 Festival Parade on Saturday, May 24. The Parade, now a 51 year tradition, attracts more than 300,000 spectators along the two-mile route. During this celebration spectators will have the chance to catch a glimpse of the 33 starting drivers of the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500, specialty units, nationally-known celebrities including Grand Marshall Patricia Heaton, spectacular floats, marching bands and entertainment groups, giant inflatable balloons and costumed characters.

The Trojan Marching Band has performed regularly in the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony in Downers Grove, IL and Independence Day Parades in Darien and Downers Grove. The band has also performed in the Chicago Jingle Elf Holiday Parade and the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.

The band will also perform on race day on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track as part of the Annual Pre-Race Pageant of Bands.

The IPL 500 Festival Parade provides an opportunity to see all 33 drivers set to start the Indy 500 in one place the day before the race. The Parade has grown to be one of the signature events in the U.S. each year. It consistently ranks among the top three parades in the nation including the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Themed “Fuel the Dream,” this year’s parade is a true representation of the power and pageantry of the month of May - a Hoosier tradition with a television package that will bolster the Parade’s national presence. The IPL 500 Festival Parade will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Be sure to look for the band on the ESPN2 telecast starting at 4PM local time on the 24th!

2008-09 Concert Band Audition Results

The 2008-09 class lists for Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will be posted on Blackboard, in the North High Band "Organization" site, at 10 PM this evening, Friday, May 2, 2008. Make sure you check the organization site, rather than the site for a specific band class.

CSO Percussionist - James Ross

Chicago Symphony Orchestra percussionist Mr. James Ross presented a master-class on orchestral percussion techniques at North High School today, helping students prepare for their band placement auditions this spring and the IMEA District/State auditions next fall.

Born in Cincinnati and educated in the Chicago area, James Ross graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1971. His teachers have included Roy C. Knapp, G. Allan O'Connor, and Vic Firth.

Jim has been a percussionist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1979. He made his solo debut with the Orchestra in 1986 in Milhaud's Concerto for Percussion and Chamber Orchestra under Erich Leinsdorf. A member of the Grant Park Symphony from 1973 to 1978, he
returned to that orchestra in the summer of 1993 as a soloist in Toru Takemitsu's From me flows what you call Time.

Active as a chamber musician, Jim has performed and recorded with such ensembles as Chicago Pro Musica, Chamber Music Chicago, the Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players, Summit Brass, and the Vermeer Quartet. He frequently participates in the Chicago Symphony's chamber music series as well as its contemporary music programs.

Dana Hall - Artist In Residence

Born in Brooklyn, New York, drummer Dana Hall has been an important musician on the international music scene since 1992. After completing his education in Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey and, in 1999, his Masters degree in Composition and Arranging from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He is presently a distinguished Special Trustees Fellow pursuing his Doctorate in Ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago.

Concurrent with his national and international recording and touring projects, Mr. Hall can also be regularly seen and heard in Chicago performing and recording with his own groups and as an in demand artist with the groups of others. Mr. Hall uses and endorses Yamaha Drums, Bosphorus Cymbals, and Pro-Mark Drumsticks.

North High School's Fine Arts Department is pleased to welcome Mr. Hall to District 99 as the 2008 Jazz Artist in Residence. Mr. Hall began his residency with an evening rehearsal of the Jazz Ensemble on Monday night, April 7.

Mr. Hall will be featured at the annual "Sharing Is Caring" concert on April 8 at 7 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

Indy 500 Festival Fan Packages Now Available!

Friends and family of the Trojan Marching Band can now sign up for one of two fan packages being offered by Bob Rogers Travel.

Anyone interested in seeing the band peform in the Festival parade on Saturday and the Pre-Race Band Pageant on Sunday can choose a package that includes a two-night stay in Indianapolis AND tickets to the Parade on Saturday and the Race (and Pre-Race Pageant) on Sunday or a package that only includes a two-night stay in Indianapolis. (no tickets to any events are included)

Reservations and payment must be received by Bob Rogers Travel by April 7th.

Click HERE for details on each package and the registration form.

Winter Guard - 2nd in State

Congratulations to coach Emily Rivera and the DGN Winter Guard on their performances this past weekend at the IDTA State Competition in Champaign. Our team placed 2nd in the State in the Lyrical Flags category, as well as 2nd in the state in the Tall Flags category. These two accomplishments are the highest state level scores/places in school history.

Way to go DGN Winter Guard:

Kelly Cantlin

Ashley Ford

Nella Granback

Annamarie Kowalewicz

Kaitlyn Kropp

Anita Pattanayak

Amanda Pigott

Jennifer Poad

Lauren Rush

Kaitlin Sheber

Carrie Strandgard

Lindsay Waszak

Lisa Witek