Mundelein unveils promotional music video
An award-winning Mundelein High School choir has teamed with village officials to create a promotional music video about the town.
Called "Good Morning, Mundelein," the cheery clip features the Mundelein Sound show choir singing about the village.
It was filmed in locations throughout Mundelein, including at the high school, Diamond Lake Beach and the Barefoot Bay Family Aquatic Center. The Mundelein Seminary, Bill's Pub, the Fremont Public Library and Kracklauer Park make appearances, too.
The video will be added to the village's official website, mundelein.org, and used in other promotions.
"This video really shows what Mundelein High School is all about - students who work hard, put everything into their work and have fun doing it," school spokesman Ron Girard said.
The song "Good Morning, Mundelein" predated the video. Arranged by former choral director John Neubauer, it was based on a tune from the musical "Hairspray" and was first performed for a local audience in fall 2014.
"The original song is called 'Good Morning, Baltimore,'" choral music director Cory Thompson said. "Some of the words (were) changed to work for our competition show."
The video project was prompted by a rave review of a Mundelein Sound performance from village employee Cathy Nickel, said Dawn Jenich, the village's communication and marketing director.
"She said to me, 'You won't believe the song the choir performed,'" Jenich recalled. "She went on to tell me about the song ... and how the choir performed the piece brilliantly. And then she said, 'Wouldn't it be cool to use this song to showcase Mundelein?'"
Jenich agreed, and soon after the video project was born.
The video took about eight months to create, Jenich said. It was shot by Kevin Quinn, who tapes the village board meetings twice a month.
Filming took five days.
"We started to film in March and April and wrapped up in July," Jenich said. "Of course, we had to contend with weather a few times."
The project cost $1,500, with money coming from the village's marketing budget, Jenich said.
The video was unveiled during Monday night's village board meeting. Many of the student performers were in the audience for the viewing, as was Thompson.
Officials and audience members watched intently as the performers sang and danced their way through the village.
When the video ended, Mayor Steve Lentz was quick to praise the production.
"That's fantastic," Lentz said. "It turned out far better than any of us expected. Nice going."
Thompson was similarly enthusiastic about the effort.
"The finished project is a really wonderful, positive reflection of our school, choir program and community as a whole," she said. "I am honored that our students are being showcased in this way."
After the meeting, the performers received T-shirts bearing Mundelein's colorful logo. Many wore them Tuesday, Thompson said.