Mount Prospect Community Band has new director for 40th year

A Mount Prospect tradition is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, although it represents more of a rebirth for the Mount Prospect Community Band.

It will be the first year under the helm of Monty Adams, who replaces the band's founding director, Ralph Wilder.

Concerts are Monday nights at the Veterans Memorial Bandshell in Lions Memorial Park beginning June 13 with a program entitled "Strike Up the Band," which will include the title piece as well as music from "West Side Story" and a rousing encore of "Stars and Stripes."

Adams has nearly 40 years of musical experience, including performing as principal flutist with the U.S. Air Force Band and as a permanent member of several Chicago Symphony Orchestra chamber ensembles for 20 years. He has directed the Ridgeville Band of Evanston and the Lakeside Flutes.

He said he favors a repertoire "that gets an audience excited" and he believes this band will deliver.

"Every section, I think, that we have right now is good," he said. "We're looking for a little help in the percussion section. When I came in there, there was a core group of players from before. They're all very dedicated and fine musicians and now we're up to around 40 players."

When Wilder was fired last year by the Mount Prospect Park District after he clashed with park district personnel, many performers in the then 60-member band went with him. He has since started a new band with former band members that will be playing in Rolling Meadows this summer.

The current president of the Mount Prospect Community Band, John Reschke, said that after Wilder's exit, the group that wanted to stay with the band "worked hard to find a new director and put the pieces back together."

While "a lot of people felt loyalty to Ralph," virtually all of the principal players have returned, Reschke said, and there is good representation in all sections, although he echoed Adams, saying, "You can never seem to find enough drummers."

Reschke said when Adams contacted the park district and he saw his resume, "I said, 'Get this guy.'" He was particularly impressed with his military band background.

"Those military bands only take the very best musicians," he said. "It just seemed from a musical standpoint, he had everything we would really want."

Reschke, who plays French horn, has been with the band since the late 1970s. He played in the marching band at the University of Notre Dame and also attended Notre Dame High School.

Many of the members are not professional musicians, but are former marching band members like him who play for the joy of it, he said.

The band creates good will and is especially popular with the large senior population, said Ruth Yuell, spokeswoman for the park district.

"This is all about the community. This Monday night series has such a throwback feel to it. People have blankets and lawn chairs and are just listening to music and having ice cream cones," she said. "For many people, this is their entertainment night for the week."

Concerts are:

• June 20, A Trip to Spain, featuring soprano soloist Jennifer Kosharsky, who will sing music from "Carmen."

• June 27, That's Not Comedy, That's Shtick

• July 11, Prospect Pops

• July 18, A Night at the Opera

• July 25, Christmas in July