Band tries to drum up interest

Band instructor Megan Ames hopes a group of teenagers who played Beatles songs impressed students at her school Tuesday.

Ames works at Grayslake Elementary District 46's new Park School in Round Lake. Previously dropped with other offerings because of budget woes, music programs have returned to District 46 this year.

To stoke the youngsters' interest in band, the Grayslake Central High School Marching Rams were invited to perform for about 280 students Tuesday at Park School.

"I keep telling all the kids, they're going to see all the instruments," Ames said.

Loud cheers and stomping feet from Park School's gymnasium bleachers greeted the band before the 20-minute Beatles set. Another round followed the performance.

Ames then received some positive feedback from the Park School children.

"Who wants to be in band? Ames asked. "I like the show of hands."

Park School, a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade building, is forming its first band. Children who want to participate select the instruments they want to play this week.

Jeffrey Urban, a school service representative based at Quinlan & Fabish Music Co.'s Mount Prospect location, served as master of ceremonies for Tuesday's event. Quinlan & Fabish rents instruments to District 46 students, Urban said, so it has a vested interest in whether children want to be in a school band.

Urban went over the three families of instruments -- woodwind, percussion and brass -- with the Park School pupils. Some Grayslake Central band members were called on to demonstrate instruments in each group for the children.

Park School students were reminded that band isn't the only thing that has to occupy their time.

"Band is wonderful," Urban said. "You can be in a lot of different things. You can be in sports. You can be in drama."

On Monday, the Grayslake North and Central marching bands performed for fifth- and sixth-graders at District 46's Frederick School. Frederick students live within the boundaries of both high schools.

Frederick School band director Eric Rivera said he believes the special visit will go a long way.

"I think we had a very energetic, enthusiastic response from the students," Rivera said.

Grayslake Central band director Dominic Bertino said he was confident the teenagers would be a positive influence on the grade-school students.

"They see the end result of what being in band can be," Bertino said.