'Winter Medley' to showcase municipal band's versatility

It's unlikely anything will surprise Ron Keller when he takes the stage Sunday to direct the Naperville Municipal Band during its annual winter concert.

Keller, after all, has been here many times during his 43 years as leader of the 90-member group. He's pretty much seen it all, heard it all, done it all.

But that doesn't mean he won't be feeling a few butterflies twittering around in his tummy prior to the free show called "Winter Medley."

Because no matter how often he's raised his baton, Keller, 69, says it's still a thrill to conduct the band he loves.

"My favorite part is when everything comes together just perfectly," he says. "This is an exacting art. We're always trying to improve our phrasing and intonation. We're always trying to peak at just the right time."

A variety of tunes

Audience members will be able to decide for themselves whether the band is hitting all the right notes when the show begins at 3 p.m. in the Naperville Central High School auditorium, 440 W. Aurora Ave.

The 80-minute concert will be presented without intermission and, like most Naperville Municipal Band performances, will feature a variety of pieces designed to appeal to the widest possible audience.

High-brow, low-brow -- it really doesn't matter to Keller as long as the customers enjoy it.

"Our purpose," he says, "is to entertain."

This year's show, for example, includes "Hounds of Spring," a concert overture for winds; John Philip Sousa's "George Washington Bicentennial March;" and a solo called "Kit and Kaboodle" in which band member Shelly May will show her stuff on all sorts of percussion instruments.

Keller will direct part of the show, as will Naperville North High School band director Dan Moore.

The bulk of the performance, though, will be directed by assistant conductor Rene Rosas, who also heads the student bands at St. Raphael Catholic School and Ss. Peter and Paul School.

If the weather cooperates, Keller says, organizers hope to attract about 750 people to Central's auditorium.

A common cause

It's had different names and incarnations, but the Naperville Municipal Band has been around in some form or another for 99 years.

Keller admits he once feared the passion for such bands and their music would die with his generation,

But over the past 10 years, he says, the group has made a concerted effort to appeal to a younger crowd, especially during its Thursday evening summer concerts that may feature Disney music, teddy bear parades or other such activities.

As a result, he says, "we've seen an increase in the number of families coming with younger kids."

Oh, make no mistake, more than half the band's audience on Sunday is likely to be what Keller calls "silver hairs."

And, yes, the band moved its indoor fall, winter and spring concerts from Saturday nights to Sunday afternoons because many of its fans don't like to drive after dark.

But there are signs that some young people are interested, too. This past summer, five high school musicians regularly performed with the band and quickly discovered the challenges of learning more than a dozen pieces a week for each of 10 weeks.

So now, with the group approaching its 100th anniversary in 2009, Keller is convinced it always will have a place in Naperville.

And, he says, he hopes he'll always have a place with the band.

"I'm going to retire when it isn't fun anymore," he says. "As long as I get pleasure and enjoyment from it, I'm going to continue. I don't see me retiring in the near future."

That's good news for band lovers and also for the musicians who come from all walks of life -- teachers, scientists, homemakers, electricians -- to give the group it's heart and sound.

They'll all be there Sunday afternoon when Rosas, Moore and Keller take their spins on the podium.

"We all come together with a common cause," Keller says. "To make music."

If you go

What: "Winter Medley" concert

Who: Naperville Municipal Band

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Naperville Central High School auditorium, 440 W. Aurora Ave.

Cost: Free

Info: (630) 778-9994 or napervilleband.org