Hersey band wins prestigious state honor

Members of the Hersey High School symphonic band returned to their classes and the band room for business as usual this week, but they brought added excitement to their rehearsals.

Last Saturday, the band was named the Class AAA Honor Band at the Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival, which played out at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This was Hersey's eighth consecutive invitation to the elite festival, and the first time in the school's history that its band had won the honor band title.

"This is the equivalent in our band activity to winning state," says Scott Casagrande, Hersey band director. "We're thrilled."

The University Band and the School of Music at Illinois have sponsored the festival for the last 37 years, inviting outstanding junior high and high school bands from across the state.

On Saturday, Hersey performed in the Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on the Champaign campus.

As a result of being named honor band for its class, Hersey draws an automatic berth to next year's festival.

"If a basketball team were to qualify for state this many times in a row, and then win the state championship, it would be big news," says Charles Venegoni, English and Fine Arts division head at Hersey.

More than 50 bands from across the state submitted audition tapes for the nine Class AAA spots, making the downstate festival similar to the elite eight in high school sporting events.

Only Libertyville High School's band has earned as many consecutive berths to the festival as Hersey, Casagrande said.

Hersey's title came during the same year in which its marching band took second at the Illini Marching Band Festival, while its concert band was invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in December in Chicago before music educators from around the world.

And last month, Casagrande won the "Outstanding Contribution to Education" award at Hersey.

"This has been a banner year for our band and our director," Venegoni said.