American Wind Band’s concert has a ‘Make a Garden Grow’ theme
The theme of the American Wind Band concert on Sunday, April 21, will be “Make Our Garden Grow.”
The concert will begin at 3 p.m. at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road. No tickets will be sold but donations to support the band are welcome.
The adult community band based in Downers Grove was created to promote and encourage the understanding and appreciation of concert band literature through performance.
Performances by the student scholarship winners will be featured along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture”; “American Youth March” by Morton Gould; “Blossom Time Overture” featuring melodies of Franz Schubert; the Overture from the musical “Bye, Bye Birdie”; “Mountain Greenery” by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers (a clarinet section feature); and Leonard Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow” from “Candide.”
Since 2001, the band has endeavored to inspire talented young musicians by sponsoring the scholarship competition for eighth grade and high school band musicians. The scholarships are provided to encourage private music study or attendance at a band camp of the student’s choosing.
They will be presenting these young musicians in concert.
Zoe Strange will receive the Henrietta Kowalski Memorial Scholarship of $1,700. Zoe is a Flute player and junior at Plainfield Central High School in Joliet. Zoe performs in her school wind ensemble, was in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, and is now in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. She was nominated for Southwest Prairie Conference Honor Band for the last three years and the ILMEA district band the last two years. Her private teacher is Jennifer Gosack-Darwell.
Lukas Phillips will be presented the Joe Zid Scholarship of $1,500. Lukas is an English horn player and senior at Lyons Township High School, LaGrange. Margie Berger is his private teacher. Lukas performs in his school wind ensemble, sings tenor in the school varsity choir, and is vocal percussionist for the high school’s a capella club.
McKenna Workman, an eighth-grade flute player from Eisenhower Junior High School in Darien, will receive the William and Nancy Moore Scholarship of $1,650. McKenna plays in her school band and jazz band. She also participates in choir, science clubs, and the school musical.
Keri Clark will be presented with the John Pyska Memorial Scholarship of $1,275. Keri is a clarinetist from O’Neill Middle School in Downers Grove. She also plays piano, tenor sax, and baritone sax in her school band, jazz band, and Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra.
The band will be performing at the Downers Grove Memorial Day services at Fishel Park. Then join the band for an outdoor concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the American Legion Post 80, 4000 Saratoga Ave. in Downers Grove. For more information about becoming a member, donating to the band or advertising in future programs, visit www.americanwindband.org. Questions can be sent via email to americanwindbandil@gmail.com.