Lake Zurich senior singers savor on-air finale
It was a meaningful evening for Lake Zurich High School's senior choir members and one of their teachers, as what may be their last performance at the school was recorded for future play on WFMT FM-98.7, a classical radio station.
For the 51 seniors, an unusually large portion of the choirs, the swan song was a precursor to matriculation; for Nick Juknelis, who directed four of the performing choirs Wednesday, it may have been an early end to his days at the school.
He is in line to be one of the teachers cut from next year's budget as part of $4 million in recommended reductions facing Lake Zurich Unit District 95.
"In the back of your mind might be, 'Is this it? Is this going to be the last time we're on stage,' but that doesn't change the focus of the night," Juknelis said.
The focus was to honor the seniors, many of whom have been with their respective choirs for four years. While singing in front of people might have been routine, being recorded for the radio was a novelty at their final spring concert.
Mylinda Buto, a parent working with Save Lake Zurich Music, contacted WFMT about recording the show for their "Introductions" program. Save Lake Zurich Music is working to raise the $160,000 necessary to save the fourth- and fifth-grade band and orchestra program for next year.
They wanted to hear the choirs on the air before a June 1 deadline, when the board of education has asked all donations to be in by.
David Polk hosts the "Introductions" program, showcasing the Chicago area's young classical musicians.
"When I had spoken to him he was booked through August," Buto said. "When he listened to the recordings (Juknelis sent him of the choirs) he was impressed and made a slot for them."
Some students recorded introductions for the songs to air on the show. Alex Hartmann, a senior who performs in the concert choir and Bare Voices, recorded a general introduction to the high school's music program.
"It was a pretty casual atmosphere, it wasn't too nerve-racking," Hartmann said. "I was more worried about what I was going to say and how it was going to sound on the radio."
Selections from the spring concert will air on WFMT May 30 at 11 a.m. and again June 4 at 10 p.m. The songs will also be available online after the broadcasts at wfmtintroductions.com.
"We were singing our teacher's favorite pieces so that was very exciting," said Kelsey Jaekel, a senior in the concert choir and Bare Voices. "We all worked a lot harder and we all enjoyed the experience because we don't know what's going to happen next year."