Beloved Prospect Heights band instructor retiring after 40 years
Not many people stay at the same job for 40 years - especially one involving adolescents - but Dave Thomas, the MacArthur Middle School band director, has stuck around to teach generations of children how to excel as musicians.
Thomas is retiring from the Prospect Heights school after almost four decades.
Thomas, 63, of Wheeling, didn't start out as a music major. He played flute in his high school band, and played piano since grade school, but as an undergraduate at Illinois Wesleyan University, he planned to be a math teacher.
However, after seeing how much fun his friend was having as a music major, Dave changed course.
"I chose it because honestly, its something I thought would be fun, instead of work," said Thomas. Three years after graduating, Thomas took the band job at MacArthur.
He's been there ever since, leading the concert and jazz bands to consistent success: A MacArthur band has finished in first place at the Illinois Grade School Music Association competition every year but one since 1972.
For the last two years, a MacArthur band has won all-state honors from the IGSMA.
MacArthur's middle school band has also qualified four times for the prestigious Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival, hosted by the University of Illinois School of Music.
MacArthur will perform at Superstate this year on May 7 and 8.
"Just being selected for Superstate is a great honor," said Thomas.
Middle school musicians are at a difficult point in their adolescence, but Thomas loves the opportunity to improve their skills.
"Middle schoolers are always going to need people dedicated to them," he said. "The strongest teachers should be at the middle school level."
"You have to get them to know you are on their side. I'm pretty demanding, but I encourage them to do better than they think they can, and I teach them to be a team - and that's a skill they can take anywhere."
"I love the fact that you can start with a disaster, but step by step it falls into place and turns into something great."
MacArthur's band feeds into John Hersey High School's acclaimed band program, led by Director Scott Casagrande. Students who come from Dave Thomas play a huge role in maintaining Hersey's excellence, Casagrande says.
"Dave is an outstanding musician and more importantly, cares a great deal about his kids. He's very committed to getting them to a high level, said Casagrande.
Carrie Voltz played in the MacArthur band as a student, and now her daughter is in it.
"Helping a child be a success at something is one of the best gifts we can give children to grow up to be happy successful adults," Voltz said.
Thomas met his wife, Gayle, at MacArthur, where she also has worked for decades. Gayle Thomas is an 8th grade reading and language teacher at MacArthur who is retiring this year too.
Prospect Heights District 23 offered a retirement deal to veteran teachers that Dave and Gayle couldn't pass up, and they plan to travel.
His replacement will have some large shoes to fill.
"No one will be able to replace Dave Thomas as a person," says MacArthur Principal Steve Lee.
Thomas offers this advice to his undetermined successor:
"You have to love what you are doing, and believe what you offer is important. Teaching needs to be a career, not a job."
Even in retirement, Thomas will try to remain in music.
"I hope I can start some kind of community band. I can't see myself not doing something in music," said Thomas.
To see Thomas conduct the MacArthur band locally, they will be one of three middle school bands playing at the Chicagoland Invitational Concert Band Festival hosted by John Hersey High School on Saturday, April 10.