Northwest Concert Band born of director's split with Mt. Prospect

The new Northwest Concert Band was born out of the split in the Mount Prospect Community Band when founder Ralph Wilder and the Mount Prospect Park District and parted ways last year.

A small contingent of the group Wilder led for about 40 years remained in Mount Prospect, while the majority moved with him to Rolling Meadows.

During its first season, that infant has been taking to its new community like a baby to its bottle, with "musical Mondays" 7:30 p.m. June 20, July 4, July 18 and Aug. 1 at St. Colette's Church, 3900 Meadow Drive, and also a number of dates featuring offshoots of the group.

The band is currently gearing up for its Independence Day concert, billed "A Patriotic Spectacular."

"There are tunes from the Civil War, from World War II," as well as from World War I, said trumpeter Randy Steinberg, who also writes arrangements for the band. "We try to hit the themes for all the Armed Forces - Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army and Coast Guard."

The concert will be followed by a fireworks show and Dixieland music by a smaller group.

"My band is 98 percent members of the former Mount Prospect community band," Wilder said of the band, which has 55 members. "We've got the village of Rolling Meadows very staunchly behind us."

"There is a lot of camaraderie," said clarinetist Jean Johnson, whose husband, saxophonist Jimmy Johnson, stayed with the Mount Prospect group.

"I like the spirit of the group. We want to make music and we want to stay together, and we really want to support Ralph."

Steinberg said the band and its smaller contingents - the Mini Concert Band, the Brass Ensemble and the Dixieland Band - have been in great demand, performing at events including the Veterans Memorial Dinner, Northwest Municipal Conference Annual Gala and the City Market.

"I was worried about the concert season when we split. … And I'm finding I'm almost in a position now where it's almost too much stuff," said Steinberg, a Rolling Meadows resident.

It's a dramatic contrast to the situation that existed in Mount Prospect, where the park district paid Wilder a small salary for his part-time work.

"Ralph was getting more and more upset, more and more frustrated. He tends to be a little emotional at times, and he just maybe overstepped his bounds a bit," Steinberg said.

"There was just a lot of miscommunication," he said. "I don't know if they understand arts groups. A lot of them didn't seem to have a cultural arts background."

Wilder said the park district made "decided Ralph is complaining about our mistakes. Let's get rid of him."

Attempts to reach the Mount Prospect Park District for comment were unsuccessful.

Steinberg said the Des Plaines Park District, Des Plaines Band Director Al Legutki and the Des Plaines Community Band Board have been an invaluable help in the Rolling Meadows band's formative period.

Following the July 4 concert, the band's place July 18 concert will feature guests Wayne and Kathleen Messmer performing a variety of Broadway show tunes.

The Rolling Meadows finale Aug. 1 will showcase the talents of popular Chicago jazz singer Leah Novak in a program titled "Let's Go to the Movies."

And the band will switch venues with a concert at Cantigny Park in Wheaton at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

For information about the band, visit northwestconcertband.org.