Naperville Municipal Band joins Neuqua Valley wind ensemble for March 19 concert

The Naperville Municipal Band is giving a nod to the future with its winter concert with the Neuqua Valley Wind Ensemble Sunday, March 19, at Neuqua Valley High School.

The free concert starts at 3 p.m. in the school auditorium, 2630 95th St., Naperville. Visit www.napervilleband.org.

The Naperville Band has long worked to involve high school band students with the city band.

"We want them to see there is something beyond high school, to keep them playing," said Ronald Keller, the Municipal Band director.

High school band students have been a part of the city band going back many years, when then-director Elmer Koerner would use his Naperville high school students to fill in for city band members who were off to the military during World War II and the Korean War.

Keller himself remembers when Koerner tabbed him and his tuba to sit in with the city band when Keller was a high school freshman. Keller has now been with the band as a player and director for 70 years.

But he's not the longest-term member of the band. Trombone player Bill Albrecht, 90, has played with the band for 75 years.

These players will sit side-by-side at the winter concert with players who are in their very first decade playing.

The format for the concert will have the Neuqua Valley Wind Ensemble playing three numbers, followed by five numbers by the Naperville Municipal Band.

The two bands will then combine to play selections from "The Music Man," a Broadway show that celebrates band music, to finish the show.

Helping direct the Naperville band with Keller will be Emily Binder, the assistant conductor. Jonathan Lauff will conduct the high school wind ensemble.

Keller said the seasoned musicians love playing with the newer ones, knowing they will someday assume their own spots in bands like Naperville's.

"This is the future of the Naperville Municipal Band," Keller said. "The musicians coming through high school and college."