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St. Charles East High School
St. Charles, IL

Band Handbook

Overview

The St. Charles East Band Program has achieved an enviable record of performances and has earned accolades and awards throughout its history. The band has traveled to perform at Walt Disney World seven times, with a eighth trip coming up in June, 2009. The Wind Ensemble has performed at the Illinois Music Educators State Conference, Carnegie Hall and performed a concert tour in China in June, 2007. The Jazz Workshop has performed at the Illinois Music Educators State Conference, the International Association of Jazz Educators Regional Convention, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and three times as a finalist at Jazz at Lincoln Centers Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival. The Jazz Workshop also performed in China in June, 2007. Our symphonic bands welcomed guest soloist Mark Hoffman last spring while freshmen concert bands hosted composer William Owens.  No matter what group your high school student is participating in, they will have a wonderful experience 

We have hosted the marching bands from the University of Wisconsin and the Ohio State University, the wind ensembles from Illinois Wesleyan University, Indiana University, and Wheaton College. Our Marching Band has also performed with Jim Peterik of the Ides of March and Survivor, playing his great hit “Vehicle”. We have hosted guest composers Stephen Melillo, Timothy Broege and Jonathan Newman, with each member of the band program getting an opportunity to perform with them. Our Wind Ensemble has also performed with composer Steven Bryant and John Mackey as well as guest cornet soloist Susan Rider, of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Corp Band.

Our jazz bands have featured concerts with wonderful local and nationally renowned guest artists.

The list is quite impressive:

Saxophone: Mark Colby, Mike Lee, David Bixler, Kevin Flanigan, Mike Bazan, Loren Schoenberg and Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson.

Trombone: Jeff Childs, Steve Horne, Tom Garling and Morgan Powell.

Trumpet: Tom Tallman, Mark Hoffman, Jim Seeley, Mike Steinel, Ray Sasaki, Bob Lark and Marcus Printup.

Bass: Dan Anderson

Guitar: Rick Haydon and Jim Bonney.

Drums: Chris Cash, Dave Mancini, Bill French and Herlin Riley.

Piano: Mike Kocour, Reggie Thomas and Vince Maggio.

Our band program is structured around our concert groups as the core groups of the program. We have two Concert Bands, made up of 9th graders, three Symphonic Bands, made up of 10th, 11th and 12th graders, and theWind Ensemble, our auditioned group, made up of 10th, 11th and 12th graders. These groups combine in the first quarter to make up the Marching Band, which performs at all home football games, the Homecoming Parade, and three St. Charles Parades, the Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, and Memorial Day parades. This large group is also split up to perform at selected girls and boys basketball games.

We also have two jazz bands that meet every day during the school day. All wind and percussion students must also be members of the concert bands. We have one mixed level jazz band and the Jazz Workshop, the top group, is made up of 10th, 11th and 12th graders, and membership is by audition only.

It is our goal to make each one of our performing groups the best it can possibly be. It is important that each group, on its own, represents our program in the best possible fashion. If someone only hears our band at a basketball game, we want that person to come away with a favorable impression, as it might be the only representation of our band they get.

There is room in our program for all interested students. We serve a wide-ranging clientele, with students involved for many different reasons, from social to musical. This diversity of students is both our greatest strength and greatest liability. It is up to every student to take the responsibility of being in the group serious enough that they give their best effort at each and every rehearsal and performance. If students desire a truly outstanding musical experience, auditioning into our top groups should be a goal of theirs. Audition material for these groups will be posted in late October, with auditions occurring during first semester exams. Private lessons are definitely encouraged for those students, and we have a list of wonderful teachers we can recommend. Students will not be able to cram for these auditions, as the material is difficult in order to ascertain not only the student’s ability, but also more importantly, their work ethic.