MUSIC & THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

9/1/2013

Terese Bower McIlvain

Daniel Briggs, grand knight of Maria Council 4836 in Park Ridge, Ill., leads the concert band comprised of girls from Mother McAuley High School and boys from Brother Rice High School. (photo by John Zich)

The sound of clarinets and tubas bounced off the navy blue lockers and echo down the brightly lit hallways of St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. Scores of teenagers dressed in black pants or skirts and white dress shirts hurry to find their practice rooms. They are gathered for a unique event: the only competition in the United States exclusively for Catholic high school bands.

This past year, 20 bands representing 17 schools gathered Feb. 16 to compete in the 33rd annual State of the Art Catholic Band Competition. The event, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, takes place on the third Saturday of February each year at a Chicago-area Catholic high school.

Begun in 1981 by Terry Redford, who served then as band director of Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison, the event started out with just a few bands, but has grown over time. “I saw that students were discouraged when they tried to go up against the very large, organized, and well-funded public school bands at the competitions,” Redford recalled. “Since they knew they were going to lose, they did not put in a good effort.”

Within the first few years of the competition, Redford added, the standards of the Catholic schools’ music programs noticeably improved. Today, State of the Art continues to fill a special niche for area Catholic school students, especially for students coming from smaller schools. According to Greg Bimm, the band director at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, there are many public competitions that Catholic high schools can enter, but having one for just Catholic schools is important.

“Catholic schools deal with some unique challenges in terms of developing a strong band,” said Bimm, who has participated in State of the Art since its inception. “Having a competition between similar bands helps the students take full responsibility for how well they have prepared. In turn, they not only become more responsible as individuals, but they work harder to support each other.”

A HIGHER STANDARD

State of the Art is made possible by not only the hard work of students, band directors and the host school, but also by the financial support of nine area K of C units. Local Knights also provide trophies and plaques to participants, volunteers to run the event, and a Fourth Degree honor guard for the awards ceremony.

The competition consists of each band playing two pieces that together last 25 minutes or less. Judges score each band in nine different categories — such as tone quality, note accuracy, blend and total balance — using a 1-100 scale. A score of 50 points would be considered average, while a score of 100 would be the best the judge has ever heard.

One of the judges, Barry Houser, was enthusiastic about his first year of judging the competition. “People really don’t see Catholic schools as having high-quality programs or an emphasis on the arts, but what I’m seeing today is an impressive array of programs,” he said.

Houser is a highly sought-after professional who teaches at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and directs the Marching Illini athletic bands. “It is wonderful to see how talented the students are and how much effort has been put into preparing for this competition,” he added. “Musical education appears to be alive and well in the Catholic schools.”

The students were also enthusiastic about the competition. The most common sentiment expressed among participants was that State of the Art allows them to see where they stand among their peers.

“I like seeing where I can improve and where my band as a whole can improve,” said Blake Bonaparte, a freshman at Marian Catholic High School. “We all depend on each other to form a cohesive unit, but each individual musician needs to play his best, too.”

These thoughts were seconded by Michael Ferreter, co-chairman of this year’s competition and a member of Holy Rosary Council 4483 in Arlington Heights.

“Band demands such a high level of excellence from all of the players,” he said. “In baseball, a guy who hits .300 still fails 70 percent of the time, yet they put him in the Hall of Fame. In music, missing even 10 percent of the notes would be disastrous. Everyone has to work hard individually and as a team, which pushes them to a higher standard.”

THE WILL TO WIN

Most high school bands have different seasons throughout the year. The fall often carries a heavy emphasis on the marching band and preparation for a Christmas concert, whereas the second semester represents a new season and a fresh set of music.

According to Thomas Seaman, St. Viator’s band director, State of the Art is highly motivating for his students because it is their only band competition during the year. “They only have this one opportunity to compete, and they really want to win. It helps them work much harder,” he said.

Students at other schools, such as Marian Catholic, compete regularly but still see the event as an incentive to strive for perfection.

“This competition falls very early in our second semester. It pushes the students to learn their new music early and well,” explained Bimm. “They want to win, and it means that I can get their best work from them months earlier than I could otherwise.”

Co-chairman of the event, Frank Rice, a member of Holy Ghost Council 10325 in Wood Dale, laughed when he heard this.

“If it sounds like the bands take winning seriously, they do,” said Rice. “It’s a positive thing though, because it gives the kids a definite goal to work toward, and that helps them develop self-discipline and a commitment to their classmates and conductor.”

Developing a musical talent is hard work, he added, but it also makes performing more enjoyable and rewarding. Indeed, the students participating in State of the Art are not only learning to compete, but many are participating in band and playing an instrument for the first time.

Co-chairman Frank Rice of Holy Ghost Council 10325 in Wood Dale speaks to the audience of students and their parents about the Knights of Columbus prior to the awards ceremony. (photo by John Zich)

“Most of our band members did not play an instrument at all before joining and have learned everything, including reading music, in band,” said Cindy Gradek, conductor at St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago. “They work very hard to learn their instruments and then to work together as a group.”

Several band directors said that many of their students continue to play instruments in college or bring their musical talents to their churches’ music or youth programs. Some students even go on to play professionally. The directors also noted that excellence in band can result in admittance to better colleges, often with significant scholarships.

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT

At the end of this year’s competition — a 12-hour day that began at 7 a.m. — it was time for the awards ceremony. With a Fourth Degree honor guard flanking the stage, Rice suggested that the assembly give thanks to God. The crowded auditorium grew silent for a moment before several hundred voices prayed the Our Father in unison. Rice also took the opportunity to speak with the students about the numerous charitable efforts of the Knights of Columbus, and he encouraged the young Catholic men present to join the Order when they turn 18.

Then came the much-anticipated announcement of awards. Every school was given an award for participating, while some school bands claimed prizes in categories like “Best Woodwinds,” “Best Brass” and “Best Percussion.” There were also awards for exemplary conduct and most improved score, and recognition of best performances at each of three levels. The final award, the Grand Championship, was awarded to Marian Catholic for the 23rd time in 33 years. This honor will secure the band’s right to perform an additional exhibition piece at the start of next year’s award ceremony.

Students beamed with excitement as they went up to receive their trophies and plaques, posing proudly with the co-chairmen Rice and Ferreter.

After the last awards had been handed out and the ceremony concluded, even students whose schools had not won an award were in high spirits. At the front of the auditorium, Marian band members were trying to figure out how to transport their enormous plaque. Nearby, Knights from the honor guard chatted with Rice and Ferreter. One of the Knights remarked that it must be a lot of work to put together a competition of this size.

“It is, but it’s worth it,” replied Ferreter.

Rice added, “Wonderful things happen when students are given an opportunity to participate in the arts. Doing their best brings glory to God, and a competition like this encourages them to do their best. If they can do their best here, it will help them do their best everywhere else.”

TERESE BOWER MCILVAIN writes from Lake Bluff, Illinois. Her husband, Timothy, is a member of Lake Forest Council 1268 and her late father, Eric Steven Bower, was a past grand knight of Ouilmette Council 922 in Wilmette.

 

In 1999 Mr. Redford took on the responsibility of producing the first major Broadway musical and Lemont High School in many years and continues to do so today.  From the very first attempt at a musical the Lemont Musical program has been par equal to any high school that has ever produced a musical.

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Mr. Redford is the recipient of the Lemont High School Extra Mile Award, and the Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award.  Be it in the area of concert music, jazz, marching band, drum corps, chamber music or Broadway Musicals,

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Mr. Redford implemented the unique Music Survey General Music Class at Lemont High School, where students learned how to read music, learned about commercial music technology, learned how to play the piano, and learned enough about music history so as to be able to pass a college Music 101 humanities course.

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Mr. Redford took a parents organization that grossed fundraising was $3,500.00 for a year to one that now is a 501C3 tax exempt organization that has a federally listed budget of over $74,000.00 per year.

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Mr. Redford has over 150 students playing in college bands throughout the United States.  Approximately 2% of his student have gone on to be music educators or professional musicians, or composer, or  technical professionals.

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Mr. Redford’s student have consistently placed as ALL STATE musicians in the Illinois Music Educators Association’s All State music conference.  For 18 consecutive years the students have placed in the HONORS bands and orchestras, with 6 students reaching the position of 1st/ Principal Chair in the Honors programs.  This means that they were the absolute number one player in the entire state of Illinois.

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Mr. Redford’s Marching bands have placed in the top three positions in the Illinois State Marching Band Competition for 14 years, and took 1st Place in their class 8 of those years.

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Mr. Redford’s Concert bands have placed in the top of their class in concert band State contests for 16 years and have taken 1st in their class for 12 of those years.  One year the concert band under his instruction took 1st for the entire state.

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Mr. Redford’s Jazz band programs have provided Jazz entertainment for 18 years.  This is no more evident than by the Annual Dinner Dance that Mr. Redford instituted.  This event has become one of Lemont’s social events of the year boasting attendance of about 450 and has had almost every person who has run for local office in attendance.  His students have worked as paid professionals with the jazz band and jazz combos.

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Mr. Redford has provided performance opportunities for student of Lemont High School throughout the Nation and abroad, having traveled to 8 of the United States and traveled to 6 foreign countries.

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Mr. Redford is constantly sought after as a placement source for student teachers from three different universities.  Each student and each university has indicated that the instruction they received for their student teachers was exceptional.

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Mr. Redford has designed and implemented a course entitled Music Unlimited that has instructed student in the basics of professional multi track recording.  This course has provided a musical outlet for many non band or choir student to compose and record their own original compositions.  Often these student have gone on to produce their own demo records and produce their own original music.

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Mr. Redford has implemented a introduction to theater technology class teaching student the technique for lighting and sound reinforcement necessary to run the plays and pep assemblies for the school. Student that have been under his instruction for the operation of sound equipment are now working sound systems professionally and even own their own sound support companies.

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Mr. Redford has been the guest conductor/ clinician for the SICA Conference Band, and is currently sought as a guest adjudicator and clinician by many of his former students and peers to help their programs.

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Mr. Redford has had the resources and connections to procure assistance and support for the students in his program, be it the procurement of staff, or evaluators, or clinicians.

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Mr. Redford as added more that 800 % of the current programs equipment inventory since the start of his tenure at Lemont.

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EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

My life’s ambition has always to be a good teacher providing a great service to all I encounter.  I achieve great satisfaction working with young people.  A well-known and highly revered band director in our area once said, “The most influential person that a student will ever have other than their parents is their band director.  No one else will have that student five days a week in class for four years, evenings and weekends for performances, and travel and live with them during the most developmental period of their lives”.  This is why I have tried to administer my program in a Christian manner, providing an atmosphere that would allow the students to feel comfortable, so that they could let their talents grow and be expressed freely. 

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The exposure to the beauty and expression of music, and the involvement in the activities that are congruent to a students involvement in the fine arts, are what will forever enhance that student’s life.  The memories of wonderful moments will always perpetuate their appreciation and continued support of the arts.

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I have been instrumental in developing comprehensive, well structured programs such as the Lemont High School: Symphonic, Concert and Marching Band, Jazz Band, Lab Jazz Band, Bakers Dozen Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Beginning Guitar Classes, Music Theory and Composition, General Music Survey, Computerized and Electronic Music, Recording Technology, Theater Technology, Jazz Improvisation, the implementation of Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Chorus.  I have developed program schedules, and curriculum to assist each student in integrating the music program into their total school experience so as to eliminate, or placate, issues that may distract students from accomplishing what was needed in their classroom program. 

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I have worked with my fellow faculty members, and tried to integrate the music program with all of the other programs and activities that are presented in the school.  When I enjoy my work I feel very comfortable giving 100% to those I am serving, and I am responsible for.  To embrace and express all of the beauty and glory we have to share with each other and to support each other in all that we do is the best example of education that I can exemplify.   I feel that this is the example that Christ asks me to present to those I encounter.  This is why I became an educator this is why I teach.

Long-time Lemont band director Terry Redford inducted into Phi Beta Mu fraternity

2/13/2009

Long-time Lemont High School band director Terry Redford was inducted into Phi Beta Mu, the prestigious national bandmasters fraternity, in a ceremony on January 30 during the Illinois Music Educators Convention in Peoria, Ill.

Redford, who guided the Lemont marching band to eight consecutive Class 3A State Championships from 1998-2005, was selected to join the organization based on his consistency in his profession.

Redford’s fellow inductees for the Class of 2009 included Dr. Tom Birkner (Belleville West), John Heath (Batavia), Dr. James Hile (Highland Park), Steve Orland (West Aurora), Matt Temple (New Trier) and Jesica Woody (Gemini Junior High - Niles).

Phi Beta Mu provides a networking opportunity for leading band directors. Only sponsored applicants may be accepted into the organization; applicants must also be part of a thorough screening process. Among many guidelines, candidates must have at least five years of experience as a band director, and contribute to the progression of the band profession, either through holding office at the state or regional level, publications, compositions, dissertations or performances.

For more information, Phi Beta Mu Web site at www.phibetamuxi.org

Lemont Teen Releases Inspirational Debut Album

Tate Music Group recording artist Conor Matthews, 16, released his album, "It's the Change," last week on Amazon and iTunes.

By Amanda Luevano, Patch Staff

May 9, 2012 10:45 am ET | Updated May 11, 2012 12:43 pm ET

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Conor Matthews always dreamed of making it in the music business; he just never thought it would happen before he graduated high school.

At just 16, Matthews already has a record deal with Tate Music Group, an independent recording company based in Oklahoma. 

His debut album, "It's the Change," became available on iTunes in February, and was officially released May 1 on Amazon.com. The Christian, pop/rock album has eight tracks, all written by Matthews himself.

"This has been one of the most exciting times of my life," he said. "It's definitely a dream come true."

Matthews, a junior at , has wanted to be a musician for as long as he can remember. His parents, Linda and Craig Matthews, bought him a piano when he was 6, and he's been playing and singing ever since.

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"I started playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and writing my own jingles," he said. "I don't know where it came from. I've just always had an ear for music."

When he was 13, he started writing his own songs.

"Songwriting became my outlet," he said. "I'm able to get everything off my chest and get a better understanding of what's going on in my head."

Although most of his music is influenced by his Christian faith, his songs also touch on everything from politics to self-image.

"I always want my songs to be relatable," he said. "I want people to listen and be able to work through whatever is going on in their lives. I want them to have hope."

Honing His Craft

Matthews first started recording his own songs his freshman year after enrolling music teacher Matt Doherty's Rock 'n' Roll Methods class. With Doherty's guidance, he continued writing and experimenting with the piano. 

"Conor is someone who has a high standard for himself, so he's really thoughtful when he writes," Doherty said. "He's always trying to express what's going on in his head in the best way possible. It's refreshing to see that from someone his age." 

With dozens of songs written and several demos recorded, Matthews set the lofty goal of getting a song on the radio before graduation.

"I became a lot more serious about wanting to pursue music," he said. "I wanted to learn as much as I could to become a better songwriter and musician."

During his sophomore year, Matthews enrolled in Music Unlimited with veteran teacher Terry Redford. The class allows students to further develop their music skills, and gives them the opportunity to produce a portfolio of music and multimedia presentations.

It was clear early on that Matthews had a knack for music. 

"He was very adept at using the equipment, and could write rather fast," Redford said. "Every two weeks he was turning in original songs."

Redford was particularly impressed by Matthews' lyrical ability.

"His songs are really uplifting and positive," Redford said. "It was encouraging to me that he had this bright perspective on things, and could so eloquently express himself."

With encouragement from Redford, Matthews began sending his demos to industry professionals to see if there was any interest in recording his music. 

"Mr. Doherty and Mr. Redford have been really supportive, and have been a big part in my music the past few years," Matthews said. "With Mr. Redford's help, I was able to start getting my music out to different companies to see if there was any interest." 

'A Dream Come True'

It didn't take long for Matthews to catch the eyes—and ears—of Tate Music Group in Oklahoma. The family-owned, Christian company specializes in producing, marketing and distributing music by up and coming artists.

"I really couldn't believe it happened so fast," Matthews said. "My parents weren't even sure how legitimate it was at first, just because it was also so fast and seemed too good to be true."

Matthews, then 15, signed a contract with TMG in the spring of 2011, and recorded eight original songs by August.

TMG Artist and Repertoire Director Brianne Webb said the label is proud to have Matthews on its roster of young artists.

"From the first review of Conor's demo, our A&R team found great potential in him as both a singer and a songwriter," she said. "With vocals mature beyond his age, meaningful lyrics that hit close to home and catchy melodies, we were excited to get him into the studio to give him production that would showcase his original sound. We're honored to have him on our roster and excited about his album's debut."

Prior to the release of his album, Matthews was involved in everything from production decisions to design. The title, "It's the Change," comes from one of his most personal songs.

"I wrote that song about a change in my life that occurred a few years ago when I was 14 and going through a rough time," Matthews said. "For me, the change was God picking me up off the ground and sending me in the right direction. "It's the Change" has a strong message of hope, and that's what I wanted my album to represent."

Matthews' single "Calling Out" has already gotten airplay on Oklahama radio stations, and TMG is working to distribute his music in Illinois.

Looking to the Future

This summer, Matthews will record a series of music videos covering songs by more well-known artists. At the end of the series, he'll make a video for "Calling Out."

He's also booking plenty of shows.

"It's going to be a busy few months, but I'm excited to perform and hopefully expand my fan base," he said.

At home in Lemont, Matthews performs regularly at  and  open mic night. 

He is also a standout student at Lemont High School, ranking among the top 5 percent of his class. He participated in the school's production of "Beauty and the Beast" his freshman year, and was cast in a state-qualifying drama production. He has also participated in marching band, Foreign Language Club, Model United Nations and Future Business Leaders of America.

Next year, Matthews hopes to attend Belmont University in Nashville, TN, to study music business.

"The ideal situation would be to become a musician or a songwriter for other musicians," he said.

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Lemont native helps pay tribute to Ernie Banks

By DAN FARNHAM - dfarnham@shawmedia.com

Feb. 8, 2015

Provided photo

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LEMONT – Those who watched the televised memorial for Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks on Jan. 31 may have seen a bugler playing taps.

The man behind the bugle was Staff Sgt. Kyle Rinke of the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Unit. Rinke, 28, lives in Lockport and is a band director at Caroline Bentley, Alex M. Martino Junior High and Spencer Crossing. He is 2004 Lemont High School graduate.

As a member of the 85th Army Band out of Arlington Heights, he is one of several buglers assigned by the U.S. Military’s Midwest Public Affairs Office to play at funerals of former military members.

Banks, who was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Germany from 1951 to 1953, qualified to have a bugler.

“I happened to be the person who said that I could do it,” Rinke said.

Playing at the memorial meant a lot to Rinke, as he grew up a Cubs fans and heard stories about Banks from his father.

Rinke’s father, Tom, said both he and his wife, Diann, had tears in their eyes watching their son on TV playing at the memorial.

“Seeing Kyle honor one of my childhood sports heroes was great by itself, but to do it as a member of our military is special,” Tom Rinke said.

Kyle Rinke said he has played taps at funerals with media coverage before, but none were the same as playing at this memorial.

He said the event was a who’s who of Chicago Cubs and baseball legends.

“[Baseball Hall-of-Famer] Hank Aaron was a pallbearer,” he said. “You can’t get much bigger than that.”

Rinke was in high school when he first played taps for a funeral. Someone had called Lemont High School asking for a student who could do the job and his band director, Terry Redford, suggested Rinke.

Rinke said Redford never said why he chose him. Perhaps it was because he knew Rinke was planning to go into education.

“I just remember being nervous as hell,” Rinke said of his first taps experience, “and not knowing what was going on.”

Rinke said he joined the U.S. Army for somewhat selfish reasons – to get a college education – but came out learning the value of hard work and being self-sufficient at age 20.

He doesn’t play taps for notoriety – he does it because he believes anyone who served for his or her country deserves the honor.

“It needs to be done,” Rinke said. “If I couldn’t have done it [for Banks’ funeral] another volunteer from my unit would have.”