Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 will be well represented at the 2022 Illinois Music Educators Association Festival, sponsored by the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA). 11 students, five from Emerson and six from Lincoln, were selected to participate in the prestigious event.
More than 1,000 of the finest band and orchestra students from more than 50 junior high schools in the North Suburban area auditioned for a position in these all-star groups. Students spent months preparing their virtual auditions for submission.
District 64 students selected to participate in the festival include:
- Emerson – Eliza Chasak, violin; Isabella Roszko, violin; Paxton Miller, trombone; Jasmyn Knipping, jazz tenor saxophone; Will Seiter, jazz trumpet.
- Lincoln – Anderson Burkum, euphonium; Thomas Dickinson, trombone; Rose Hassman, viola; Reed Maurer, bassoon and jazz saxophone; Hannah Seol, viola; Luke Steffens, clarinet.
“Meeting and performing with their talented peers from other schools across the region is inspiring for our students, along with the opportunity to learn under the direction of talented, well respected and known conductors,” according to Erica Faulhaber, Curriculum Specialist for Instrumental Music. “We are thrilled that our students competed and were selected by ILMEA for this year’s performing ensembles,” she added.
The event is on Saturday, November 5th, at Grayslake Central High School. The ILMEA District 7 Festival brings together more than 800 top middle school band and orchestra students from around the area. The jazz festival will be on Saturday, November 19th, at Woodstock High School.
Wendy Hart Higdon, director of bands and performing arts department chair at Creekside Middle School in Carmel, Indiana, will conduct the band. Ann Forman, retired orchestra director from River Trails District 26, will conduct the orchestra.
In addition to Faulhaber, other District 64 teachers who instruct these students include; Eric Bachmann, Elisabeth Ballinger, Natalie Briggs, Max Hellermann, Ilona Hutter, Robert Rzeszutko, Alex Teater and Connor Yoon.