The community is invited to celebrate the Urbana High School Bands 100th Anniversary during the alumni band concert and reception on April 20 at 7 p.m at Urbana High School. More than 100 UHS Bands Alumni, as well as former Band Directors and their families, will join in this historic event.
The concert will feature many familiar faces and melodies as we reflect on our storied history. Alumni from across eight decades and eight states will perform alongside current musicians. Featured conductors, speakers and soloists include:
- Mayor Diane Marlin, City of Urbana, will illustrate the historic impact that community bands have had on civic pride and economic vitality in addition to her own involvement with Urbana High School Bands as a parent and Urbana Band Boosters President.
- Professor Barry Houser, Associate Director of Illinois Bands and Director of the Marching Illini at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will highlight the unique relationship that University of Illinois Bands and Urbana High School Bands have shared for a century at the epicenter of the American School Band Movement.
- Dr. Kevin Giraldi, Director of Illinois Bands at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as Guest Conductor of America, The Beautiful.
- Shandra Summerville, Featured Guest Vocal Soloist, and daughter of Willie T. Summerville, singing her father’s arrangement of Dear “Old Urbana”.
- Bonnie Blaford, daughter of Barbara Blaford, first female member of the UH Brass Section, will share details of her mom’s experience performing in UHS Bands in the 1930s which included winning the national band competition and performing under the guest batons of John Phillip Sousa and A. Austin Harding.
- Current UHS Senior and Drum Major Samantha Christman, will perform a cornet solo on Barbara Blaford’s century-old cornet.
- Robert Lewis, UHS Class of 1964 and Founding Member of BBL Fine Arts Academy, as well as Chris Walker, UHS Class of 2021, will highlight the history of the Douglas Drum Corp and Drill Team at the foundation of BBL Fine Arts Academy and its mission to enhance the musical knowledge base of young musicians by providing meaningful supplementary curriculum utilizing the genres of Blues, Jazz, Gospel, R&B and soul in order to participate and contribute successfully to their respective school ensembles. For more information about the national award-winning Douglas Drum Corp and Drill Team and BBL Fine Arts Academy view this documentary prepared by the late Dr. William Patterson in partnership with IllinoisYouth Media and Illinois Public Media: https://will.illinois.edu/illinoisyouthmedia/beatgoeson.
- Ken Peters, Retired Director of UHS Bands and three generations of Peters family drum majors, will perform in a family quintet.
For more details about this event, visit the UHS Bands Alumni website.
Questions: dhicks@usd116.org or uhsbandsalumni@gmail.com