Special Opportunities

In addition to the many curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular offerings available at ETHS, there are many additional special events and programs that exist which are sponsored by our program or outside of our program. We encourage our students to explore these opportunities to enrich their music experience! For more details, click the links on the right of this page.

It is with great pride that we announce the acceptance of the ETHS Wind Symphony to the prestigious Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival. Held at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Champaign-Urbana on May 10th, the Wind Symphony will perform on the home stage of the U of I Fine Arts programs, the same stage that was once used by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to record several albums. Our band was chosen as one of seven in the "Class AAAA" category by an anonymous refereed submission process made up of a panel of college band directors from across the country. They will perform for several distinguished evaluators from major universities and service bands (including Col. John Bourgeois, retired conductor of the President's Own United States Marine Band) in front of an audience of their musical peers. This marks the FIRST EVER performance for Evanston Township at this event, placing them alongside the very best high school bands from throughout the state.

Special Opportunities for ETHS Bands

University of Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival

Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA)

The Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) is Illinois' professional organization for music educators. This organization promotes, cultivates, and guides public school music education in the state of Illinois through professional development for teachers and elite performance experiences for students.

Each fall, the 9 districts in Illinois host auditions during the month of October to determine acceptance into district level honor bands, orchestras, choirs, jazz choirs, jazz bands, and jazz combos. These auditions also serve as the determining gateway for inclusion in the annual All-State performing ensembles, who rehearse and perform during the annual ILMEA Conference held in Peoria each January.

The mission of the Illinois Music Education Association is to promote lifelong music learning and to provide leadership for music education.

The ILMEA sponsors and organizes performance festival experiences for the student musicians of Illinois.
The ILMEA provides professional growth opportunities for the music educators of Illinois.
The ILMEA remains current regarding emerging issues in the music profession and disseminates that information to the music education community.
The ILMEA promotes and supports music as a vital component in the complete education of every child in school.

ETHS Auditioning Procedures

In the District 7 ILMEA region, of which ETHS is a participating school, there is a limit of 16 student auditioners per discipline (winds and percussion, jazz, choir, vocal jazz, choir). As a school, we often have more than 16 students per discipline who are interested in auditioning at the district level. Because of this, our department must first determine student interest and administer an internal audition process in advance of the ILMEA District 7 audition entry deadline. If you are interested in auditioning for ILMEA, please fill out the ETHS ILMEA Band/Jazz Audition Interest Form at the link below.

QUICK LINKS

ILMEA Organization Pages
ILMEA Website
District 7 Audition Dates and Locations

Wind and Percussion Auditioning Information from the ILMEA Website:
Concert Band & Orchestra Wind and Percussion Procedures
Concert Band & Orchestra Wind and Percussion Audition Etude Listing
Concert Band & Orchestra Wind and Percussion Scale Sheets

Wind and Percussion Audition Music and Recordings
Concert Band & Orchestra Wind and Percussion Audition Materials

Jazz Band Auditioning Information from the ILMEA Website:
Jazz Band Procedures
Jazz Band Audition Etude Listing

Honors Recital

The ETHS Music Department hosts an annual Honors Recital each January in order to showcase our outstanding student musicians. The event is made up of solo and small ensemble performances with equal representation across all four grade levels. This special performance affords students the opportunity to display their talents in our main auditorium. The event is followed by a reception in our auditorium lobby.

Senior Soloist

Senior Soloists are featured on the final band, choir, and orchestra concerts of the year at ETHS. The finest senior auditions garner the honor of rehearsing and performing with band, choir, or orchestral accompaniment.

Honors Recital Auditions

Auditions for the Honors Recital take place during the month of November in the ETHS choir room. The auditions are evaluated by the ETHS music staff. For a list of accompanists, follow the link below.

Tuba Christmas is an annual event that brings tuba and euphonium players together each December to perform holiday music in a live concert setting. Hundreds of venues worldwide attract thousands of musicians from students to senior citizens to take part in this special event.
The Chicago Tuba Christmas occurs each year at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago on the last Saturday of December prior to Christmas, in conjunction with the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.
For more information, visit www.tubachristmas.com or ask Mr. Bufis.

Tuba Christmas ETHS Band in the Press!

In December of 2013, and 2014, several members of the ETHS tuba and euphonium section were featured in an article for the Evanston Review/Chicago Sun Times newspaper for their participation in the 40th and 41st annual Tuba Christmas concerts. For more info, click the links below!

Tuba Christmas Article and Video - 2013

In December of 2014, 15 members (a new record!) of the ETHS tuba and euphonium section were featured in another article for the Evanston Review/Chicago Sun Times/Tribune Local newspapers for their participation in the 41st annual Tuba Christmas. For more info, click the link below!

Tuba Christmas Article and Video - 2014

The Northshore Honor Band is an elite performance opportunity for Northshore Chicago-area high school students. Two grade-level ensembles are assembled based on director nomination to fill the instrumentation in Freshmen/Sophomore and Junior/Senior bands. These students get to work with accomplished guest conductors in two extended rehearsals followed by a concert. The Northshore consortium of schools also contribute to a fund which is used to commission new works for the concert band idiom - an initiative that enables the Northshore Honor Band students to premiere a new work for band every two years. Participating high schools include ETHS, Deerfield, Glenbrook North and South, New Trier, Highland Park, Niles North, Niles West, Lake Forest, and Stevenson.

Nomination Process

During November, Northshore area high school directors are asked to complete a nomination form, prompting the selection of the two highest seated 9th/10th graders and 11th/12th graders enrolled in high school band in each instrument section from Piccolo through Percussion. The band is assembled giving equal representation from each of the participating schools, prioritizing student accolades such as ILMEA as the primary criteria, followed by participation in external ensembles like Merit Academy, CYSO, MYA, etc., and chair placement in high school band. Directors and students are notified of acceptance in early December and are given their music for home practice prior to winter break.

Commissioning Project

The Northshore consortium of schools contribute to a fund which is used to commission new works for the concert band idiom - an initiative that enables the Northshore Honor Band students to premiere a new work for band every two years. This program not only creates a very special opportunity for our students to work with a professional composer, but enables the Northshore Chicago-area to contribute to the cultivation of new works for concert band, a performance medium that is quite young in comparison to its orchestral and choral counterparts.

Past Commissions:
2009: Northshore Fanfare - Reber Clark
2014: Ode To The Spirit Of Man - James Curnow

Northshore Honor Band Information

Please check the Northshore Honor Band website at www.nshb.org for up to date information.

The Northshore Concert Band is an elite community band made up of community members and music educators from the Chicago suburbs. Lead by Northwestern University conductor Dr. Mallory Thompson, this ensemble performs at many concerts and public events throughout Chicagoland.

Each February, the Northshore Concert Band invites high school students to rehearse and perform with them on one of their concerts. Selected by director and private teacher recommendation, this event welcomes dozens of teenagers to the stage at Pick-Stager Hall on Northwestern University's campus. For more information, click on this Lifetime of Music link.

Festival Information

The Annual ETHS Solo & Ensemble Festival provides ETHS music students the opportunity to prepare and perform individual and chamber selections for an audience and adjudicator. Every solo and ensemble event is evaluated by a qualified judge, who will present both written and verbal comments and rating for each performance.

Solo Events

Students who select to perform a solo should select material appropriate for their ability level. Solos should be more than simple exercises or etudes from a method book. Memorization is not required, but recommended.

The adjudicator MUST be supplied with an original, numbered score of your selection.

Solos with accompaniment MUST be accompanied at the festival.
If you need help finding an accompanist, please ask us for names of available pianists. You will need to arrange for this BEFORE selecting performance times.

Ensemble Events

Please include ALL ensemble member names on the form. The ensemble entry fee is $15, regardless of the size of the group.

FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE

Every event will have 8-10 minutes to enter, perform, and receive a brief verbal clinic by the adjudicator. The performance is open audience members, so encourage your family and friends to come and listen!

DRESS

Although this festival is “in-house,” it is appropriate to dress nicely for your performance. For men, a dress shirt (with optional tie) and slacks would be appropriate. For women, a blouse and skirt or pants would be appropriate.

ETHS Bands