JTHS Band Alumni Association In the News Archive

Dec. 2012	City of Joliet banner recognizing the 1924-1925-1926 band.	City of champions: Joliet band has a legacy of winners JOLIET — The band played “Black Horse Troop,” a march with percussion resembling the steps of steeds. A horse is built for the ground and for the wind. So the musicians continued with a flourish of woodwinds — clarinets, saxophones and bassoons. They played the prelude from “L’Arlesienne Suite” by Bizet and the overture for “Phedre” by Massenet. The band excelled with this balance of power and grace, like a horse galloping in the wind. The Joliet Township High School Band won the contest — its first national championship... Read the complete story

Nov. 2012	A cornet used as a symbol for the late A.R. McAllister, longtime director of the JTHS Band.	McAllister band era at Joliet Township High School JOLIET — The Minute Men marched down Jefferson Street to the train station, ready on short notice to play for troops headed off to World War I. The war lasted from July 1914 to November 1918, and in the final 18 months, millions of Americans served and 118,000 lost their lives. The Joliet Township High School Band greeted troops — at any time, day or night — as the troops passed through the Joliet station on their way to the battlefields. Read the complete story

Nov. 2012		Band directors define eras at JTHS JOLIET — Within the century of musical excellence at Joliet Township High School, there are distinct eras of history. Each era is identified by a person’s name — the band director who made it unforgettable in the minds of students. Read the complete story

Nov. 2012		‘The best band in the land’: A look at 100 years of high school band excellence JOLIET — “The best high school band in the land.” America always has been a place of civic boosterism. Every town has eager folks filling the newspapers with hyperbole. This quote could have come from a person who was hopelessly biased for the home team. Except it didn’t. This quote — declaring that Joliet Township High School has the best band in the land — was spoken by John Philip Sousa. Read the complete story

Oct. 2012	Joliet Area Historical Museum	Prof to discuss JTHS band’s early years JOLIET — As the Joliet Township High School band celebrates its centennial, an educator will speak this weekend about the band's early years. The free event will be at 2 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 13, 2012) at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 N. Ottawa St. The public is encouraged to attend, as the museum is hosting a free-admission Founders' Day. Phillip M. Hash, associate professor of music education at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., will examine the history of the band. Hash will discuss the band’s origin in 1912 and the tenure of the first long-term director, A.R. McAllister. Read the complete story

Aug 2012	Cynthia Stacy	Joliet Grads Win JTHS Band Alumni Scholarships To celebrate 100 years of music at Joliet Township High School District, the band alumni association has awarded two $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors. Joliet Central graduate Cynthia Stacy and Joliet West graduate Michael Holwey received the JTHS Band Alumni Centennial Scholarship Award. Read the complete story	Michael Holwey

July 2012	Richard Wagner	Musical Send-off Touches Soldier's Heart Richard Wagner, 65, of Chicago, is returning back to his alma mater Sunday to hear a song he played numerous times when the Joliet Township High School Band gave a musical send-off to draftees and enlistees, leaving for Vietnam War. Read the complete story

June 2012	Strike up the Band	Joliet High School Band Celebrating Centennial this Year JOLIET — The Joliet Township High School band thundered to national championships again and again in the 20th century, and its song resounds in many memories, echoing between the limestone walls of its home city. Now, the Joliet Area Historical Museum is seeking the public’s help in creating its exhibit on 100 years of band history. Read the complete story

May 2012		May 2012 Letter to all JT Band Alumni Dear Concert Paricipant & Band Alumni: In just under three months history will be made. We are excited to announce that an unprecedented 155 (and growing) alumni will take the stage. This means that we are going to have difficulty fitting everyone on the stage, both for rehearsal and at the concert. To that end, we are asking for your patience in handling the complexities that this event brings. On that note, it has been determined that there are going to have to be two ensembles. We'll be working on the division in the next couple of weeks with the directors and will inform you as soon as possible... Read the letter

Apr. 2012	JTHS Alumni Band	JTHS Seeks Band Alumni Stories and Memories JOLIET — If you tooted a horn or marched in a parade in the past century for Joliet Township High School District, the band alumni association wants to hear your stories and memories. To honor the band’s 100th anniversary ... Read the complete story

Mar. 2012	Bruce H. Houseknecht	JTHS Band: 1949 and 1950 CHICAGO —The highlight of the 1949-1950 school year was the appearance of the band in Chicago at the Hotel Morrison, on December 12, before 2,000 band directors from forty-eight states. The band was acclaimed "greatest in the land" by such guest conductors as Dr. Frank Simon, formerly soloist for John Philip Sousa, Glenn Bainum, director of Northwestern University Bands, and Paul Yoder and Dave Bennett, famous composers and arrangers. Read the complete story

Feb. 2012	Joliet Area Historical Museum	Historical museum to honor century-old JTHS band at gala JOLIET — The band program in the Joliet Township High School District is receiving another honor this year, after a century of victories. The program, now celebrating its centennial, has been named the DreamMaker to be featured at the annual gala for the Joliet Area Historical Museum. The Oct. 6 gala — the DreamMakers Ball ... Read the complete story

Feb. 2012	A. R. McAllister and John Philip Sousa	JTHS: 100 Years to Beat the Band JOLIET — The storied band program in the Joliet Township High School District is observing its centennial this year, and the district is proud to be celebrating. The community can get involved in a number of ways... Read the complete story

Feb. 2012	Charles S. Belsterling and A. R. McAllister discuss the score	Vice-president of U.S. Steel Corp. - Writes a Band March The School Musician (April, 1937) — The hobby of a Philadelphia high school student of years ago furnished the feature number of the 24th annual concert of the JTHS band on March 19... His composition, "The March of the Steel Men", was given its world premier... Read the complete story

Jan. 2012		January 2012 Letter to all JT Band Alumni Well, folks… it’s January 2012, and the Centennial Concert is just around the corner. The next 6 months will fly by much quicker than any of us expect. July 29 will be here soon! On that note, there are a number of different house keeping things that need to be communicated to everyone... Read the letter

Sep. 2011	Lois Delander wears the crown she received when chosen the most beautiful girl in America in 1927.	Joliet woman held Miss America crown for six years JOLIET — Tony Contos, executive director of the Joliet Area Historical Museum, has a photo of Joliet girl and 1927 Miss America Lois Delander. She is standing in front of the West Acres house she had built with her earnings. Read the complete story

Sep. 2011	This is a photograph of the playbill for Marimbist Ardis (Goeken) Garfield during the years she performed in various venues	Joliet Twp. H.S. band celebrating 100 years of music Ardis (Goeken) Garfield’s high school years in the early 1940s were indeed impressive. She had the distinction of being the first girl to perform as a member of the championship Joliet Township High School Band under the direction of the noted A.R. McAllister. Read the complete story

Aug. 2011	Robert Moore	Joliet wants to get the band back together Joliet Township High School band wants to mark its centennial with a reunion concert and they have a 90-year-old oboist lined up Read the complete story

Feb. 2011		Bowling Fundraiser a Success! The JTHS Band Alumni Association (BAA) held its 2nd annual Scotch Doubles Bowling Fundraiser to benefit its Scholarship Fund. The event was held at Town & Country Bowling Lanes. According to President, Brad Uffelmann, "It was a total success and raised twice the proceeds for the scholarship fund as in the previous year." Read the complete story

City of champions: Joliet band has a legacy of winners

McAllister band era at Joliet Township High School

Band directors define eras at JTHS

‘The best band in the land’: A look at 100 years of high school band excellence

Prof to discuss JTHS band’s early years

Joliet Grads Win JTHS Band Alumni Scholarships

Musical Send-off Touches Soldier's Heart

Joliet High School Band Celebrating Centennial this Year

May 2012 Letter to all JT Band Alumni

JTHS Seeks Band Alumni Stories and Memories

JTHS Band: 1949 and 1950

Historical museum to honor century-old JTHS band at gala

JTHS: 100 Years to Beat the Band

Vice-president of U.S. Steel Corp. - Writes a Band March

January 2012 Letter to all JT Band Alumni

Joliet woman held Miss America crown for six years

Joliet Twp. H.S. band celebrating 100 years of music

Joliet wants to get the band back together

Joliet Township High School band wants to mark its centennial with a reunion concert and they have a 90-year-old oboist lined up

Bowling Fundraiser a Success!

‘The best band in the land’: A look at
100 years of high school band excellence

JTHS: 100 Years to
Beat the Band

Joliet woman held Miss America crown
for six years

Joliet Twp. H.S. band celebrating
100 years of music

Joliet Township High School band wants to mark its centennial
with a reunion concert and they have a 90-year-old oboist lined up