FINAL CONCERT OF 2009 TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS - For their final concert of 2009, the Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band along with the Arts Alive! Chorale will be performing on Sunday, December 6 at 3 PM.

Sponsored by the Tinley Park-Park District, the convert will be at Kirby School, 17300 Ozark Avenue in Tinley Park. Admission is FREE!

Call time for musicians is 2 PM with a combined rehearsal scheduled for 2:15 PM. Dress is concert formal - all-black, long skirts or pants for women, tuxedos for men.

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In addition to the usual all-you-can-eat spaghetti, the event featured musical performances by:

Jenny Ketchmark - piano and vocals
Al - on harmonica
Bob Garner - bari-sax solo
Liquoriche Shticks - clarinet choir
Sax in the Suburbs - saxophone quartet
Arts Alive! Jazz Band

And a huge thank you goes out to all of the sponsors who provided gifts, raffle prizes and food items to this year's dinner:

Finally, thanks to all the band members and their families for their support.

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BAND EXTENDS THEIR SYMPATHIES...

MIDLOTHIAN, ILLINOIS - The Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band extends their sympathies to the family of clarinetist Clara Dryer, who passed away on November 10. It was one of Clara's final wishes to have the band perform at her wake and over two dozen band members were able to attend and play works by Mozart, Barber and Frank Ticheli.

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BAND SALUTES WORLD WAR II VETERANS

LEMONT, ILLINOIS - The Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band was honored to be a guest of the Southwest Community Concert Band at a concert honoring World War II veterans on Sunday, November 8 at First Church of the Nazarene in Lemont, Illinois. In addition to patriotic and period music by both bands, also were attending various color guards from local VFWs, American Legions and the Civil Air Patrol.

The concert concluded with a grand ceremony honoring all of the members of the Armed Forces and acknowledged their contributions in guaranteeing our freedom.

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BAND WELCOMES GUESTS FROM GERMANY BÜDINGEN, GERMANY/TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS - The Tinley Park Sisters Cities Commission has announced that a contingent from Büdingen will be coming to Tinley Park from October 8 to 17, 2009 and the band will be part of the activities. Randal Tietz of the Tinley Park Sister Cities Commission says “We have a full schedule this trip and we want you to be part of it. Of course, hosts families are encouraged to attend all the events, and former hosts and travelers are also welcome.”

The Arts Alive! Jazz Band salutes the flag while German musicians Tina and Tomas perform the national anthems during the Official Reception for our guests from Büdingen.

Mr. Tietz continues “The Tinley Park/Büdingen relationship is successful because it is a person to person program and you are the “persons” who make it what it is. Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C. calls us “citizen diplomats” which is a great term for what you are during these visits.”

This year is special because it marks the 20th anniversary of the relationship and the Sister Cities Commission invites all former hosts and travelers to join the festivities. The Official Reception on Friday, October 9 will be at the Tinley Park Village Hall, 16250 S. Oak Park Avenue . The official program will recognize our guests and host families and mark our
20 years together. Several Small Ensembles and the Arts Alive! Jazz Band are scheduled to perform.

Mr. Tietz also notes that “many of the band members have history with the Büdingen program and it is a perfect time to strengthen connections for the 2011 visit to Büdingen. Just for the record, the Medieval Fest in Büdingen is scheduled for July 9 to 19, 2011. The sister city community in Büdingen is fine with a band visit so now is the time to build the relationship. The Tinley Park Sister Cities Commission is ready to help when/where we can. Specifically, the Official Reception, the (2) day trips and the final evening are good times for Band involvement.” If you have any questions or need information e-mail Randal at sistercity@tinleypark.org or call him at 708-429-3235.

Having been part of similar trips in 1994 and 2000, the Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band is looking at participating in this upcoming trip. Details are still developing. For the latest news, watch this page on the Band's website or come to rehearsal.

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FORMER DIRECTOR TO GUEST CONDUCT JOLIET LEGION BAND JOLIET, ILLINOIS - Former Tinley Park “Arts Alive!” Band director Steve Platko will be guest conducting the Joliet American Legion Band in a fundraising concert on Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 p.m. in Bicentennial Park, 201 West Jefferson, in Joliet, Illinois. Deanna Opsahl of Bicentennial Park said that “We are honored to have Stephen Platko as a special guest and conductor. Tom Drake, American Legion Band director, speaks very highly of him.” Steve Platko leading the Arts Alive! Band

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BAND FINISHES BUSY SUMMER

TINLEY PARK, IL - The Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band, under the direction of Barb Abarro, has finished one of their busiest summer's ever.

On Sunday, June 21, both the Concert Band and Jazz Band opened the Summer season with a combined concert at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center. Due to inclement weather, the performance was moved indoors, but an appreciative audience gratefully acknowledged both band's hard work under unusual circumstances. The Concert Band's performance marked the Tinley Park Community Band guest conducting debut of trombonist Mike Puckett, who directed the band in John Phillip Sousa's “Semper Fidelis” and William Schumann's “Chester.”

On Thursday, June 25, the Concert Band returned to the Revelli Band Shell in Hobart, Indiana and performed for an large crowd. A week later, on Friday, July 3, the Concert Band performed at the Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks at Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens in Palos Heights, Illinois. The band wishes to thank the Lake Katherine Nature Center for the opportunity to perform and for feeding us. The first half of the Summer Tour concluded on Saturday, July 4 as the Arts Alive! Jazz Band braved monsoon rains as they opened for The Hat Guys at the Tinley Park Independence Day Celebration at McCarthy Park in Tinley Park, Illinois.

After a couple weeks to recover, the Summer Tour resumed with a Sunday, August 2nd Jazz Band concert at Klein Park in the town of Evergreen Park, Illinois. The summer season ended with two concerts sponsored by the Tinley Park-Park District. On Friday, August 14, some of our small ensembles performed at the gazebo at the Vogt Visual Arts Center in Tinley Park. Finally, the Arts Alive! Jazz Band closed the summer season with a performance at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center in Tinley Park.

The band thanks everyone for their support this summer.

Full band rehearsals resumed on Monday, September 21. The current schedule of schedule of rehearsals and performances can be found by clicking here.

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BAND NAMES S.J. PLATKO AWARD WINNER

TINLEY PARK, IL - During the Sunday, June 21 concert, the Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band named charter band member, trombonist, webmaster, one-time board member, spaghetti dinner emcee and fourth-string equipment van driver Michael Riha as the recipient of the Stephen J. Platko Award for outstanding service and dedication to the band.

The S.J. Platko award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the band. Candidates are nominated by their fellow band members. Michael joins Pam Pytko and Brian McFadyen who received the inaugural awards at the band's 20th anniversary concert in October of 2007.

In an exclusive interview, Michael greatly appreciates the recognition and wishes to thank the many band members through the years that helped make the band what it is today.

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BAND WELCOMES WEST SUBURBAN BAND TO CONCERT

TINLEY PARK, IL - The Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band, under the direction of Barb Abarro, hosted its annual spring concert on May 3 at the Tinley Park-Park District Center for the Performing Arts at Kirby School. Joining the band as their special guests were the West Suburban Concert Band, of LaGrange Park, Illinois, under the direction of Henry Hiorns. Each band performed a 30-minute program, culminating in combined versions of "America the Beautiful" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever." An honor guard from the Civil Air Patrol posted colors to open the concert. An enthusiastic audience enjoyed the concert on a wonderful spring day. Thanks to the Tinley Park-Park District for sponsoring this free concert.

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REMEMBER TO REGISTER

TINLEY PARK, IL - All current, active members of the band must register with our sponsor, the Tinley Park-Park District. Unregistered members will be prevented by our sponsor from participating in the program.

Our sponsor provides several avenues for registration:

• First, you can register by simply downloading, printing and filling in the registration form and bringing the form along with payment in ($15 in district, $23 out-of-district) in person or by mail to the:

  Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center
  8125 West 171st Street
  Tinley Park, IL 60477

  Registration Hours:
  Monday-Friday: 7 AM - 9 PM
  Saturday: 8 AM - 4 PM
  Sunday: 8 AM - 3 PM

• Or, you can also fax the completed registration form along with your credit card information to (708) 342-4290.
  
  
• Finally, you can now register on-line at Tinley Park-Park District's website:

1. Get your user name and password by sending an E-mail to info@tinleyparkdistrict.org with “User Name” in the subject line, or call their office at (708) 342-4200 for assistance Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM.
   
   
2. After you get a letter with your user name and password information, go to the Park District's web site at www.tinleyparkdistrict.org

For more information about On-line Registration, visit the Tinley Park-Park District's Website.

PLEASE NOTE that the Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band is not responsible for problems with our sponsor's registration policies or procedures.

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BAND MEETING PLACE STILL STANDING

TINLEY PARK, IL - Thanks to the economic downturn, Teehan's Tap, the traditional post-rehearsal meeting place of the Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band since the band's founding in 1987, has continued to escape demolition in a village-subsidized project to level existing buildings to create a downtown business and residential district.

Although too late to change anything, the Good-bye Teehan's page on the band's website has attracted international attention. The band received this E-mail from literally the other side of the world:

“We are one of the few families of Teehans in New Zealand and my parents visited this bar on a trip to the USA years ago. My father is 83 and still proudly told everyone about the bar. Sorry to see the end of an era.

Regards
Viv Morgan (nee Teehan)”

A search for a new post-rehearsal meeting place will take place immediately after Teehan's closes...or we close it!

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BAND'S WEBMASTER RESIGNS

TINLEY PARK, IL - After ten years of establishing and nurturing a web presence for the Tinley Park “Arts Alive!” Community Band, the Webmaster has chosen to step down.

The Webmaster will continue to donate his services to the band during the transition and sincerely wishes the band and the Tinley Park-Park District good luck in their future endeavours.

BEIM SCHLAFENGEHN
from “Vier Letzte Leider (Four Last Songs)”
music by Richard Strauss, words by Hermann Hesse

Nun der Tag mich müd' gemacht,
soll mein sehnliches Verlangen
freundlich die gestrinte Nacht
wie ein müdes Kind empfangen.

Hände laßt von allem Tun,
Stirn, vergiß du alles Denken,
alle meine Sinne nun
wollen sich in Schlummer senken.

Und die Seele unbewacht,
will in freien Flügen schweben,
um im Zauberkreis der Nacht
tief und tausendfach zu leben.