The American Wind Band (AWB) celebrated its 28th consecutive year in 2016-17. Founded in 1989 as the Westchester Community Band by Vincent Furman, Gregory Hamot and John Chadwick, the organization moved to the Oakbrook Terrace Park District in 1999 and was renamed the American Wind Band.
After more than a decade in Oakbrook Terrace, the band found it necessary to move once again. The band has found a home in Downers Grove. Some of the original members still perform with the band. Over the
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The American Wind Band (AWB) celebrated its 28th consecutive year in 2016-17. Founded in 1989 as the Westchester Community Band by Vincent Furman, Gregory Hamot and John Chadwick, the organization moved to the Oakbrook Terrace Park District in 1999 and was renamed the American Wind Band.
After more than a decade in Oakbrook Terrace, the band found it necessary to move once again. The band has found a home in Downers Grove. Some of the original members still perform with the band. Over the years, membership has varied from twenty members to as high as fifty five. All current band members live within forty miles of Downers Grove.
The AWB audiences and band members enjoy a wide variety of musical styles. To satisfy this interest the band’s programming varies from classical transcriptions to Broadway and movie musical scores, marches and dance music. The directors also pursue additional continuing education for the musicians. To that end, the organization’s goals are:
- To vary programming with the season and concert themes.
- Regularly poll musicians as to their interests and for specific titles that they would wish to perform.
- Provide the band with regular sight reading and training for the purposes of continuing education.
- Continue to explore and commission new musical works and arrangements, if possible, by local Illinois artists.
- Expand performance locales into greater DuPage County to gain a more diversified audience.
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