For anyone who follows Cicero District 99 on social media, you'll know that the success of the District's band program has exploded exponentially over the past several years.

With doubling of numbers in interested students each school year, the District's bands at all levels, from beginning and intermediate to concert and jazz, have demonstrated unbridled ambition, dedication and talent in the classroom, at seasonal concerts, holiday events and everything in between.

And over the summer, dozens of students from across Cicero participated in a two-week intensive Concert Band Camp, allowing them to hone their craft with their instruments, make new friends and get deeper into the fundamentals of playing and understanding advanced music. 

At the end of two weeks of intensive learning and practice, students ended the camp with a special performance for their families at Unity Junior High School on Friday, Aug. 5, featuring not just the direction of teachers Josh Lopez and Laura Taylor, but also highlighting two special guest conductors — Christian Rodriguez, a 2022 graduate of Unity Junior High School and rising senior at St. Laurence High School, and Nick Carlson, a senior lecturer and assistant director of bands at University of Illinois Chicago! Having both a D99 alumnus and a university music professor on campus here in Cicero to work with our budding musicians was the perfect way to keep the momentum going into showcasing the wonderful possibilities and open doors that playing an instrument can provide in one's life. 

Congratulations to all band camp students who seized this free summer intensive opportunity from District 99! The community here can't wait for more exciting and inspiring concerts this upcoming school year.