Greetings from the Chairperson!

This week, my son came home from his freshman year at the University of Illinois at Champaign. He is there – against all odds – studying music as a percussion performance major. It’s not that Eric was a poor student at North; he was just unmotivated. We’d moved around a bit and he hadn’t developed good enough study habits to be able to transfer them from state to state, school to school.

But he was interested in playing the drums. He took it up in middle school and was spectacularly awful. They once actually took the tambourine away from him in the middle of a concert piece. How humiliating! So I was surprised when he decided to audition for the drumline at North and insisted that he also join the curricular program. He made it onto the bass line as a freshman and struggled at first. But it launched a challenge inside of Eric. It took him a while, but he eventually moved himself into a place where he felt good about what he was doing. There were better musicians at North, no question, but Eric wanted to make sure no one worked harder.

Over the next three years, Eric had a pinpoint focus to develop his musical skills. And that drive to become a better musician turned into a habit that led him to become a better student. His grades improved across the board as his musicianship grew. By his senior year, he had a commitment to music and a stubbornness to pursue success that I admire so much. He auditioned into the U of I program, made it onto the tenor line for the Marching Illini, was the key drum set player for the basketball band, rocked the drum set in the spring musical, and is in great demand for a variety of college and outside musical groups. It hasn’t been easy for him … music performance is a difficult major. But he feels good about what he’s doing, is excited for his future, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

So, for me, it’s no exaggeration to say that the Naperville North music program gave my son his life. For those of you currently involved in the North music program, you know what I’m talking about: maybe your child is one of those astonishingly talented musicians who has always known success or perhaps your student is out there having a great time because he just likes to play. But a few of you have a kid like mine – a kid who might have become hopelessly lost without the anchor that this solid program provides. Maybe a good music program is of most value to our kids. I will forever be grateful.

For those of you new to the Naperville North music program, welcome. You are in for a grand adventure that will change your life as well as your student’s. Please get involved. Join Friends of Music, our parent booster group, and help us enhance all the wonderful opportunities our directors want for the students. Bake cookies, chaperone a trip, donate to the 40s Dance auction. You’ll be glad to be a part of things.

Most importantly, please promise yourself to never, ever miss a concert or performance. I have always told our parents that you might not think it matters if you are there, but it definitely matters if you are not.

Thank you to all the wonderful parents and students and board members I’ve come to know over the last five years. And to our directors, you humble me with your generosity of spirit. You do change lives. Thank you all for helping to give my boy his future.

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Greetings from the Chairperson!

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