Jazz Band to perform at Spotlight Gala
Pictured is the Elmhurst College Jazz Band which plays regularly under the direction of Doug Beach, head of the Jazz Music Program. The Elmhurst Centre for the Performing Arts (ECPA) is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Elmhurst Art Museum, where the jazz band will provide music. To hear the band and help support the ECPA, tickets can be purchased by visiting squareup.com/store/elmhurst-centre-for-performing-arts.
Jazz Band to perform at Spotlight Gala on Sept. 30
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
If there’s one person who might look forward to a new performing arts center in Elmhurst, it would be Doug Beach, Chair of the Jazz Music Department at Elmhurst College, leader of the Jazz Band, and founder of the annual Elmhurst College Jazz Fest that comes to the campus every year in late February.
The Independent caught up Beach last week to seek his opinion and thoughts on the planned Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA). Beach is bringing the Elmhurst College Jazz Band to perform at the ECPA Spotlight Gala scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Elmhurst Art Museum, beginning at 7 p.m. The evening will include music, song and dance, along with a gourmet buffet and live auction.
“Well, it’s completely out of my hands,” Beach told the Independent in an exclusive interview. “But any other venue for entertainment in the City can only be a good thing.”
Asked about some of the features planned at the ECPA, Beach found it interesting that there would be classrooms to give lessons and ways to work in small groups.
Having grown up in Broadview, Beach attended Proviso East High School and then did his undergraduate work at Milliken University.
“Right after that, I went on the road,” he said “If I had a chance to perform, that’s what I did. I was able to begin teaching after college, too.”
Beach began his interest in a music career at a very young age, starting in the 4th grade. He was part of a jazz band in the 5th and 6th grade.
“I think we’re fortunate that children can begin learning music in grades K-8,” he said “In most school districts, there is a program that includes instruments for those who don’t have them.”
Writing music is his main focus and he has proven to be no slouch, having won a Grammy in 1996 for a piece he wrote for the Count Basie Orchestra. It took the award for “Best Large Jazz Band Performance.” In 2003, Beach was presented with the President’s Award of Excellence at Elmhurst College, given by former College President Dr. Allan Ray. This goes to show how much of an impact music has on the world and how important it is to be in tune with how it is written, new writers can learn more here about how this factors in, so they can create a piece that has meaning and depth.
The Jazz Band frequently goes on tour around the country and in Europe. Most recently, they were able to perform in France and Italy. Sometimes they are invited to go on tour.
“Last fall, Doc Severinsen called us and asked us to join his tour,” Beach said. “That was nice, that he contacted us.”
The Elmhurst College Jazz Festival celebrated its 50th year in 2016 and Dick Johnson, an NBC news personality in Chicago, took part in hosting the event. In return, the band played for a benefit when Johnson asked.
“There are so many opportunities to study music here at the college,” Beach said. “We have two concert bands, an orchestra, 10 combos, and two jazz bands, and that doesn’t include vocal music programs.”
The jazz band stays busy performing all the time, in fact, Beach said they were booked every weekend until sometime in November. This just goes to show the impact that music programs have on society, however, so many kids do not have access to music programs or education, luckily there are resources out there for them in the form of savethemusic.org. Educators can click here for more info to see if this can be applied to their schools, so hopefully, kids have a chance to be booked every weekend for their music too.
One of those busy weekends coming up will be Saturday, Sept. 30 when the Jazz Band plays at the ECPA Spotlight Gala. For an opportunity to hear the band and see Beach and his musicians in action, get tickets by visiting squareup.com/store/elmhurst-centre-for-performing-arts.
Proceeds go to the Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA), an initiative to build a center for music, theater, dance, and comedy in downtown Elmhurst. ECPA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
