TubaChristmas to return Dec. 18 to La Salle-Peru High School

The seventh annual TubaChristmas in the Illinois Valley is scheduled 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at La Salle-Peru High School Matthiessen Auditorium, 541 Chartres St., La Salle.

Those wanting to play can register by calling Music Suite 408 at 815-223-4408 or downloading materials at www.408fineartsfactory.com under special events caption. Music is available for purchase.

Pre-registered and walk-in registration for all players is at 12:30 p.m. at La Salle-Peru High School with a rehearsal following 1 to 3 p.m. and free concert at 4:30 p.m. Audience members are asked to bring a nonperishable food item that will be given to the Illinois Valley and Hall Township food pantries. The concert is sponsored by Music Suite 408 and North Central Illinois ARTworks.

Merry TubaChristmas originated in 1974 and is celebrating its 48th anniversary this year. Created by renowned tubist Harvey Phillips of Indiana University, concerts this year will be presented in more than 300 cities throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.

Performances feature Christmas carols especially arranged for tubas, sousaphone, baritones and euphoniums. Participants of all ages are encouraged to wear festive attire and decorate their instruments in honor of the season and these noble instruments. The warm, rich, organ-like sound of the tuba-euphonium choir has won the ears and hearts of every audience, making TubaChristmas an established Christmas tradition in many cities throughout the world. While participants must provide music and pay a nominal fee to participate, all concerts are free to the public in celebration of the season.

Andy Rummel is professor of tuba and euphonium at Illinois State University in Normal. A native of Delavan, Rummel received his bachelor’s of music education and master’s of music performance degrees from Illinois State University in Normal and his doctorate of musical arts degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Rummel is the principal tubist with the Heartland Festival Orchestra and has performed with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony and the Virginia Symphony. Prior to his arrival at Illinois State, Rummel was the principal tubist with the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band and the Heritage Brass Quintet located at Langley AFB in Virginia. He has been a featured guest soloist with the Heartland Festival Orchestra, the Vermont Youth Philharmonia, the Prairie Wind Ensemble, the Rockford Wind Ensemble, the Brass Band of Central Illinois, as well as with many high school bands and orchestras throughout the Midwest. He has been a featured recitalist at many international and regional tuba-euphonium conferences has served as an adjudicator for several international and regional tuba solo competitions. In addition to his performing credentials, he also is the musical director/conductor of the Illinois State University Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble. The ensemble was featured performers at the 2015 and 2013 Midwest Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conferences as well as the 2015 and 2013 International Conferences for the National Association for Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians. The tuba-euph ensemble was the first ensemble of its kind to perform at the Illinois Music Educators All-State Music Conference in 2011 and was invited to perform again in 2016. This ensemble has recorded for Mark Custom Records and has been invited to perform at three International Tuba and Euphonium Conferences. For recordings and more information, please feel free to check out the studio YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/isutubaeuph

Rex Benson will serve as concertmaster and emcee for this year’s TubaChristmas in the Illinois Valley. He received both his bachelor and master degrees in music education from Illinois State University, also serving as an undergraduate and graduate teaching assistant. He continued his education through course work at Aurora College and Vandercook School of Music. Benson retired after 25 years at Mendota High School. He has been an active member of the IHSA, IMEA, MENC, ASBDA, Phi Beta Mu and IEA-NEA. His performance experience has included performing in the IVCC Wind Ensemble, Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Valley Brass Ensemble, Peoria Municipal Band, Prairie Wind Ensemble, King Bros. Circus Band and Mendota Brass Ensemble. He is an active adjudicator at all levels, festival conductor, and has given clinics at ISU and Illinois Wesleyan University. Benson helps supervise student teachers for ISU and works part-time for The Music Shoppe of Normal. In 2005, Benson was the recipient of the National Federation of State High School Associations Outstanding Music Educator Award for Section 4 representing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. In 1998 he was the recipient of the Phi Beta Mu-Illinois Outstanding Bandmaster Award and in 1993 and 2009, he was awarded the Excellence in Education Award in La Salle County. Most recently he was awarded IMEA’s Distinguished Service Award. He resides with his wife, Christine Benson, in Ottawa.

Music Suite 408 is a community-based enrichment center that provides quality music, art, foreign language (Spanish) and a host of community workshops, events and performances at a moderate price to students of all ages, ethnic and economic backgrounds.

NCI ARTworks is a regional arts agency, a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and expanding the arts community in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties through artistic collaboration, educational outreach, and art space development. Its mission also is to create venues which support public and private education, community events, economic development, and cultural tourism. ARTworks’ vision is to foster communication between artists, arts organizations and arts educators. NCI ARTworks is located in the Westclox ARTworks Center in the west wing of the Westclox building in Peru. The organization is supported, in part, by the Illinois Arts Council Agency. For more information visit www.nciartworks.com.