Marching Band Debuts New Uniforms

The North High community will notice a new look for the Trojan Marching Band in 2006. Having recently retired uniforms worn since 1995, the new uniform (which is primarily black and purple with white accents) is a contemporary garment that pays tribute to the past by combining many of the visual traditions of the North High Band program.

Congratulations Dr. Piekarz!

The faculty, staff and students of the North High School Fine Arts Department extend a hearty congratulations to music teacher Frank Piekarz, Ed.D., for successfully defending his dissertation to the Education Faculty of Northern Illinois University this past Friday, September 15, 2006.

Dr. Piekarz is pictured here with members of his 2006 Chamber Choir and a celebration cake, presented to him today by his faculty and staff colleagues.

Muriel Anderson visits DGN

Famed guitar virtuoso, and North High alumnus, Muriel Anderson (www.murielanderson.com) visited North High on September 1, 2006 to present a master-class for musicians from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

Widely respected as one of the premier guitarists on the scene today, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship and is host of the renowned "Muriel Anderson's ALL STAR GUITAR NIGHT®."

Muriel Anderson’s unique approach to the instrument virtually transforms the guitar into a lyrical choir, then a marching band, then a Japanese koto, then a Bluegrass band, amazing audiences with her technique and endearing them with her sense of humor. As one of the country’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists, her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. Muriel is the founder of the Music for Life Alliance charity.

German Musicians visit District 99

Fifty-eight student musicians from Germany arrived on August 31 and stayed with host-families from District 99 for six days. This visit - a part of an ongoing cultural and musical exchange between the Village of Downers Grove and the German community of Bietigheim-Bissigen - included concerts by the German String Orchestra, Recorder Orchestra, and Guitar Orchestra. District 99 is scheduled to return student musicians to Germany in the summer of 2008.