Pete Ellman Big Band NFP

Description

The Pete Ellman Big Band (PEBB) was formed in 2009 after Pete retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after 20 years of service. Since then, the band has played regularly in the Chicagoland Western suburbs. Each week they invite student jazz ensembles to join them and will provide guest clinicians. This is a way to get these budding musicians into a real world environment playing the music they love in addition to an auditorium in front of parents or classmates.

Additionally, the PEBB has hosted numerous fundraisers at their events to help raise money (and food / toys) for local non-profits such as Loaves & Fishes, Toys for Tots, Kids Matter, Kidz Cabaret, Youth Symphony of DuPage, Naperville Educational Foundation, Gil Ellman Memorial Fund, and more! To Pete, it is all about giving back to the community to help kids, in general, and also to give kids an opportunity to participate in the arts. Last year he started the GIFTS program to help students who otherwise could not afford an instrument to get one and join their school band or orchestra.

Work Sample

Pete Ellman Big Band provided Bob Kase as a clinician to Hinsdale Central jazz band prior to their performance at Mullen's with the Pete Ellman Big Band. Hinsdale Central is under the direction of Matt Kurinsky. This was in 2012 and Hinsdale Central has been out every year since.

Each week we host a Middle School, High School, or College jazz band. We do this at The Venue in Aurora IL. Schools from all over the Chicagoland area join us. We will give them a clinic if desired on playing big band music. They get the chance to perform and listen to big band jazz in a "gig-like" setting.

This year we put out The Twelve Grooves of Christmas. At the same time we started the GIFTS program. Giving Instruments For Teaching Students. Through the GIFTS program we will provide instruments to student who otherwise would not be able to afford to join their school band or orchestra program.

We submitted 3 videos each one is a little different. The first is a clinic that we sponsored at Hinsdale South High School. This is an example of the type of clinics we put on. The second is a video we put together with different clips of us performing. This is an example of the type of music we typically play on a weekly basis. The third was used to promote our latest album and to help fund the GIFTS program.

History

The Pete Ellman Big Band NFP was started in 2009. Our goal is to provide a place for students to perform and listen to big band music. We have done this for thousands of students in the Chicagoland area. In 2011 we started the Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival. Each year we host 20 or so bands from the area. We also have internationally known jazz artists come to listen to and give feedback to the students after they perform.

Artistic Vision

Our vision is to continue to perform for and with students.. providing clinics and historic lectures about jazz. Along with the weekly performances we look to expand to visiting schools to reach more students and encourage them to learn more about jazz. Jazz is considered to be America's first native music. But there were many ethnic styles and forms that went into making it so. Jazz is a very flexible musical style that can be shaped and reshaped to fit a wide variety of musical situations. Jazz has been a barometer of the state of American culture over the decades, and continues to do so today.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

On a weekly basis we adjust our program to stylistically and by difficulty to provide an example to the attending school how a professional band would sound playing a variety of styles and difficulties. We will play straight ahead swing, latin (samba, bossa, mambo), Afro Cuban, Funk, and more. Jazz is very diverse. When we have younger students join us we like to play a song like The Simpsons to grab their attention.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

Big Band Jazz is our artform. Jazz is considered to be America's first native music. But there were many ethnic styles and forms that went into making it so. Jazz is a very flexible musical style that can be shaped and reshaped to fit a wide variety of musical situations. Jazz has been a barometer of the state of American culture over the decades, and continues to do so today. We've been privileged to host schools from all over northern Illinois. From Aurora to Wheaton and Homewood to Naperville. Jazz music brings students together and they learn to work with each other artistically and creatively.