Get to Know the New Members of Northshore Concert Band!
We are thrilled to have begun our 66th season and would like to welcome our newest members to the Northshore Concert Band family! Get to know them through this series of mini interviews and don’t miss seeing and hearing them perform when we return to the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois on February 20, 2022 for the second of three concerts in our 2021-2022 Season!
KAREN THEIS
Karen Theis plays the trumpet and is a Band & Choir Director. She is pictured with fellow NCB member and fiancé Jeff Crylen (trumpet).
What do you enjoy most about playing?
The thing I enjoy most about playing (and listening to) music is the emotional release and human connectedness that is intrinsic to music. Making music with other people is special in a way that words can't even describe.
Do you have a favorite musical memory?
It's very hard to pick a favorite because music has given me so many of my best memories throughout my life! I will cheat and pick two - one memory in which I was a listener and one in which I was a player.
I went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass shortly after the passing of Bud Herseth, and at that concert they played O Magnum Mysterium as a tribute to Bud. The performance was accompanied by a slideshow of pictures from throughout Bud's life. It was the most poignant and moving performance I have ever experienced, and I truly don't think there was a dry eye in the house.
I had the pleasure of going on a trip to New Zealand as a member of the Chicago Brass Band a few summers ago. While the whole trip was fantastic and included many incredible sight-seeing adventures, my favorite part of the trip was actually performing the piece Trance at the New Zealand Brass Band Championships. I HATED that piece when I first rehearsed it with the group!!! But I slowly came to appreciate it, and by the time we performed it, I felt a strong emotional connection to the work.
Who was your most influential music teacher?
This is also very hard to pick so again I will cheat! My most influential music teachers were my two high school band directors, Dan Romano and Mark Iwinski. High school was when I really fell in love with music enough to want to make a career out of it. Mr. R had boundless love and support for his students. He created an incredible culture of respect and dedication that helped me discover just how special making music with others is. When Mr. R retired after my junior year, Mark was hired. Mark continued to be a source of inspiration for me through his infectious passion for music and through how much of himself he poured into continuing and growing the great traditions of the VJA band program.
Does anyone in your family play music?
Yes - my oldest sister, Lisa, plays the trumpet also and is a band director at Washington Community High School near Peoria. My other 3 siblings played instruments through the end of college (1 trombone/baritone, 1 tuba/sousa, 1 percussionist). My mom sings at church, and my dad likes to say he plays the radio. :)
What are your musical influences?
Honestly the biggest musical influences on my playing are probably the top players in the ensembles I am part of. They inspire me to try and achieve their level of musicianship and finesse. Famous trumpet players I look up to include Alison Balsom and Esteban Batallán. Alison's solo playing is unreal, and she somehow makes a trumpet sound even better than it seems like a trumpet should be able to sound. Esteban is a phenomenal orchestral player very worthy of his recent(ish) appointment as CSO Principal Trumpet.
What’s on your iPod?
Most of what I listen to falls under the "alternative rock" umbrella, although I enjoy many other genres as well. My favorite band is Arcade Fire followed by Radiohead. A few other artists I like are Lana Del Rey, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sia, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. I don't listen to "art music" all that often, but when I do, it's often Holst, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Glass, or Satie.
What makes performing with Northshore Concert Band different than performing with other groups?
The Northshore Concert Band has achieved a level of musical excellence that few other community ensembles have reached. As a new member, it is wonderful to learn about the rich history that has led the Northshore Concert Band to this point. It is such a gift to be under the leadership of Dr. Thompson, whose musicianship has already left what I know will be a lasting impact on me. This group of talented musicians would sound good no matter who was conducting them, but Dr. Thompson draws out the very best of what we are capable of.
List three words to describe the Northshore Concert Band.
Dedication, passion, community.
Please add anything else that you would like our audience to know about you.
I have wanted to play in the Northshore Concert Band since I was in high school over 10 years ago! Also, I am engaged to fellow trumpet section member Jeff Crylen.
Northshore Concert Band
2022 Concerts
February 20, 2022, at 3:00 pm
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
June 5, 2022, at 3:00 pm
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Ticket info to come.