When Stagg High School’s Marching Chargers take the field Sept. 6 during this year’s Jamboree, they’ll be celebrating 45 years of the event, which allows the area’s best marching bands to perform their competitive shows for professional judges while raising money for all of the music programs at the school in Palos Hills.
“It’s amazing to think that this is the 45th year of the Jamboree. Generations of students have poured their heart into this event, and it has become a tradition that connects past, present, and future members of our music community,” said Christopher Betz, choir director at Stagg. “To see former students come back as parents, supporters, or even educators themselves really shows how lasting the impact of this day has been.”
Robert Mecozzi, Stagg’s director of bands since 2008, said it’s wonderful being part of such a historic event, begun by former band director Shelley Yoelin. Directors Mike Madonia, Chuck Vaccarello and Jeff Deschler continued the tradition, which traditionally takes place the first Saturday after Labor Day.
“It’s an honor to be even a small part of one of the longest-running marching band shows in the state!” Mecozzi exclaimed. “There is also a tremendous amount of pride in knowing that several bands come back to our show year after year because of the great feedback they get from the judges and the experiences their students have.”
“Only the Wheeling Chicagoland Marching Bend festival has been around longer in the Chicago area,” he said. It began in 1966.
The Jamboree, coordinated by the Stagg Music Boosters Association, attracts about 3,000 to 4,000 spectators as well as 2,000 students and directors. This year, more than 15 bands are on the bill for the event scheduled from 2 to 10:20 p.m., with awards being given out for Class A and AA bands early in the evening and later on for AAA bands.
In honor of the 45th anniversary, the University of Illinois Marching Illini will perform at the end of the night.
“We are so excited to have the Marching Illini join the show this year in an exhibition performance!” Mecozzi said. “It’s been several years since we hosted a collegiate marching band — in previous years we’ve hosted Eastern Illinois University’s Marching Panthers and The Big Red Marching Machine from Illinois State University — and it’s a chance for us to show the students there are opportunities for them to continue this activity beyond high school.”
The Marching Illini is a group Jason Kazin, a 2018 Stagg graduate and current marching band staff member, knows well, given his four years as a trombone player there.
“As both a Marching Charger alumnus and a Marching Illinois alumnus, worlds will collide for me with this year’s Jamboree,” Kazin shared. “In my four years at Illinois, I never once stepped foot on a high school field for exhibition. I am excited, proud of the Marching Chargers, and in a bit of delightful disbelief at the colossal number of outstanding leaders, musicians, advocates, and people that will gather in one place.”
His Jamboree memories include the low brass tradition of eating at Sammie’s Cafe & Pancake House in Hickory Hills “for bacon waffles loaded with ice cream, hot fudge and syrup,” followed by a trip to Family Dollar to pick up items for inside jokes used during the season. “Wired from our sugar highs, we would carry out morning rehearsal on the main field where the contest trophies were on a table on the track, shining in the sun,” Kazin said. “My favorite job was as a judge runner, a personal aide for the judges in the press box and on the field who retrieves anything they need.”
After the sun went down, “the real work began,” he added, and warmups followed by marching into the stadium brought the real reward: “taking your home field to the roar of hundreds of people that know exactly the trials, discipline and sacrifices it takes to put on a great show. For eight minutes, it’s our moment and we own it.”
Another Stagg alum who works with the marching band is co-director Christian Ponte. He played for the Marching Chargers from 2001-04, joining staff in 2005 for summer camps while attending the U of I and becoming a full staff member for the season in 2009. He was named co-director last year.
Ponte has many roles, also serving as the marching band’s tech, media and digital art expert, including documenting shows via photos and video, as well as designing each year’s show T-shirt and Jamboree materials.
“The program means a lot to me because I’ve been around it for so long. I’ve seen the program at its highs and lows for the past 25 years, and knowing that I have some influence to build on the past and help the program grow into the future is a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” Ponte shared. “To see former students become successful in life, and be able to proudly say they were a Marching Charger is a very powerful reminder of why we do what we do.”
His memories of being a student at Jamboree involve volunteering. “I usually helped out as a band guide, greeting schools as their buses arrived at Stagg, stamping everyone’s hands for admission, and guiding them from their buses to their warmup and then to the stadium for their performances,” Ponte said.
Stagg alum Kate Alstadt, who was in color guard during marching band season from 1991-94, including being captain for three years, served as the Marching Chargers color guard coach for 24 years until her own sons became involved in their school’s band. She’s now in her 27th year of coaching Winter Guard.
“Once I started teaching (math) at Stagg, I became the tabulator of the scores for the contest and did that for over 20 years,” she said. “I enjoyed getting to know the judges. But the best thing about the Jamboree is how many Marching Chargers alumni return every year to support the program.”
She said the event allows Stagg to showcase its facilities and many volunteers. “Band directors like coming to the Stagg contest because it’s always well-run and gives the students a positive experience very early in their competitive season. The judges are professionals in their field and offer great feedback to the band staff for each program.”
That feedback comes from 10 judges, some of whom walk around the field during performances and others who view shows from the press box. “They judge the marching and music performance, keep track of timing requirements and note rule infractions that occur,” Mecozzi explained.
Everything from how the musicians sound on the field to how they – and any props – look visually from the audience’s perspective is judged in six categories.
It’s a well-oiled machine, thanks to the community’s cooperation, with Sacred Heart, New Beginnings, Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Church offering parking and warmup space, and school departments and staff providing support.
“The event is simply not possible without the assistance of so many hard-working and caring people in our community,” Mecozzi said, adding that it typically requires more than 150 volunteers throughout the day.
“I’m always so proud of the way our Stagg students and adult volunteers represent themselves throughout the day. We receive so many compliments on how kind and considerate the Stagg volunteers are, and that’s a testament to the pride our community takes in running and coordinating this event each year,” he said.
Mecozzi shared a memory of his own. “Year after year, one of my favorite moments of Jamboree is to be able to travel with the Marching Chargers down Roberts Road as they prepare for their performance to close out the event. As the students march down Roberts Road, they get to see and anticipate performing for a full-capacity crowd, under the lights, with every audience member supporting them throughout their performance,” he said. “I know it’s so rewarding for the students who have worked so hard throughout the summer to put their performance together.”
Principal Eric Olsen was amazed by his first jamboree back in 2008. “To be honest, I was stunned at the size and complexity it took to pull off such a large event. The number of bands and visitors to the campus was huge, and I cannot think of any other event that welcomes so many people to our campus for one event,” he shared. “Thought went into every detail of the event from parking, band practice areas, off-site lighting, timing of performances, movement of people and bands in and out of the stadium – it was impressive!”
Olsen credits its success to the volunteers. “It shows the power and talent of those in our community. Thoughtful, hard-working individuals who are committed to the students at Stagg and our music program. They love marching band performances and love that we can host such a large event,” he said.
Admission to the Jamboree is $15 for adults; $10 for students with ID and those 55 and older; $5 for children 7 to 13 years old; and free for children younger than 6 and Stagg students. Cash and credit will be accepted at the gate, but tickets may be bought online at aastaggmusicboosters.ticketspice.com/45th-annual-aa-stagg-marching-jamboree.
Parking is free, with limited space in the school’s west parking lot. Shuttles will be run from Executive Mailing Service on 111th Street, and attendees can park in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church lot after 6 p.m.
Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
