What does your Donation Support?
Combined North and South High Bands:
- The DGN and DGS Bands performed in a joint concert at Carnegie Hall on March 2, 2015.
- Members of the District 99 Honors Band and District 99 Honors Jazz Ensemble have traveled to Germany in 1997, 2001, 2008, and 2012
- The North High Fine Arts Department and South High Fine Arts Department named two of only 100 "Grammy Signature Schools" in the United States, by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. (1999)
- The DGN and DGS Jazz Ensembles and Lab Bands travel annually to participate in the Purdue Jazz Festival each January. Each of these groups have been awarded “Honor Band” and/or
“Outstanding Performance” in the last several years. - Annual “Jazz in the Park” Concert in association with the Downers Grove Park District (1994 – present).
- Annual performance of the District 99 Summer Marching Band in various community Independence Day parades.
- The Marching Mustangs (2005) and the Trojan Marching Band (2011) have both performed in the London New Year’s Day Parade
- The Trojan Marching Band (2001/2009) and the Marching Mustangs (2004/2011) have both performed in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade on State Street
- Both schools annually support the Michael David Samel Spirit of Music Foundation (Established 2002) in memory and honor of Mike Samel, a South High Music Student who was killed in an automobile accident in October, 2001. The foundation has provided over $50,000 in donations towards equipment purchases and scholarships for students involved in musical activities.
- DGN & DGS Jazz Bands annually host a charity benefit concert ("The Jazz Cafe"), which raises thousands of dollars for worthy charitable causes each year.
Independent North and South High Band Achievements:
- DGS Wind Ensemble – 1st in Class 6A at the ISU Concert Band Festival, April 2010, invited to perform at the University of Illinois Superstate Festival, May 2010 and 2011, annual superior ratings since 2001 at the Midwest Music Festival in Lemont, IL, invited to perform a clinic/concert session at the 2007 IMEA State Convention with Dr. Thomas Bough, NIU
- DGN Wind Ensemble invited to perform in a clinic session at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic (December 2006), and Gala Concert in London, England (2010)
- DGS Marching Mustangs (2011) – Class and Caption awards in 4 local contests, 1st in class 6A at the 2011 Illini Marching Festival, and 4th in State Finals at the 2011 ISU State Championship
- DGN Trojan Marching Band has twice performed at Chicago White Sox baseball games and once at a Chicago Power Soccer Game. Twice named the “Most Disciplined Band” at the Northwestern University High School Band Day.
- Recent DGS Band Tours to: San Francisco, CA (2008), Florida, (2010), New Orleans (2014)
- Recent DGN Band Tours to: Minneapolis, MN (Composer Workshop) / Orlando, FL (Magic Music Days) / Washington, D.C. & Richmond, VA (Dixie Classic Festival) / Toronto, Canada (Toronto Music Festival) / New York, NY (Off-Broadway Clinics & Jazz at Lincoln Center Clinics) / Europe (Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, England)
- DGS Jazz Ensemble – Selected as a finalist in the 2011 Essentially Ellington Festival, New York, invited to perform at the 2011 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and the 2012 ILMEA State Convention in Peoria
- DGN Jazz Ensemble invited to perform at the 2014 ILMEA State Convention in Peoria