Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about the band that you would like to see answered on this page, please E-mail it to us at artsaliveband@yahoo.com

• What is “Arts Alive!”?
• Where can I find more information about the band?
• How often do you perform/rehearse?
• How often do you perform/rehearse during the summer?
• How many members are in the band?
• Are there tryouts for the band? How are chairs determined?
• What kind of instruments are you looking for?
• Where do you practice?
• Is there a fee to join?
• What are your uniforms? Do band members have to buy them?
• If the band is sponsored, how come you do fundraising?
• What is the fastest land animal?
• Who is Terry Elliot?
• I want to know more -- who do I talk to?

WHAT IS “Arts Alive!”?
The Tinley Park-Park District's Arts Alive! program was created to encourage, promote, teach, and perform the fine arts in Tinley Park and surrounding communities. The Arts Alive! committee's intent is to assist the development of talent in children and adults in the Southern suburbs by participation in, and the attendance at events and educational activities. The Arts Alive! Committee has established three criteria for all Arts Alive! activities: Outreach, Education and Performance. These activities are evaluated on their ability to involve new participants, educate those involved and offer public performance or showing.

The groups and activities under the “Arts Alive!” banner include:

• Tinley Park Arts Alive! Community Band and Jazz Band
• Arts Alive! Chorale
• Arts Alive! Youth Singers
• Tinley Park Community Theater
• AACT UP!! - Arts Alive! Children's Theater
• Writer's and Poet's
• Vogt Visual Arts Center

For more information about any of the other Arts Alive! programs, please call the Tinley Park-Park District at 708-342-4200.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BAND?
You're looking at it! This web site is the premier source for information about the band and its activities. Feel free to go back to the Home page and browse throughout the entire site.

About Us provides closer looks at the concert band and jazz band, other affiliated groups, the band council and our director.

The News page is a great place to see what is currently going on with the band and you can see how much fun we have by checking out our Gallery.

Want to talk to us in person or sit in on a rehearsal? See our Schedule to find out where and when we will be rehearsing or performing next.

If you have still have questions, get a hold of us by phone or E-mail. See the Contact Us page.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PERFORM/REHEARSE DURING THE YEAR? WHERE? WHEN?

The band rehearses and plays concerts throughout the year except for a brief break in July and in late December and early January. Our current sponsor presents two indoor concerts -- one in December and one in May -- and two outdoor concerts -- one in June and one in August -- at various venues in and around Tinley Park. The band also rolls through Tinley Park on a float during the annual Fall parade.

The concert band also performs at the annual Cavalcade of Bands in the spring which the band co-hosts with the West Suburban Concert Band and Argo Community High School.

Additionally, the band and jazz band are always looking for opportunities to play, so if you like to perform, this IS your band!

To see where we are performing or rehearsing next, see the current Schedule.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PERFORM/REHEARSE DURING THE SUMMER?

At least two concerts at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center and the concert band and/or jazz band will make additional summer dates in such diverse locales as Hobart, Indiana or the Illinois State Fair.

In 1994 and 2000, we used our summer “World Tour” to visit Germany as part of the Tinley Park/Büdingen Sister Cities exchange. In 2002, the Jazz Band played in Toronto, Canada.

On Memorial Day weekend of 2004, the band went to Washington D.C. to perform as part of the National World War II Memorial dedication.

The band is always looking at other possible summer tours.

HOW MANY MEMBERS ARE IN THE BAND?
Active membership currently ranges anywhere from 25 to 50 members, but there is no limit. Members not only come from Tinley Park and surrounding communities, but from all over, including the south and southwestern suburbs and as far as Joliet and Kankakee.

ARE THERE TRYOUTS TO JOIN THE BAND? HOW ARE CHAIRS DETERMINED?
As a community-based organization, our sponsoring organization allows membership to anyone who is over 16 years of age and is proficient on their instrument.

Band members range from professional musicians and music teachers to adults rediscovering the joy of performing music after being away for years. Many high school students share their talent with us, especially in the summer, as they expand their musical knowledge.

Since the group is based upon open membership, there are no official tryouts or the assigning of chairs. Depending on your instrument, individual parts are determined by each section. If you are not happy with the part you end up with, you are encouraged to work it out with the members of your section, the section leader and the director.

If you would like an idea of the wide variety of music we play, see the Music section of the Gallery.

WHAT KIND OF INSTRUMENTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Any that you would find in a concert band: flutes (and piccolos), clarinets (including alto, bass and contrabass), oboes, bassoons, saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), French horns, trumpets (or coronets), euphoniums, trombones (tenor and bass), tubas, string bass and percussion.

The Jazz Band consists of saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone and sometimes soprano), trombones (tenor and bass), trumpets, piano, bass, rhythm guitar and percussion.

Other affiliate groups have their own instrumental requirements.

WHERE DO YOU PRACTICE?
The band does not currently have a permanent rehearsal or performance facility and relies on the generous cooperation of our sponsoring organization and area schools for their facilities. Band equipment is kept on sponsoring organization property.

See the Schedule for the latest information on where we will be practicing and use the handy maps on our Location page.

IS THERE A FEE TO JOIN?
Our sponsoring organization imposes a fee of $15.00 per member for those who live in the Tinley Park-Park District's boundaries and $23.00 for out-of-district members. Click here to see the Park District's boundary map. You can pick up a registration form at rehearsal. The membership fee will be due on or before March 1 and can be dropped off at/or mailed to the Tinley Park-Park District's office. The fee covers the time frame between March 1 of the current calendar year through February 28 of the following year.

Click here to find out how to register.

WHAT ARE YOUR UNIFORMS?

As of June 2006, the formal concert dress for men is a black jacket, white tuxedo shirt, bow tie and black tuxedo pants. These items can be purchased at discounted price from Norman's Tuxedos & Cleaners at 17702 S. Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park. This is the only Norman's location you can do this at. Ask to see the manager. The formal concert dress for women (not shown) is all black with an ankle length skirt.

Our summer uniform consists of a band-supplied red polo shirt, your own khaki pants or shorts and good shoes (no sneakers!) Each currently registered member of the band can get one red polo shirt for free, but there is small charge for each additional shirt. The Concert Band and Jazz Band each have their own shirts. Players in both get one of each.

Just as modern sports teams often model alternate jerseys, the Jazz Band also will also don (or is that Don Ho?) Hawaiian shirts for special occasions, or just because. Members without a Hawaiian shirt can borrow one from a charter member that has outgrown most of his.

Other groups associated with the band have their own dress requirements.

Questions about the uniforms should be directed to the band director, a member of the band board or E-mail us at artsaliveband@yahoo.com

IF THE BAND IS SPONSORED, HOW COME YOU DO YOUR OWN FUNDRAISING?
Even though the Tinley Park-Park District sponsors the band and has been generous to us through the years, they are in no position to provide the money to fund many of the band's expenses incurred in our numerous performances, special tours, outreach and recruitment activities. Therefore the band generates additional revenue through events like our Annual Spaghetti Dinner and merchandise like our fundraising CD - A Concert of American Band Classics.

To find out more on how you can help the band, E-mail us at artsaliveband@yahoo.com

WHAT IS THE FASTEST LAND ANIMAL?
The cheetah can run over 70 mph in short spurts.

WHO IS TERRY ELLIOT?
Terry is a clarinetist and longtime member that we all know and love -- intimately.

I WANT TO KNOW MORE - WHO DO I TALK TO?

Are you looking for live music for your event? Are you looking for a band to play with? Do you just want to know more?

Contact us directly by E-mailing us at artsaliveband@yahoo.com or call the Tinley Park-Park District at (708) 342-4200.