Joliet West has recently welcomed Eric Wellman as the new band director. Mr. Wellman previously conducted band at Lincoln Way Central High School for 13 years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Illinois State University. He also has a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Vandercook College of Music. He has been conducting band for 17 years and is looking forward to continuing Joliet West’s music education program. The band program will continue to excel with the cooperation of students, and all talented musicians will continue receiving beneficial opportunities. “I am excited to have this many students to work with and see where we can go this year,” Wellman said.

With the band being one of Joliet West’s most successful extra-curricular activities, the expectations for Mr. Wellman are high. His goals for this year are for every student to preform exceptionally well, whether on the marching band field, at a competition, or in concert band. “I believe that if we perform up to our abilities then the ‘scores’ will take care of themselves,” he stated. As for the band as a whole, Mr. Wellman is very pleased with the talent that has been presented. He stated, “The band here at West is exceptionally talented throughout and is about twice as big as the band I most recently worked with. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together in the future.”