Dayton Melaniphy knew he wanted to play the trumpet after hearing a recording from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that his music teacher played for the class.
“And I heard the trumpets playing this glorious sound, and I’m like, that’s what I want to do,” said Melaniphy.
And so he picked up the trumpet in fifth grade, played all through his years at Neuqua Valley High School, and continued performing while studying business at Indiana University. As graduation neared, he knew he wasn’t ready to step away from music.
“You’re passionate about something, you want to keep it in your life and keep it going,” said Melaniphy.
He sent an email to the Naperville Municipal Band, and received a phone call from an unknown number.
“Hello? ‘Hi, this is Ron Keller.’ I’m like, ‘hey Ron!’ and he goes ‘would you like to join the Naperville Municipal Band?’ and I’m like ‘absolutely,” said Melaniphy.
Crossing generations with the Naperville Municipal Band
Melaniphy is part of a growing wave of next-generation musicians joining the band, including recent high school graduates, and fellow NVHS alumni Nick Cristao and Theo Christopherson.
Christopherson has been playing clarinet since the sixth grade.
“And I was actually playing my grandmother’s clarinet,” said Christopherson.
He began as an intern with the Naperville Municipal Band at the age of 17.
“As an intern, you get to sit in with the municipal band,” said Christopherson. “You’re not like a full-time member, but you kind of just get to sit in for the experience and get to participate in a lot of the really unique practice opportunities that you get to with the Naperville Municipal Band.”
Cristao grew up surrounded by music, as both his parents played the saxophone, and his father played professionally.
“Growing up, everyone kind of experiments with music and sports and stuff. I was terrible at all the sports. So they’re like, how about you try playing some saxophone? So I did. And I’m like, you know what? It’s pretty fun and I’ve stuck with it ever since,” said Cristao.
Cristao also joined the municipal band at 17, after being invited to play in the band’s annual Christmas concert.
“Then they invited me back and kept inviting me back. And I’m like, all right, well, it’s fun, so I’ll keep saying, yeah, I’ll keep doing it,” said Cristao.
Sydney Phelps also picked up her instrument, the clarinet, because of a family connection.
“I knew that my dad had played the clarinet. And I’d heard all his fun band stories, and, I heard all about just the concerts,” said Phelps. “And I’d seen pictures. So I thought, ‘that’s the one I want to play.’”
She played throughout high school and in college at Notre Dame, but after graduating, she paused on her music, and then started a family. It was an outing to a Naperville Municipal Band concert that sparked her interest in music again.
“I loved their sound. They looked like they were enjoying themselves. But they looked like they were serious about playing. I said I should look into that, so I looked, found the Naperville band online, sent an email, and the rest is history,” Phelps said.
This summer season is Phelps’s first with the band, and it’s become a whole family affair.
“They come and sit with dad and watch the band play. And now my son sits and conducts his stuffed animals, his toys at home,” said Phelps
Phelps says having the Naperville Municipal Band in her life has been a gift.
“And I’ve never played in an ensemble that’s so multi-generational,” said Phelps. “I’ve just been so impressed by everyone’s skill and everyone’s dedication. But then it’s also just such a joy to be able to have friends who are, of all different walks of life, all different ages.”
A sentiment shared by Melaniphy.
“You’re playing with people from all different backgrounds, have been from all over the place, and they have all these different experiences, and you all come together and speak that common language and music,” said Melaniphy, “and with that, you’re able to build all these other relationships that come with it, and those all flow into the music as well.”
Bringing together performers from different generations has helped younger musicians, like Cristao, learn more about their instrument.
“You kind of have to really listen and blend with your peers to get a more warm sound, almost like you’re playing clarinet instead of saxophone,” said Cristao. “It makes me have to use my ears a lot more. I’ve got to listen for everyone else and kind of match and blend and tune and all that sort of stuff.”
And for Christopherson, connecting with the band has taught him more about the community he calls home.
“I think it’s really cool being able to get to know the people around you,” said Christopherson, “and to get to really learn a lot of really cool things about our community and what we do here in Naperville.”
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