Admin

Jon P. James
Director

Cathy L. James
Manager

Cathy has lived in and around the Sauk
Valley Area since she was two years old.
She is a graduate of Polo Community
High College. Cathy started playing
clarinet at the age of 10 and played in the
Mt. Morris Cable Band during her
freshman and sophomore years of high
school

While a junior in high school in 1975,
Cathy joined the Dixon Municipal Band
and continues to play in the solo clarinet
chair in addition to performing the duties
of band manager for that group.

Cathy joined the Sauk Valley Community
Concert Band in 1987 and in the same
year started playing in the Sterling Jazz
Band on Tenor Sax. Cathy continues to
play in the Sauk Valley Concert Band as
well as the Sauk Valley Jazz Band. In
1988 Cathy joined the Sterling Municipal
Band playing Bb and Eb clarinet and in
2001 became the solo chair clarinetist and
concert mistress.

Cathy has soloed with the Dixon, Sauk
and Sterling bands on several occasions
and not just on the clarinet. She has also
soloed on the Soprano, Alto, Tenor and
Bass Saxophone.

She and her husband have organized and
perform in a combo appropriately named
Ain’t Misbehavin’ and the Rock River
Jazz Band. Cathy also plays with Class
Act Big Band II out of Amboy Illinois.

In addition to playing, Cathy teaches
privately and judges for area solo and
ensemble contests. When not involved in
music, she can be found at the Sterling
Rock falls Clinic where she works full-
time as a Registered Nurse.

Cathy lives in Sterling with her husband
Jon. Her philosophy is, “Music is Life.
Everyone should give it a try and be
involved in one way or another. It is
something you can do for the rest of
your life. Music can be both challenging
and relaxing, you can play by yourself
for personal enjoyment or you can play in
a group and work as a team towards a
final performance whether in church,
school or community organizations.
When you have made a friend in music,
you have made a friend for life!"

Jack Chapman
Manager Emeritus

Jack Chapman began to study the
bassoon in 1935 at the age of 11
under the guidance of Kenneth
Bailey who, at that time, was the
music teacher and band director at
Wallace School in Sterling, Illinois.

J.J. Richards, noted march
composer and former director of
the "Ringling Brothers Circus
Band", came to Sterling to teach
and direct the Sterling High School
Band. Shortly thereafter he became
director of the Sterling Municipal
Band. Jack Chapman was around
13 years of age at that time and he
joined the Sterling Municipal Band
and became a student of Richards.

In 1936 Richards and D.W.
Grandon, publisher of the Daily
Gazette, began a project to build the
beautiful band shell and seating area
in Central Park in Sterling. By
1938, it was completed and the
band played a premier performance
that year on July 30th. Jack was in
the band on that memorable evening
and also at the 70th Anniversary
Concert in 2008.

Since that time, there have been
four conductors of this great
band.C. Cloyd Myers, G. Jack
Schuler, Lance H. Carter and
currently, Jon P. James.

It was in the days of C. Cloyd
Myers that Jack Chapman became
band manager, a post he has held
until recently, for almost 60 years.
It was also during the time of C.
Cloyd Myers, that Jack took over
the job of commentary at all of the
band's performances.

Jack Chapman has been performing
live music in Sterling for over 70
years aside of a brief 6 year
absence when he served in the
Armed Forces and attended
University.

Jon P. James is the conductor of the
Sterling Municipal Band and lives in
Sterling with his wife Cathy. In 1992,
he received his Bachelors Degree in
Music Education from Western Illinois
University in Macomb and is a member
of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity
of America-Kappa Psi Chapter.

Jon has been Director of Bands at Polo
Schools since 1992. Jon is a member
of The National Band Association
(NBA), The Music Educators National
Conference (MENC) and Illinois
Educators Music Association (IMEA).
Mr. James is also active as an
Adjudicator and Guest Conductor in the
State of Illinois.

In addition to conducting, Mr. James
has also remained active as a musician,
before picking up the baton to direct
the Sterling Municipal Band, Jon played
trumpet in the band for 12 years and
was principal chair trumpet for 9 years.

This will be Jon’s 17th year in the
Dixon Municipal Band where he serves
as principal chair trumpet and is a
member of the Sterling Brass, a Brass
Quintet formed from members of the
Sterling Municipal Band. Jon is also a
regular member of the Sauk Valley
Community College Concert and Jazz
Band.

Jon and his wife Cathy organize and
run the Rock River Jazz Band and the
Ain’t Misbehavin Combo. Jon actively
performs in musical orchestra pits for
area high schools and community
theatres and performs as a soloist for
weddings and church services.

Sterling Municipal Band
Conductor & Manager