Band Director Takes Show On Road, Martino Musicians Thrill With 'America The Beautiful' At Starved Rock

NEW LENOX, IL — Musicians from New Lenox's Martino Jr. High were treated to an experience that might top most of their music moments to date.

New Lenox District 122 Band Director Kyle Rinke, in an effort to blend music, art and poetry, took the aspiring musicians—and their instruments—away from the classroom and out into nature. Rinke orchestrated a trip to Starved Rock State Park, where the students could hear the sounds they create among the enclosed rock walls and natural alcoves of the park's sandstone canyons. The setting allows the sounds to amplify naturally, bouncing off the structures within the park.

There, among the park's breathtaking views, rain-fed waterfalls and sandstone overhangs, Rinke and 50 members of the band played "America the Beautiful" in tribute to the country's 250th anniversary.

It was a stunning display that captivated chaperones and onlookers, one parent told Patch.

"The performance was incredibly moving—not only for me, but for all of the chaperones," said Kristin Kappel, whose son plays the tuba. "Even the lucky hikers who happened to stumble upon it were captivated and treated to a truly special live performance. It was an unforgettable experience for all involved!"

Rinke—who recently retired from the U.S. Army Reserves—originally got the idea last summer while stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado. They were near Pike's Peak, and on a free day, he climbed to the top, where he saw a memorial poem.

"I’m always trying to associate music with other areas of study, so this would involve poetry and art," he said.

He set his mind to finding a way for the kids to "go play in nature someplace, create something inspired by it."

They had been preparing to play The Legend of Starved Rock at a state band competition—and so the location fell into place. Sort of.

Getting the kids—and instruments—there was a bit of a challenge, to say the least.

Rinke turned to Principal Dr. Bonnie Groen for approval and a little help in making it happen.

"She helped out a ton," Rinke said, noting that Groen helped arrange transportation and used PTO funds to pay for the trip, keeping it free for the musicians. He asked for parents to serve as chaperones, which proved to be the easiest part.

"We had the most chaperones I’ve ever had volunteer for something," Rinke said, laughing. "A dozen parents, helping us move instruments."

But there were so many other wheels in motion to make it happen.

"This included borrowing a trailer, multiple buses on a Saturday, and the students and parent chaperones transporting instruments the half-mile wet, muddy trail to get to the canyon," Kappel said.

Moving the percussion instruments, in particular, was an arduous task.

"It had rained the night before and the next morning," Rinke recalled. "We have some funny shots of parents taking a huge drum underneath a downed tree."

It all was well worth it, Kappel said.

Experience the session below.

"The students had the opportunity to see how a recording session runs (multiple takes, different angles, setting up microphones to get all the sounds, etc.)," she said. "In an already very busy band season, to plan this additional, huge undertaking was truly exceptional."

He had a lot of help—and more than one stroke of luck—that made it all click that day, Rinke said.

One student's parent works in professional audio recording, and plays in a band with someone in video services.

"We did about five takes, four of them with music, and the last one with a drone," Rinke said.

Then in "another blind stroke of luck," Rinke spoke with another man who said he'd edit the video free of charge. The final video product was shared with parents on June 3.

It might seem like from the start Rinke had an exact vision that he executed perfectly. But far from it, he said.

"I had been working the whole school year for something like this," said Rinke, who just finished his 17th year in NL D122. "I had to put a lot of different re-drafts of what my plan was going to be. The vision kept changing, which is, I think, really cool that it did. Very rewarding to finally see it and give it to the kids."

Afterward, they hiked in the park for hours, taking in waterfalls near their natural bandshell.

"Our end goal was to have students inspired by the nature," Rinke said. "We spent two hours hiking after we did our recording session. They created either a poem or some sort of visual art that we displayed at our spring concert, based on our hike or how it made them feel."

He didn't get a lot of feedback from the kids—directly, at least—but the parents said their children told them how much they had enjoyed it.

"Kids took naps afterward, probably because of all the fresh air," Rinke said, laughing.

It'll likely be a one-and-done project for Rinke, who admits it was a complicated endeavor.

"It was very rewarding, but it was a lot of work and another Saturday we had to give up," he said. "I try to do a bigger music connection project in the spring; this just happened to be the one."

For Kappel, it was an experience she hopes her son will remember.

"As a parent who had the opportunity to chaperone, I got chills each time the students played while looking around the stunning backdrop of beautiful Starved Rock," she said. "The setting, the ambiance, and the impact of the song in relation to this time in our country's history was incredible. This was a truly spectacular experience and one that I know none of the students will ever forget."

Kappel praised Rinke, the bus drivers who helped transport the kids, students, and volunteers who brought the plan to fruition.

"I am so grateful to live in a community where my children attend schools that value and support the fine arts, and where teachers and administrators are willing to put in the extra time and effort to create such remarkable opportunities for their students," Kappel said.

"The performance was incredibly moving—not only for me, but for all of the chaperones. Even the lucky hikers who happened to stumble upon it were captivated and treated to a truly special live performance. It was an unforgettable experience for all involved!"

If you missed it above, see the recording below.