Dr. Stephen K. Steele, Director of Bands

Illinois State University
College of Fine Arts
School of Music Campus Box 5660
Normal, IL 61790-5660
(309) 438-8833
ssteele@ilstu.edu

Stephen K. Steele has been the Director of Bands at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois since the fall of 1987. He is responsible for the administration of all band activities. In addition to his conducting and administrative responsibilities Dr. Steele also teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting, wind literature, and music education courses.

Under his direction, the Illinois State University Wind Symphony has performed for state and national conventions, including the 1990 Illinois Music Educators Association Convention and American Bandmasters Association Convention, the 1993 and 2001 College Band Directors National Association Conference, and the 2005 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Albany Records, www.albanyrecords.com, has released multiple compact disc recordings of the Wind Symphony.  A complete listing can be found on the Wind Symphony discography page.

The Illinois State University Bands have traveled and performed in England and Ireland. The marching band has performed for many prestigious events including the 1998 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Before moving to Illinois in the fall of 1987, Professor Steele was the Marching Band Director and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Prior to his responsibilities at the University of Arizona he spent thirteen years as a high school band director in California, Oregon and Arizona.

Dr. Steele serves as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor in Canada and through out the United States and is a member of the American Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, American School Band Directors Association, Illinois Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Association, Phi Mu Alpha, Pi Kappa Lambda, and holds honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

 

 

Dr. Daniel A. Belongia, Assistant Director of Bands

Illinois State University
College of Fine Arts
School of Music Campus Box 5660
Normal, IL 61790-5660
(309) 438-8834
dabelon@ilstu.edu

 

Daniel A. Belongia  is associate professor of music, assistant director of bands, and director of athletic bands at Illinois State University.

He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting from Michigan State University, where he was a Kenneth G. Bloomquist Fellow. Prior to this, he served as teaching assistant in wind conducting at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he earned the bachelor and master's degrees in music education and performance.

As a public school band director, Dr. Belongia taught at the middle and high school levels in Florida and Texas. Notably, as Director of Bands at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, he was honored to conduct the Wind Ensemble at the 2001 Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, and, in 2002, earned an invitation to perform at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, in Chicago, Illinois; the first such for any school in Orange County history.

Dr. Belongia was the recipient of the School District of Lee County Fine and Performing Arts, "Teacher of the Year" award, and has been included in the Who's Who Among America's Teachers publication several times. As trombone soloist, he can be heard on the University of Miami Wind Ensemble compact disk, New Music or Winds and Percussion, and his articles have been published in the Journal of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles, the journal of The International Society for the Investigation and Promotion of Wind Music, the Instrumentalist Magazine, Keynotes Magazine, and multiple volumes of the Teaching Music through Performance in Band and Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band reference series.  He is alumnus of The Cavaliers and The Star of Indiana drum and bugle corps, and has served as a visual and/or brass instructor of several top twelve ensembles.

Dr. Belongia has presented clinics at the regional and national conventions of the College Band Directors National Association, and is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the South, Midwest and Canada.  Professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, The Conductor's Guild, the Music Educators National Conference, Pi Kappa Lambda, and he is proud to hold honorary memberships Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.  His greatest affiliation is his wife Jill, daughters Jennifer and Allison, and son Jack!

Dr. Thomas J. Marko, Director of Jazz Studies

Illinois State University
College Of Fine Arts
School of Music Campus Box 5660
Normal, IL 61790-5660
(309) 438-2541
tjmarko@ilstu.edu

Thomas Marko is director of Instrumental Jazz Studies at Illinois State University. Dr. Marko earned an undergraduate degree in percussion performance from Washington State University and a Master of Music degree in Jazz performance from the University of South Florida. He has also completed all requirements for the Doctor of Arts degree in Theory and Composition from the University of Northern Colorado. As a professional performer, Dr. Marko can be heard with numerous jazz groups throughout central Illinois.

During his two years at the University of Northern Colorado, Tom held the drumset chair in UNC Jazz Lab Band I and Combo I. His Big Band playing is featured on "Alive XVII- For the Last Time!" (United Jazz Artists) and his combo playing helped earn UNC"s Combo I a Downbeat award for outstanding collegiate jazz combo recording in 1999.

In the summer of 2001, Tom was one of 23 young jazz musicians invited to attend the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions Directed by Christian McBride. In addition to Jazz Ensembles I and II, Jazz Improvisation, jazz pedagogy and private jazz percussion lessons, Dr. Marko also teaches freshman theory at ISU.

 

 

Connie Bryant - Administrative Clerk

School of Music
College Of Fine Arts
Illinois State University
Normal, IL 61790-5660
(309) 438-2166
cbryant@ilstu.edu

Connie Bryant is the Administrative Clerk/Budget Coordinator for ISU Bands. She began working at ISU in 1997 as a secretary in the Dean's office of the College of Fine Arts, and in 1999 began working in the Band office. Her main duties include budget maintenance and office management, and she serves as the principal clerical support for the Director and Assistant Director of Bands.