On December 21, the Aptakisic Junior High Alumni Band Concert was held in Buffalo Grove, Illinois to celebrate the career of Tom Eifert and his 25 years at the school.
In the December issue of SBO, Eifert was selected as one the 50 Directors Who Make A Difference as the representative for Illinois. He will retire at the end of this school year.
Close to 200 band members played in the concert, including current 8th grade band members and alumni of all ages. There were hundreds of parents, former students and staff in the audience that night. Alumni also presented Eifert with a new Bach Stradivarius trumpet.
“Mr. Eifert’s students knew they were cared for, knew they were loved, and knew they were important to him,” said one of his former students. “The band room was sacred space so to speak–amazing things and amazing music happened in that room. We were challenged, our lives were of interest to him, and we were given opportunities to shine. What a beautiful gift to give to a group of young people–a safe place to be themselves, a place to grow musically, a place to fit in, and a place where they knew they were loved and cared for.”
