Ellen Singer President 2015-Present |
Ellen Singer is a founding member and has served as President of the Northern Illinois Music Conference since its inception in 2015. Ellen is the Arts and Electives Department Chair and teaches Performing Arts at Rochelle Zell Jewish HS. In addition, she is a private voice instructor in the northern suburbs of Chicago and serves an adjudicator for the Illinois Music Education Association. Ellen is proud of the work that NIMCon is doing to promote music education in Northern Illinois!
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Elise Matusek VIce President 2015-Present |
Elise Matusek teaches band at Woodland Middle School. She works with the top concert band and the Marching Wildcats.
When NIMCon formed in 2015, Elise took on the Vice Presidents role. She assists Ellen in all the decision making and oversees the content of our Rubrics and Rudiments. Elise earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana where she was also a member of the Marching Illini. She also has a Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music. Elise continues to participate in the adult band world, currently playing percussion with the Palatine Community Band after enjoying many years playing bassoon with them. When time permits, she also returns to the U of I for Homecoming, dusting off a tenor saxophone and joining the alumni band. Elise also loves to travel, spend time with family and friends, and she loves dogs. She has an Airedale Terrier Mix at home named Gypsy. |
Larry Goltz Secretary 2025-Present |
Larry Goltz has been teaching elementary and middle school band and orchestra in the Northern Illinois, Lake County area since 2003. He Currently teaches 4th - 8th grade orchestra and 5th grade band and the second Jazz Ensemble at his middle school in Highland Park North Shore District 112. Larry has also worked with High School Marching bands in the fall helping with Brass instruction and managing the live sound aspect of the group's performance.
Larry has been involved with NIMCON since its inception in 2015 as an active member at regular meetings and event participation. His students regularly participate in the solo and ensemble contest and the Art Hildebrand music Festival. Larry holds a bachelors of Music Education from the University of Kansas and is currently working on his Masters Degree of Education in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from the American College of Education. Outside the school setting Larry is an active musician performing with the Deerfield Community Concert Band where he holds the role of assistant conductor. He also performs with the Chicagoland Educator Orchestra annually at The Midwest Clinic, an International Band and Orchestra Conference and is a Member of the Band Director's Marching band that has played in the Macy's Day Parade and The Tournament of Roses Parade. He has an appreciation for all styles and genres of music and hopes to inspire his students to always have an appreciation for the arts no matter where life takes them in the future. |
Jessica Rosales Treasurer 2022-Present |
Jessica Rosales has been an elementary and middle school band director in Lake County since 2013. She currently teaches 5th grade band in the Lake Zurich School District and also offers private instrumental lessons to young musicians in the Mundelein area.
She has served as the Treasurer on the NIMCon (Northern Illinois Music Conference) board since 2022 and is the organization’s President-Elect. Additionally, her middle school ensembles participated in the NIMCon Solo & Ensemble, Art Hildebrand Festival, Jazz Festival, and Music Festival from 2017-2024. Jessica holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from North Central College and a Master's degree in Instructional Design and Technology from Concordia University. She is passionate about music education and committed to nurturing the musical growth of students throughout the region.Bio to come |
Jim Garbrecht JUDGE HIRER 2015-Present |
James Garbrecht directed bands at Hawthorn School
District 73 in Vernon Hills for 35 years and retired in 2014. Mr. Garbrecht conducted the Symphonic, Concert and Jazz bands at Hawthorn South Middle School. He is a 1979 graduate of Carthage College, Kenosha, WI. He received a BA in music education and trumpet performance. Mr. Garbrecht is on the executive board of the Northern IL Music Conference and hires judges for their events. In, 2008 Mr. Garbrecht was nominated for the Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award sponsored by Quinlan and Fabish Music Company. He is teaching private trumpet lessons, gives clinics and also plays trumpet in the North Suburban Wind Ensemble. |
Chris Monzel Judge HIrer 2024-Present |
Bio Coming Soon
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Carolyn Awe DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIST 2021-Present |
Carolyn is a band director at Woodland Middle School where she works with the 2nd concert band, jazz band, and the Marching Wildcats.
As digital technologist for NIMCon, Carolyn oversees the content on the website, and works with the digital rubrics and Google forms for Solo and Ensemble and Music Festival. Carolyn earned her Master's degree in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music in July 2008. She also obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. When not working to give her band students the best possible experience she can, and not working to make the digital aspect of NIMCon the best it can be, Carolyn enjoys playing in pit orchestras for musicals and spending time with family and friends. She also loves dogs, and has a Lab Mix at home named River. |
Former Officers
Thank you to our former officers for their hard work and dedication to NIMCon. We couldn’t have done it without them!
Thank you to our former officers for their hard work and dedication to NIMCon. We couldn’t have done it without them!
- Laura Blanchard, Treasurer (2015-2017)
- Art Hildebrand, Adjudication (2015-2017)
- Jennifer Lydisgsen, Secretary (2015-2016)
- Sara Roediger, Treasurer (2017-2019)
- Sara Kumpala, Treasurer (2019-2022)
- Riley Broach, Webmaster (2015-2022)
- Steve Stenzel, Adjudication (2017-2024)
- Margaret Delligatti, Secretary (2016-2025)