Scott Casagrande

BAND DIRECTOR, John Hersey High School, scott.casagrand@d214.org

Scott J. Casagrande has been Director of Bands at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, IL since 1999. Mr. Casagrande was previously Director of Bands at Plainfield High School in Plainfield, IL from 1991 to 1999 and at Stephen Decatur High School in Decatur, IL from 1988 to 1991.

Ensembles under his direction at John Hersey High School and Plainfield High School have performed at the Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival, 1995-1999 and 2001-2007, the 1996 and 2003 Illinois Music Educators Association Convention, the 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2007 Bands of America National Concert Band Festival and the 1997 State of Illinois Concert Band Festival (Grand Champion). The John Hersey Symphonic Band will perform as a featured ensemble in the 2007 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic.  In addition, Jazz Ensembles under his direction have been Grand Champions at the Purdue Jazz Festival (90+ Bands) in 2003, 2004 and 2006, and the Jazz in the Meadows Festival (100+ bands) in 2003 and 2005.  The John Hersey Jazz Ensemble performed at the MidWest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in December, 2004 as a demonstration ensemble.

A native of Fairfax County, VA, Mr. Casagrande received his B.S. and M.S. in Music Education degrees from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He has completed additional coursework at the University of Miami, North Central College and VanderCook College of Music.

Mr. Casagrande has received ten Citation of Excellence Awards from the National Band Association. In 1996, he was the recipient of the PHS Stephen Hunt Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching and also the Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award. In 1993, Mr. Casagrande was a guest conductor at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 1990-1991, he was presented with the Stephen Decatur National Honor Society's Teacher Excellence in Service Award. He has been a High School Representative on the National Band Association Board of Directors and was selected as one of three conductors in the United States to spend an all-expenses paid week at the 2004 International Conducting Symposium in Rome, Italy.  Mr. Casagrande is currently on the NBA Revelli Composition Contest Committee.

Mr. Casagrande is an active guest conductor and adjudicator, having worked with many honor and district bands. He is a member of the National Band Association, Illinois Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference and the International Association for Jazz Education. He and his wife, Janice, have two daughters, Mary Grace and Julia.