During the April 13 District 88 Board of Education meeting, Addison Trail Music Department Head Alex Stombres and Willowbrook Music Department Head Jan Bobek shared highlights and successes of the program.
To view the presentation, click on the video above. To view the slides, go to www.dupage88.net/MusicDepartmentPresentation2026.
They discussed the variety of music courses and extracurricular offerings that are available for students, as well as the real-world opportunities pupils are able to experience such as performing during concerts, festivals and contests and at community events and local venues. Music students also travel out of state to tour, and this year, they played on stage with multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Willowbrook alumnus Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s during an event at Willowbrook.
Stombres and Bobek also mentioned the “future focus” of the department, which includes having professionals perform and speak with students to expose them to career options within the music industry. Plans for next school year and beyond involve more collaboration between the two schools for music events, expanding access to and enrollment in the departments, increasing community partnerships and implementing a Music Ed career pathway.