Keeping the beat: one of the first black students of the All-City Performing Groups is giving back what he learned through the program

Chicago Reporter, The, June, 2004 by Paula Wills

One Saturday morning in March, a group of black and Latino students dressed in baggy jeans and sports shirts were standing in a semi-circle on the second floor of Gallery 37. Members of the All-City High School Jazz Band, they were focused on the words of William McClellan, a sharply dressed, Chicago Public Schools and jazz veteran. Their jazz rehearsal was supposed to have ended five minutes earlier, but these young musicians, hanging on to every one of McClellan's words, couldn't care less about the hands on a clock.

"Ba dada dam, ba da da dam. That's what you guys weren't doing," said McClellan, a trumpet master, trying to articulate the correct rhythm to the students. Although he's not a singer, McClellan often uses his voice to express the subtleties of music. The students, clutching trombones and trumpets, listened intently. Then they applied the rhythm to the notes they appeared to know by heart--this time, nailing the tune to McClellan's satisfaction.

For the last six months, McClellan and his colleagues, Dale Crane and Larry Polk, have been rehearsing jazz standards with these students every Saturday in preparation for the group's biggest event of the year: a concert at Symphony Center.

Their band is one of the integral units of the All-City Performing Groups, a city-run program that provides 550 students with an opportunity to receive free training in the performing arts. Begun 41 years ago, as a chorus and concert band, All-City now has nine programs that cover disciplines in jazz, symphonic orchestra, chorus and dance on both the elementary and high school levels.

McClellan, 54, is an All-City product himself: He was one of the first black students in the All-City Concert Band in 1965. He went on to earn a degree in education from Northeastern Illinois University, and since 1971 has taught music at nine different high schools. For the last nine years, he has also been All-City's conductor and a source of inspiration to hundreds of students.

"He's a great teacher. He was the one who inspired me to get serious about music," said David Flowers, 19, an All-City alumnus who is majoring in music education and jazz studies at Northern Illinois University. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Last year, after McClellan became an assistant principal at Kenwood Academy High School, he stepped down as the jazz band's conductor. But he continues to dedicate himself, without any financial compensation, to educating young musicians every Saturday.

McClellan recently talked with The Chicago Reporter about his All-City experiences.

What's your motivation in getting involved in All-City?

For me, it is the ability to share music with some fine musicians. Music kids are extraordinary individuals. They do everything that a kid does on regular day--plus, they put in from one to four hours practicing. They will be here on Saturdays. So it's the music and the social aspect of us getting together and just watching these kids. They are just some marvelous, marvelous ladies and gentlemen. This is something that I enjoy doing.

What role does All-City play in students' lives?

Kids want places to go. They can't go to certain areas because they are gang-affiliated areas, or the kids are the wrong color or live on the wrong street. Kids come because they really enjoy what they are doing. They focus on their music, which also helps them get away from some of the situations that go on [around them]. You would be surprised at the number of life-long, close friendships that come out of here.

With hip hop taking over the music scene, why teach jazz? What does it do for kids that other forms of music don't do?

It's the self-expression that you get into. Symphonic musicians admire jazz musicians because jazz allows much more expression. It is not as easy as people make it out to be--to he able to look at a blank sheet of paper with a couple of chord changes on it and create beautiful and complex melodies and phrases from your mind while staying in key and rhythm.

Some would argue that hip hop allows self-expression as well.

Hip hop is a form of self-expression. My only problem is the negative connotation, the demeaning nature towards woman, [the references] to gangs, the use of profanity.

I have no problem with hip hop as long as it is not negative. It's here to stay, I think--I agree with Quincy Jones on that. I think rap is here to stay. But you would be surprised at the number of students who don't like it.

Tell me your own experience as an All-City student.

It was a culture shock for me. I was the only black guy in it. All-City had about 120 students, and [they were] majority white. Most of the students came from North Side schools. I came from Wendell Phillips [at 244 E. Pershing Road]. It was all black. I went with my morn to Hyde Park High School to audition. It was half white, half black in 1964. Mr. Acremen, the All-City Band Concert Band director at the time, said he liked me because I didn't bow my head down. I looked him in the eye when he asked me a question. But that was the way my family raised me. He liked that and he put me in the band.