Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Marching Band

Biography

The Northwestern University band program began in 1926 with the first Northwestern Director of Bands, Glenn Cliffe Bainum. Peter Christian Lutkin was dean of the School of Music when Bainum arrived at Northwestern. The School of Music was previously the Conservatory of Music, which Lutkin took charge of and expanded starting in 1891.

Though the School of Music was already well-established upon Bainum’s arrival, the Marching Band program was struggling with only 13 members. By 1928, Bainum had expanded the program to over 100 members. During this time, the Marching Band and Concert Bands were the same group, and this group also played at graduation each year, in an ensemble they called Commencement Band. Bainum became the first person to hold Northwestern’s Director of Bands position, which meant he was in charge of the entire band program, from running the marching band to teaching conducting, arranging, instrumentation, and technique classes. Bainum also worked with (and involved NU with) music organizations outside the university, such as the All-College Band and the North Shore Music Festival. He also conducted concerts in Grant Park and other Chicago parks and had various guest conducting appearances. In addition, Bainum held the positions of Associate Conductor (to Frederick Stock) in the North Shore Music Festival, Conductor of the Grand Park Symphonic Band, conductor of weekly radio programs on Chicago’s WMAQ, Chief of the Overseas Music Branch of Special Services in the US Army, and president of the American Bandmasters Association. Bainum served as Northwestern’s Director of Bands until 1953, when he retired and then travelled around the country to guest-conduct at concerts and teach conducting clinics.

After Bainum’s tenure as Director of Bands, the next person to take that position was John Philip Paynter. Paynter had been a student at Northwestern and was a member of the marching band under Bainum’s direction, and was in the band when they performed at the 1949 Rose Bowl. Paynter completed his undergrad with a Bachelor of Music in 1950 and earned his Master’s in Theory and Composition in 1951. While working on his Master’s, Paynter filled in as Director of Bands when Bainum was absent. After earning his Master’s, Paynter became Director of the Marching Band, Assistant Director of Bands, and Instructor of Theory. Two years later, he took over Bainum’s position as the second Director of Bands after Bainum’s retirement. In addition to being Director of Bands, Paynter was President of the World Association for Symphonic Bands & Ensembles, President of the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic, co-founder and Honorary Life President of the National Band Association, a participant in the Music Educators National Conference, a member of Phi Mu Alpha (music fraternity), and President of the American Bandmasters Association.

Under Paynter, the Northwestern Band Program included the Marching Band, Concert Band, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, as well as a few smaller organizations, like the Basketball Band and Jazz Ensemble. Originally (during the Bainum era), the Marching Band and Concert Band were the same organization, but by 1953 when Paynter took over, these two groups were separate organizations with similar members. Though Paynter oversaw the entire band program, he had individual directors working for each organization. Many different directors conducted each organization during Paynter’s tenure, and some of them were Stephen G. Peterson for the marching band and concert band and Don Owens for the contemporary music and jazz ensembles. Paynter himself always conducted the Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

In January of 1996, Paynter took the marching band to the Rose Bowl when the football team made it to its first bowl game since 1949 (the Rose Bowl where Paynter had previously performed as a student). A month later, Paynter died suddenly of a stroke. After Paynter’s death, Mallory Thompson, who was also a graduate of Northwestern’s School of Music and had been a member of NUMB during her undergraduate years, took over the band program as Northwestern’s third Director of Bands. She still holds the position as of 2022.

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