When choral music director John Neubauer steps on stage Saturday at Governors State University’s performing arts center, he’ll be conducting the concert of his career–or more aptly–the concert for his career.
Neubauer, the award-winning choral music director at Crete-Monee High School, will direct 80 students in a benefit concert to raise money to pay his salary next year. The popular music director’s position was cut from the school district budget to help close a $3 million deficit.
Saturday’s concert, which will be held at the Center for the Performing Arts at the university, was organized by the Crete Monee Choral Music Association, the parent group that has vowed to save Neubauer’s job.
“It’s been very flattering that the parents will stand up and fight for me,” said Neubauer, who has taught at the high school for five years.
Crete-Monee School District 201-U officials began scaling back the budget in January, cutting, among other items, 70 staff and teaching positions, including one of two choral music directors at the elementary level.
Neubauer teaches at the high school, but parents feared that, because he did not have seniority, he would be replaced by the choral music director at the elementary school.
Parents and students rushed to his defense, promising to raise money to pay his salary. The Choral Music Association gave school officials $10,000 in March and agreed to come up with another $25,000 by the end of the 1998-99 school year.
“There was no way we were going to lose John,” said a determined Betsey Williams, fundraising chairman of the group.
Tickets for Saturday’s concert, which begins at 7 p.m., are $10. Pupils in kindergarten through 6th grade are admitted free if accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available at the box office at the university, in University Park at Governors Highway and Stuenkel Road.