Prairie Grove Bands

About Prairie Grove Bands

The Prairie Grove CSD 46 Band Program consists of six total bands: four curricular concert bands, and two extra-curricular jazz bands. The four curricular bands include Beginning Band (4th grade), Cadet Band (5th grade), Concert Band (grades 6-8, non-auditioned), and Advanced Band (grades 6-8, audition-based). The extra-curricular jazz bands, Jazz Band 2 and Jazz Band 1, are audition-based for grades 5-8. Jazz Band 2 is an open instrumentation ensemble for and band instrument, while Jazz Band 1 generally adheres to standard jazz ensemble instrumentation. Piano, drum set, bass, and guitar players are encouraged to audition for the jazz bands!

Interested in learning more about PG Bands? Contact Mr. Crylen at jcrylen@dist46.org.

Important Dates - Band Calendar Tab

Please refer to the Band Calendar tab for a comprehensive listing of all events for the school year.

Weekly Schedule Overview

Beginning Band

Morning Band Rehearsal: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8:00-8:40am
Lessons: Thursdays/Fridays (depends on instrument) according to rotating schedule - see Ensemble page

Cadet Band

Class Rehearsal: Wednesdays from 11:10-11:45am; Fridays from 2:05-2:40pm
Lessons: Wednesdays according to rotating schedule - see Ensemble page

Concert Band

Class Rehearsal: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9th period (2:05-2:40pm)
Lessons: Mondays according to rotating schedule - see Ensemble page

Advanced Band

Class Rehearsal: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9th period (2:05-2:40pm)
Lessons: Tuesdays according to rotating schedule - see Ensemble page

Jazz Band 2

Morning Rehearsal: Tuesdays from 7:10-7:55am (drop-off is 6:55-7:00am)

Jazz Band 1

Morning Rehearsal: Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:10-7:55am (drop-off is 6:55-7:00am)
Lessons: Thursdays according to rotating schedule - see Ensemble page

Meet the Director

Mr. Jeff Crylen, Band Director

Mr. Jeff Crylen has been the Band Director at Prairie Grove CSD 46 since 2018. His duties at Prairie Grove include directing the Beginning Band, Cadet Band, Concert Band, Advanced Band, Jazz Band 2, Jazz Band 1, and small group lessons for all band students. Under Jeff's direction, the Prairie Grove Bands have been featured at the state and national level. Advanced Band has performed as a featured ensemble at the 2024 Illinois Music Education Conference, and Jazz Band 1 has been featured at the 2022 and 2026 Illinois Music Education Conferences as well as the 2024 Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Band 1 has also been selected as the winners of the DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards for Junior High Large Jazz Ensemble twice, in 2024 and 2026.

Additionally, the Prairie Grove Bands have consistently earned Division I ratings and additional accolades at local and state festivals, including the Illinois Grade School Music Association district and state band festivals (where Jazz Band 1 has earned High Honors for 5 consecutive years), the Jazz in the Meadows festival, and the Mundelein Jazz Invitational (multiple section-of-the-day awards). Students have also frequently placed into the ILMEA District 7 band and jazz bands as well as the All-Illinois Junior Band.

Outside of Prairie Grove, Jeff also serves as the Jazz Ensemble Director at Prairie Ridge High School. He is also an active clinician in the Chicagoland area working with various schools and has served as an adjudicator for the Northern Illinois Music Conference and the Oswego Jazz Festival. In November of 2025, Jeff was honored to serve as the director for the ILMEA District 2 Junior Jazz Band. Jeff is also an active musician as a member of the trumpet section with the Northshore Concert Band (directed by Dr. Mallory Thompson) and the cornet section with the Chicago Brass Band (directed by Dr. Mark A. Taylor).

Jeff earned his Bachelor of Music Education and his Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated with Honors. He is currently working on his Master of Music Education degree through Eastern Illinois University, where he is able to pursue higher education online concurrently with his work in the music education field. He is a recipient of the 2017 Mark H. Hindsley Award from the University of Illinois Bands, the February 2021 Star 105.5 Teacher of the Month Award, the 2024 Barbara Buehlman Award from the Illinois Grade School Music Association, and nominated for the 2025 McHenry County Middle School Educator of the Year.

Jeff is an active member of the Illinois Grade School Music Association, Illinois Music Educators Association, Jazz Education Network, National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association. Outside of his involvement in music, he enjoys watching and listening to baseball (Go, Cubs, Go!) and spending time with family, friends. He lives in Crystal Lake with his wife, Karen, and their two dogs, Maple and Smokey.

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