The McCracken Middle School Bands was featured prominently in the 2023 Skokie School District 73.5 Winter Community Digest.
Mr. De Stefano was just featured in the Pioneer Press “Shout Out!” Chicago Tribune: Shout Out: Chip De Stefano, McCracken Middle School’s band director
Mr. De Stefano was recently featured in the North Star News in a wonderful article by McCracken Band alum Elliot Parrish! North Star News: Musical Memories: a renowned band director recalls his finest moments
Congratulations to Mr. De Stefano for being featured in the August 2012 issue of the Instrumentalist Magazine. You can find the article on the Instrumentalist Website.
The Skokie Review just published an article about Mr. De Stefano receiving the Skokie Fine Arts Commission Award for Artistic Excellence. The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band also received the award. Fun fact: Ivo Braun of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band...
Skokie Review – December 12, 2013 by Mike Isaacs A funny thing happened to McCracken Middle School Band Director Chip De Stefano on his way to a career teaching music at a high school or college. “Before I student-taught here,...
One of my great joys was spearheading the nomination and induction of John P. Paynter into the National Band Association’s Hall of Fame. Mr. Paynter was my band director at Northwestern University and had an enormous influence, not only on...
Skokie Patch – June 15, 2011 by Daniel Dorfmann Middle school students sing praises about their director in earning statewide recognition.
Skokie Review – October 28, 1998 by Kathy Routliffe Ask Chip DeStefano, and he’ll be the first to tell you: there’s more to making music than making music. The band director for School District. 73.5’s long-running music program can elaborate....
Skokie Review – May 31, 2007 by Mike Isaacs McCracken Middle School Symphonic Band director Chip De Stefano still has a long career ahead of him, but it’s difficult to imagine he’ll have a more memorable school year than this...