Pictures of Jeff Peronto Big Band

The Jeff Peronto Big Band, and the trombone quintet, Hot Cross Bones, warmed up the crowd before the Drums On Parade Drum & Bugle Corps show June 28th in Baraboo.  Here’s a link to pictures of the concert. It’s good to see Jeff Peronto appearing healthy.

Jeff Peronto update

Many of you are wondering how Jeff Peronto is doing. Just to bring everyone up to speed, in January I wrote an article about Jeff’s retirement from MATC  after thirty-some years as the band and jazz band director. A short time later Jeff wrote a very popular retrospective recalling pleasant memories from his time at MATC. Since then, Jeff had major surgery to remove a tumor on his spine, one of several growths that are part of the incurable cancer he has been dealing with in recent years. Here’s Jeff ’s report:

I made it through the surgery which ended up being the most painful of the three that I have had.  The tumor ended up to be the size of a fist and they had to go through the muscles around it to make sure it was all gone. Since the tumor had destroyed part of my spine, I had to have it fused with a piece of metal. The pain afterwards took time to get under control, but I am able to walk without a limp and with less pain. I received clearance to start a new cancer medication named Afinitor. Despite its cost which is well over $7000 for 28 pills, my body is not accepting it very well. All of the muscles in my back including those around the surgical area have swollen up causing pain similar to that of post surgery.  We have tried to control the pain but so far it has had a huge affect on my sleep, limited movement, and no pill has been able to help.  I have just stopped taking it since the side effects are taking quite a toll.

Jeff also reports that Jon Schipper has taken over conducting the Jeff Peronto Big Band (The band is essentially the MATC jazz band that MATC cut from its curriculum last year). They have been practicing at Memorial High School where Jon is the band director. Jeff made it to the two spring performances but his health has limited his role to that of an advisor. The band plays again 6/28 at Drums on Parade, and in Baraboo on 7/30.

Let’s all wish Jeff some healing vibes. As one commenter said, ” He’s one of the good guys.”

Good vibes, thoughts, and prayers for Jeff Peronto

Last month Madison Jazz carried the story that Jeff Peronto, the long time conductor of the MATC bands and jazz bands, would not be back this year. A few weeks later Jeff wrote an article, MATC Music – Looking Back – Part One. Jeff plans to write more but has hit a big bump in the road.

Over the last few years Jeff has been dealing with a slow growing incurable cancer. Several years ago it caused him to have part of his lung removed and quit playing the trumpet. Since then he’s been putting up with a painful tumor in his spine. Now the tumor has grown beyond the size of a lemon and caused permanent nerve damage making it difficult for him to stand and walk. He had to cancel a trip to an Astronomy convention and has had to stop conducting. He will have surgery as soon as the date can be worked out .

Let’s all send Jeff and his family good vibes, thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

Help save MATC’s Mitby Theater

Yesterday’s Wisconsin State Journal has another article about MATC’s plans to tear down the Mitby theater.

MATC officials have changed their mind about discontinuing applied and fine arts at the Truax campus, but they are still pressing forward with plans to tear down the 1000 seat Mitby theater and replace it  with a welcome center. Apparently the plans to centralize arts courses at the downtown MATC campus were scrapped after pressure from students that want to take art courses while studying in other fields. Now we need to turn up the pressure and kill this foolish idea to tear down a perfectly good theater. Make sure to sign the petition.

According to Jeff Peronto, MATC’s 100th anniversary is coming up in a few years and the new MATC president, Betsy Barhorst, wants to change the image of the institution by creating a welcome center, an all glassed-in atrium  that would serve as a more impressive entrance and area to sign up for classes. In order to put this where she envisions it, the Mitby theater has to go. Here’s the other crazy part, Jeff says estimates are all over the place but the minimum cost is expected to be 40 to 50 million dollars of public money!

MATC MUSIC – LOOKING BACK – Part One – Jeff Peronto

A few weeks ago, I received a call from Bob Kerwin about my retirement from the groups at MATC. We had a wonderful extended conversation about all that had taken place during this difficult process. It was decided that I would write a piece about the experiences that we had.

Back in 1972, the head of MATC, Norman Mitby felt that the school needed a music program to balance the other programs of the school. He appointed Roland Johnson, the symphony conductor, to hire staff to conduct new musical groups. I was lucky enough to be given the job of starting a band and other ensembles. The college band was started and continued for about ten years until the lack of a rehearsal room downtown and the increased length of the college class day took its toll. The MATC Jazz Ensemble made it for three decades and has had a terrific run. The first MATCJE was basically a group of the Madison Scouts along with an all female sax section. It was fun and a great success as we performed at concerts around the area especially at schools that loved how exciting the band was. As time passed, the level of musicians and experience grew and the quality of the group rose. This was at a time when were able to get sponsorship money to bring in name groups to share the school stage along with the Oscar Mayer Theater. We had the honor of sharing the stage with Buddy Rich, Mercer Ellington, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Maynard Ferguson, Toshiko, and Stan Kenton among others.

MATC Mitby Theater to be demolished?

Today’s Wisconsin State Journal  has an article about MATC’s new 10 year master facilities master plan. The college wants to change the entrance to the Truax campus and create a clear path once inside. The article also  states,

Some of the arts programs at Truax, like studio and applied arts, hospitality and culinary arts, theater, and music, could potentially move Downtown to create a hub for arts. What that would mean for Mitby Theater on the Truax campus isn’t clear, Price said.

According to conversations I had with Jeff Peronto a few weeks ago the college administrators are seriously considering creating a grand atrium-like entrance to the Truax campus where the beautiful 1000 seat Mitby theater now stands. The Mitby theatre would be destroyed to make this happen. A smaller  250 seat theater would be added to the downtown campus in its place.

It’s official: Jeff Peronto done after 36 years at MATC

If you are a MATC municipal band or jazz band member do not show up next Thursday for rehearsal.

Yesterday morning I talked with MATC and found out a letter will be going out next week to all members of the band and jazz band informing them that a search is underway for a new conductor, and the groups will resume in early March.