There aren’t many folks in the Tri-State area that don’t either know Alan Kanauss personally or who haven’t heard about him because of his solid reputation.
Over the past three decades, Kanauss has poured his life into teaching music, teaching at both Warsaw and Nauvoo schools, simultaneously. He teaches in such a way to where the students naturally come together by gravitating to his wide variety of music, his humor, his humanness, his kindness, the friendships that are forged and the togetherness of the group. There are also multiple groups to be a part of, such as jazz, if you want to ritz things up a bit.
He has officially retired after 30 years of teaching.
Kanauss built the program from the ground up, although he is extremely humble and refuses to take any individual credit for it. He said, “I didn’t build the band program by myself, and it didn’t happen overnight. There are a lot of people to thank for my success. First my school administration and school boards, next the WNC Performing Arts Boosters, third the students and parents that were involved in the band program, and finally my family for understanding that there where times I had to be away to fulfill my job requirements.”
Upon arriving to do this interview in the Warsaw High School band room, there were several high school band kids in there. As I walked in, Kanauss was standing outside his office and he and the kids were laughing. Right away, it was easy to pick up on the great affinity they all have towards each other.
He said, “I try to have a good rapport with my students. I’m not sure what the secret is but I think these things help: I’m honest with my students, good or bad, and I say what’s on my mind and just try and be myself.”
He continued, “My successor has already been hired. His name is Cody Collins. Mr. Collins was a student teacher at Warsaw in the spring of 2023 and was offered the band position in the spring of 2023. We have been team teaching for the 2023/24 school year. This will help make the transition easier for everyone involved. I have every confidence in Mr. Collins to continue the strong band program at Warsaw/Nauvoo school.”
He said he took a couple of years off between high school and college, “The reason that I chose to go to school for music is because that is what I was best at in high school and because that’s where my passion was.” He earned a B.S. in Music Education from Quincy University, where he was taught to play all woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, but his strength is in brass instruments, and he also sings.
Career highlights
Kanauss has a significant list of musical accomplishments from his teaching years, but some of his favorite highlights include:
Numerous All-District music students
Fifteen All-State musicians
Fourteen consecutive years as an IHSA elite eight music program in Illinois
A third-place finish in the IHSA music sweepstakes contest in the state of Illinois
Several Best of Day performances at IHSA Organizational Contest
An FFA National Band Student
But he also made it clear his biggest accomplishment was making great music with great students.
When asked about band numbers now as opposed to when he first started teaching, he said, “When I first started in Warsaw, there were 26 students in high school band. We currently have 29 students in that band. Now, those numbers are a little misrepresentative, because these are the COVID students in high school band. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would teach through a pandemic. Teaching through COVID was very difficult on music programs throughout the country and it was hard to retain and start younger students during this time (Warsaw/Nauvoo included). Pre-COVID, we would average between 43-46 students in high school band. The bright side of post-COVID is the elementary/junior high band numbers are in really good shape. There are currently 28 junior high band students, and that number will increase again next year.”
Next, I asked him if he had any suggestions as to how we can keep music programs in our schools, as they seem to be slowly disappearing, and how we can get music to become as important as the sports programs? He replied, “There is not one specific reason why there are weak or no music programs in school districts. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle. First — the students and parents must believe that music is important in their education, and it needs to be given the same weight as math, English, science etc. – so parents and students have to fight for equality. Second, administration and school boards both must support music in their schools. Example: it doesn’t make sense to put a high-level math class against band. Schools must not put one program over another. As an administrator everything has to be equal both in and out of the classroom, including sports. Third, the music teachers seem to give up too easily and move to a different music job or leave the teaching profession altogether. It takes years and a lot of love and nourishing to build a music program. It wasn’t until my third year that I felt I had a good starting band class, so by the time they became seniors, that is a span of eight-eleven years. As a music director you must have patience and persistence. So, all the wheels of an education system have to work together to have a strong music program. There are a lot more moving pieces in the puzzle but these are the big three.”
Now that Alan is retired, his plans include traveling, working on house projects, and eventually a part-time non-stressful job. He stated, “I play a really bad game of golf, play in several music groups, and travel.”
Students’ thoughts
Carly (Hamilton) Turcios had “Mr. K” for grades seven through twelve. She was originally a flutist and made the switch to clarinet her sophom*ore year. She said, “He was my favorite. I remember Mr. Kanauss being passionate about excellence inside and outside of the classroom. He was encouraging, calm, and fun to be around. Music became an anchor for me during high school, and Mr. K was a huge positive influence during an important time in my life. He influenced me to pursue music in my adult life. He was excellent at educating students and leading ensembles. He was excellent in advising young people in a way that would make them better humans.”
Turcios went on to receive her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and teaches private woodwind lessons. She says this life decision was certainly influenced by Mr. Kanauss. She said, “I wanted to influence kids like he had influenced me. I do use the little tricks for rhythm and counting that he taught us when I am teaching my own students.”
Kassie Baumann graduated from WHS in 2015. Mr. K was her band teacher since fifth grade and she played clarinet, alto sax, and contra-alto clarinet.
“I thought Mr. K was one of the most fun teachers I’ve ever had,” she said. “He truly cared about his students and it showed with how he interacted with us. He cared about us so much, even stating at one point that he would like to spend his last day on earth with the band! He instructs so well and taught me so much about music and discipline. I will always be thankful for his influence in my life.
“In my freshman year I’m pretty sure I was last chair clarinet. For some reason, Mr. K saw potential in me and offered to give me lessons on a new instrument, contra-alto clarinet. Because of the time and effort he put into my musical success, I stopped comparing myself to other members of the band and truly felt joy in my musical abilities.
“Because of his leadership in my life, I was granted the unique experience to be the only person in the band who played my instrument. This allowed me to focus on my bettering myself for my own sake instead of comparing myself to others along the way. This experience truly taught me so much about life in general and has made me a much more confident person in every aspect of my life.
“I was able to play in all district bands multiple times, but I was also awarded the opportunity to be in the All-State Honors Band for Illinois, which was an incredible opportunity. I went on to receive college scholarships for my participation in band, joined the marching band and wind symphony at Liberty University, and have played in a community band this past year!
“Mr. Kanauss pushed us to always be bigger and better. I remember him being speechless at times after we played specific pieces because of how proud of us he was, which was always very special to me.”
Chris Haas is a trumpet player who only had Mr. Kanauss as a teacher for one year, during the 2008-2009 school year. Haas remarked, “I only attended Warsaw High School for my senior year, the first year when Nauvoo-Colusa combined with Warsaw. I was at Nauvoo-Colusa before then.
“Following WHS, I received a Bachelor of Music degee in trumpet performance from Western Illinois University in 2013, and received a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from Northwestern University in 2015. Currently, I play with the Omaha Symphony and with Orchestra Iowa in Cedar Rapids. I also substitute frequently with the Quad Cities Orchestra and Des Moines Symphony, and maintain a private lesson studio in Iowa City.“
Regarding Mr. Kanauss, Haas said, “He was a fantastic teacher! He was always able to strike a good balance in making class fun, while still getting the best possible results from his ensembles. Probably my greatest memory with Mr. Kanauss was the concert we played together last spring. He invited me back 14 years after graduation to play a solo with his band, and that is an evening I will never forget.
“One of the experiences with Mr. Kanauss that has really stuck with me over the years was playing with his jazz band at the Elks Club in Quincy. Playing side-by-side with adult professional musicians at such a young age was really important for my development as a musician.”
Sidney Hunter, who plays the flute, was a student of Mr. Kanauss for seven years. She reflected, “My greatest memory of Mr. Kanauss has to be in my freshman year of high school. I was struggling a lot with my mental health, and I had lost my passion for music. I hadn’t signed up for band for the following school year, because I wasn’t planning on being around long enough to be in school the following year. Mr. Kanauss pulled me aside in class one day and asked me why I hadn’t signed up for band, and I couldn’t come up with a real reason so he offered to request my classes to be switched around to put me back in band if I would like to. Mr. Kanauss is the reason I was able to find the strength to push through that summer. He showed me that some people care enough to notice if I wasn’t here anymore. He also helped me rekindle my love of music, and I have since gone on to start teaching myself a bit of piano and guitar.”
Kaylee Blunier has had “Mr. K” as her band teacher for the eight years she has participated playing clarinet. After high school, she plans on going to college to get a degree in music performance and music education. “Seeing how much he loves his music career and all that he has taught me has given me just as much love for the subject,” she said. “I am beyond excited to pursue a career in music!
“A few months before the end of this school year, my confidence in my jazz abilities started to deteriorate. No matter how much I practiced, my feelings towards the subject didn’t seem to change. Eventually, he noticed, and talked with me after class. He mentioned how much potential he sees in my jazz abilities and told me to not give up. I’ve taken that advice with me and have had many enjoyable jazz concerts since then. Through my musical career, there have been times when my confidence in my performance abilities have been very low. During these times, Mr. K always knows what to say to bring my confidence back to normal. Without him, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make it as far as I have.
“Mr. K has always pushed me to be the best that I can be. He has never given up on me even when I’ve given up on myself. Without all of his support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Mr. K has always made the class very enjoyable to be in. All the jokes, games, fun songs, tours, and band trips have been made so enjoyable by him. When a performance is coming, his attitude becomes more serious to make sure we show the audience our all because he knows our full potential. During other times though, it’s just fun practicing.
“My favorite memory is that he’s never given up on me. Even when I was at my worst, he never stopped pushing me to give it my all because he knew my full potential. And because of that, I have accomplished becoming an all state musician two years in a row. Also under Mr. K’s leadership, I have received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. He saw something in me my freshman year and had given me many opportunities to build my knowledge and experience in jazz. Through the years, I have grown a love for it and plan to continue it in college. Now having received the award, I can tell he is proud of my accomplishments as well.”
Closing measures
Parent, Karen Blunier, said “He has been all of my kids’ band teacher all of the years of school from fourth grade until they graduate high school. The countless lives that he has taught, trained, and inspired is remarkable. Thank you for helping to instill a passion for music in my children’s lives and encouraging them to strive to reach their potential with their talent!”
Alan Kanauss – Mr. K – we wish you the best in your retirement. Thank you for all the lives you touched and for all those you’ve taught over the many years!
