Staff
Mr. Cary Ruklic cruklic@lw210.org
Ph.: 815-717-3569 Fax: 815-717-3568
About Mr. Ruklic:
Mr. Cary Ruklic joins the faculty of Lincoln-Way West High School this year as Director of Bands. In addition to directing the Wind Symphony, Marching Warriors, Pep Band, and Percussion Ensemble, Mr. Ruklic also teaches Class Piano, Music Technology, and Music Seminar, an advanced course in music theory and history. Prior to his appointment at West, Mr. Ruklic served for three years as the Assistant Director of Bands at Lincoln-Way East.
Mr. Ruklic grew up in the south suburbs and attended Marian Catholic High School. He graduated summa cum laude from Illinois State University with a degree in Music Education. Mr. Ruklic marched for one summer with the prestigious Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps and also spent two summers teaching at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan. He has been a director of the Lincoln-Way “All Star” Jr. High Band for both of its years in existence. He is also co-director of the New Lenox Community Band.
Mr. Ruklic is a member of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), and the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA). He resides in Lockport with his wife, Christina, who is a music teacher in Oak Forest.
Mr. Tom Venutolo tvenutolo@yahoo.com
Ph.: 815-717-3565 Fax: 815-717-3568
About Mr. Venutolo:
Mr. Venutolo has been involved with music since the age of 4 when he began taking piano lessons. At the age of 11 he joined his first school choir, and has been a part of a singing ensemble ever since, which just might explain his passion for music! Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Mr. Venutolo was fortunate enough to be a part of the New Jersey All State and Honors choir in 1994 and 1995. After graduating from Delbarton School in 1995, he went on to receive his degree in Piano Performance from DePauw University in 1999. Since 2001, he has lived in the Chicagoland area with his wife, Jennifer, where he first taught grade and middle school choir for the Crete-Monee district. Along the way, he has directed award-winning concert choirs, show choirs, and worked extensively with numerous high school choirs in the area. In 2004, Mr. Venutolo served as the Choral Director for the Thornton-Fractional District High Schools. During that time, he taught beginning, advanced, women’s, and jazz choirs, and musically directed the Fall Musical. He developed those choirs into performing choirs and was honored to have some of his students accepted to the Illinois All State Honors Choir. In 2007, Mr. Venutolo completed his Masters of Music Education at VanderCook College of Music. In August 2009, Mr. Venutolo joined the Lincoln-Way Staff and began working with his wonderful choir members to produce a fantastic choral sound. He is currently the Choral Director as well as the Madrigal Dinner director, Spring Musical director, and teaches piano, music tech, guitar, and strings.
During his very scarce free time, Mr. Venutolo can be seen working as an adjudicator for numerous choral festivals, or working with lots of local community theater groups. He has had the pleasure of musically directing such shows as The Music Man, CATS, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Company, A Chorus Line, The Full Monty, Gypsy, and Phantom with the Chicago Heights Drama Group, and has played keyboard for many other shows all over the Chicagoland area. He is an unabashed lifelong Yankees fan who feels some pity for Chicago baseball fans, and welcomed his firstborn child in February 2010.
Mr. Scott Wagstaff swagstaff@summithill.org
About Mr. Wagstaff:
Mr. Wagstaff has been a music educator for over 20 years, the last ten as the beginning band director at Hilda Walker Intermediate School in Tinley Park; this is his third year as the jazz band director at Lincoln-Way West.
Mr. Wagstaff began playing trumpet at age ten in his local elementary school in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. After graduating from Wheeling High School in 1975, he attended Northern Illinois University where he studied trumpet with Ron Modell and performed with the award-winning NIU Jazz Ensemble. After graduating from NIU with a bachelor's degree in Music Education, he was invited to join the trumpet section of the world famous Woody Herman Orchestra. From 1981 through 1986, Mr. Wagstaff traveled across the United States, Europe, and Japan with the "Young Thundering Herd" as the band was known at the time. After leaving the Woody Herman band, he moved back to the Chicago area and continued his career as a free-lance musician, performing with many well known artists such as: Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Dean Martin, Barry Manilow, Garth Brooks, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer and many others.
As an educator, Mr. Wagstaff has worked full time for the past 21 years with fifth through twelfth grade band students and recently composed a duet book for young band students which has been published by Kendor Music.
Mr. Adam Rusek adam.rusek@gmail.com
About Mr. Rusek:
Mr. Rusek is currently in his third year with the Lincoln-Way West bands, serving as Percussion Instructor and Assistant Marching Band Director of the Marching Warriors as well as teaching the Winter Drumline. He is in his fifth year of teaching overall and works at Peotone High School, where he directs the Concert Band, Jazz Band, and the Marching Blue Devils. In addition to these ensembles, he teaches Music Theory and Composition, conducts the pit orchestra in the fall musical, directs the 5th Grade Band at Connor Shaw Center, and also teaches two sections of the Freshman Seminar class. He also is co-sponsor of the Peotone High School chapter of Tri-M Music Honor Society. Prior to teaching at Peotone High School, Mr. Rusek taught in the Yorkville Community School District.
Mr. Rusek grew up in the southwest suburb of Chicago, Orland Park, and attended Carl Sandburg High School. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where he was a member of many different ensembles, including the Symphonic Bands, Marching Illini, and Brass Band. Mr. Rusek’s primary instruments are from the percussion family, and he has performed with numerous organizations and groups. He is a proud member of MENC, IMEA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and PAS. He is currently working towards a Masters of Education Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University, planning to complete this degree in the summer of 2013.
When not in rehearsal, Mr. Rusek enjoys spending time with his wife and dogs, teaching private percussion lessons, reading, and putzing around the house and yard. To add stress to his life, he enjoys rooting for the Blackhawks, White Sox, and Bears and playing golf.
Mrs. Holly Manser mhmanser@comcast.net
About Mrs. Manser:
Mrs. Holly Manser serves as both private vocal instructor and choral accompanist at West. She has been a part of the Lincoln-Way community for the past ten years, teaching voice at both the Central and West campuses, and is now in her second year accompanying Mixed Choir and Chorale at LWW.
Mrs. Manser began her formal musical training at the age of nine studying the piano. While in high school, she began voice lessons and was involved in many aspects of music, including choir, madrigals, and many others. She also had the honor to be selected for IMEA All-State Choir during her senior year. After graduating from high school, she attended Illinois Wesleyan University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance with a minor concentration in Piano. During her time at IWU, she was a member of Collegiate Choir and was also involved in a variety of other musical activities. After college, Mrs. Manser completed graduate work at Northern Illinois University earning her teaching certificates in both music and elementary education. She began her career in music education as K-6 general music teacher and choir director at Round Lake Area Schools in Round Lake, Illinois. After the births of her children, she began focusing her attention more on private studio instruction, and has been the vocal teacher at several Chicago area schools -- most recently, Lincoln-Way Central and West. She also currently maintains an active voice and piano studio at home. Her professional experiences include a variety of roles for area community theater and choirs as well as IMEA adjudicator. Mrs. Manser’s experience as an accompanist is extensive, having accompanied district choral festivals, school choirs, church choirs, and solo and ensemble contest participants as well as working with several musicals as a “pit musician” and rehearsal accompanist.
When she is not working with her wonderful and talented students, Mrs. Manser enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family-- husband, Mike (also a music teacher), children Stephanie and Chris, who are both graduates of Lincoln-Way Central, and Kate, who will be a member of the LWW class of 2016.
Ms. Megan Piper
About Ms. Piper:
This is Ms. Piper's third year as the Marching Warriors color guard instructor. Her duties include preparing the color guard unit for parades, half-time shows, and the competitive field show.
Ms. Piper began learning color guard at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park and was part of the color guard unit for all four years. She then attended Western Illinois University, joining the color guard unit and performing with the Marching Leathernecks. Ms. Piper is currently attending Trinity Christian College working toward a degree in Special Education and is also working as an athletic trainer at Trinity.