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GRAYSLAKE – Kick Brass, a five-piece brass band from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, brought its sound and enthusiasm for music to a local school in Lake County.
Formed in 2023, the student organization is known for its versatile performances, covering a range of genres from pop song covers to blues and jazz.
The band consists of founder Jack Tolentino, baritone saxophone, a sophomore from Naperville; Justin Martin, trumpet, a junior from Naperville; Wade Wilson, tenor saxophone, a freshman from Grayslake; Ryan Hanson, trombone, a sophomore from Grayslake; and Cy Hallera-Cavanez, drums, a junior from Chicago.
Tolentino is studying kinesiology at Illinois as well as double-minoring in music and psychology. He wanted to continue playing his saxophone in college and decided to form a brass band. He reached out to Martin, a high school and middle school friend, who played the trumpet.
Tolentino placed an ad for the drummer position and Hallera-Cavanez responded.
Wilson joined after visiting the band’s table at a Quad Day activities fair and auditioning. Wilson connected the band with Hanson, a trombone player he knew from high school, and Kick Brass was born.
“I joined Kick Brass because I was in a similar band at Grayslake North and it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing the saxophone. So when I saw that there was something like that here at U of I, I had to audition,” said Wilson, a music technology major. “I would encourage others to join a musical group for multiple reasons. An informal band like Kick Brass, where we have no teachers, gives us so much freedom to play and arrange any music we want in any style and whenever we want. It is a great way to connect to others and make friends. I think your connection with someone while playing music together is unmatched.”
Champaign resident John Reidl is a fan of the group. He attended a performance in November 2024 at the Rose Bowl Tavern in Urbana.
“I enjoy their music because it takes classic and popular songs and, in my opinion, improves them,” Reidl said.
The band did a school tour, visiting alma maters of the Grayslake and Naperville band members. On Jan. 16, Kick Brass performed at Grayslake North High School. On Jan. 17, they performed at Gregory Middle School and Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville.
The tour is part of their mission to inspire young musicians.
Kick Brass aims to show students they can continue to play music beyond high school and college even if they are not part of a traditional band or orchestra. Their performances and Q&A sessions highlight the importance of keeping music as a lifelong passion.
“A lot of people think that once they graduate from whatever school they’re at, whether it’s middle school, high school or college, that they don’t have time or don’t have a place to keep playing music,” Tolentino said. “The goal with our visits is to showcase that it is possible still to keep music and your instrument in your life even if it’s not in a traditional sense.”
Kick Brass performs three times a week during the school year, with rehearsals held twice weekly. Their performances are strategically located in high-traffic areas around campus such as the Illini Union and Armory to engage with the university community. They also do venue performances and intend to do more school tours. They are on the lookout for a sousaphone player to add to their lineup to enhance their sound and performance capabilities. A sousaphone is similar to a tuba but it wraps around the player to make it easier for marching.
Follow Kick Brass on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @kickbrass_brassband. Upcoming performances are posted on their website, https://kickbrassbrassband.wordpress.com/.