With renovations of Sangamon Auditorium on the University of Illinois Springfield campus nearing completion, the May 1 finale of this season is likely to be the last time the Illinois Symphony Orchestra will perform at First United Methodist Church, which has served as home away from home for the orchestra since October 2025. The culmination […]
Scott Faingold
Scott Faingold is a journalist, educator and musician. He has been director of student media at University of Illinois Springfield, founding editor of Activator magazine, a staff reporter for Illinois Times and co-host of Old School Bleep, a music-centered podcast.
Posted inMusic Features
Get Free Music Series: The art of the squirrel call
Now beginning its third year, the Get Free Music Series is a local showcase for free jazz and other fully-improvised music. Presented by the University of Illinois Springfield’s music program, it provides one of the only local platforms for an exciting, though intrinsically non-commercial, form of music. Performers in the series have ranged from local […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Less is more at Gallery 1624
If you’re passing by the corner of West Laurel Street and Holmes Avenue in Springfield, you might happen to notice what looks like a miniature house with windows and solar panels standing on a post in the yard of 1624 Holmes Ave. A closer look will reveal an intricate, dollhouse-like interior, designed to showcase tiny […]
Posted inNews
UIS union begins strike
Members of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Tenure / Tenure Track union of University of Illinois Springfield officially began a strike April 3 after nearly a year of negotiations with university administration. A rally including a picket line was held beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday. According to a UIS United Faculty social media post, […]
Posted inNews
UIS faculty and service workers vote to authorize strike
Members of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Tenure / Tenure Track and Service Workers unions of University of Illinois Springfield held a March 19 rally to coincide with the University of Illinois Board of Trustees meeting being held at the UIS Student Union. An official vote was taken among union members prior to the […]
Posted inMusic
ISO concert evokes the beauty of life and beyond
Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s “Vision and Vitality” concert on March 6 was a feast for the ears, as well as an impressive showcase for the versatility of the orchestra itself. As programmed and conducted by music director Taichi Fukumura, the evening provided both delicacy and bombast along with a striking contrast in mood and intent compared […]
Posted inMusic
Sax and romance, ISO style
Valentine’s Day weekend provided local music lovers with an appropriately bright and romantic concert from the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, continuing its season at its temporary home at the First United Methodist Church. Jazzy dance numbers, a sweeping Russian symphony and a matched pair of soloists all contributed to a lushly burnished and enjoyable evening for […]
Posted inTurning Points
Dean Williams
Dean Williams worked as a photographer for weddings and other events in the Springfield area for four decades. Over that same period, he also used his skills behind the camera to take thousands of production photos for major motion pictures, including Legally Blonde (2001) and The Blues Brothers (1980) and was a member of the […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
WQNA returning to local airwaves soon
After six long years of fits and starts, community radio station WQNA is nearly ready to begin broadcasting again, this time from the space in the Myers building in downtown Springfield that most recently housed Prairie State Hemp. In 2019, the Capital Area Career Center unceremoniously pulled the plug on the station which, starting in […]
Posted inMusic Features
Soaring violin and a Beethoven masterpiece
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-2026 season truly got underway Friday, Nov. 7. After debuting last month with the well-attended “Star Wars Greatest Hits” concert, the ISO seems to be settling into its temporary digs at the First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill Road, with its excellent acoustics and comfortable pews. The church has […]
Posted inArts Features
A horror-comedy for your ears
Springfield native Matthew Brookens has written, produced, directed and starred in “Illinois Hell Hole,” a project he describes as a “two-hour, fully scored horror-comedy audio drama.” This oddball extravaganza aired on NPR Illinois (91.9 FM) in three parts Oct. 28-30 as a uniquely flavored Halloween treat, with spooky humor and voice performers ranging from narrator […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Locally made horror-comedy to air on NPR Illinois
Springfield native Matthew Brookens has written, produced, directed and starred in “Illinois Hell Hole,” a project he describes as a “two-hour, fully scored horror-comedy audio drama.” This oddball extravaganza is scheduled to air on NPR Illinois (91.9 FM) in three parts Oct. 28-30 and promises to be a uniquely flavored Halloween treat, with spooky humor […]
