Rachel Maxwell

Rachel Maxwell

Rachel Maxwell currently serves as the Director of Bands at Traughber Junior High School, SD #308, in Oswego, IL. Mrs. Maxwell has taught all levels of instrumental music for 32 years, starting in the West Aurora School District (1993-95) and currently in the Oswego School District (1995-present).

She has taught music education courses at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago and North Central College in Naperville, IL. In addition, she serves on the editorial review board of NAfME’s Teaching Music magazine. Mrs. Maxwell is a nationally active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. She has had the privilege to work with groups across the country, including the Anchorage, Alaska Public Schools, the Music for All National Summer Symposium, the California JH All-State Band, the WV JHS All-State Band, the NC All-State Middle School Band, ISYM at the Univ. of Illinois, Il State Univ. Junior High Camp, and several ILMEA District Level Festivals. 

A proponent of new music for young bands, she is part of the team from Oswego SD #308 that commissioned and premiered Sheltering Sky by John Mackey, Sol ye Sombra by Donald Grantham,  Atmosphere by Scott McAllister, Our Cast Aways by Julie Giroux, Dream of  Ember, Dream of Star by David Biedenbender, and Forward/Still by Omar Thomas. She has independently commissioned several works and is also involved in several consortium commissions, including those with composers Dana Wilson, The N-BEAM Group, Randall Standridge, Roy Magnuson, Brian Balmages, Katahj Copley, Aakash Mittal, Alex Shapiro, Haley Woodrow, Joni Greene, Ivette Herryman Rodriguez, and Aaron Perrine. She is also a founding member of The Kneel Consortium. 

Under her direction, the bands at Traughber JHS have performed at The Midwest Clinic (three clinic presentations and one rehearsal lab group), the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Conference (three formal concerts and four clinic presentations), the University of Illinois Super-state Festival and at the ASBDA National Convention. 

Mrs. Maxwell has degrees from Illinois State University (BME), The University of Illinois (MME), and Aurora University (MAEL). She is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Boston University. She is a member of The National Association of Music Education, Illinois Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, National Band Association, National Council of Supervisors of Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Beta Mu, and several honor societies.

Rachel Maxwell is a multiple-year nominee for the Music Educator Grammy Award, 5-time recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, Chicago-land Outstanding Music Educator Award, National Recipient of the Jim Ott (Drum Corps International) Scholarship as a member of The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, ASBDA/UMI Outstanding Young Band Director Award-Junior High Division for the North Central Region of the United States and a Golden Apple nominee.