Holly is the founder of the band and the director since it's debut in late 1999. Sometimes she doubles on clarinet or alto sax when needed. Holly studied music at Northeastern Illinois University and is also part-time piano tuner/technician. She and her loving husband Mike are the proud parents of four children, all whom she hopes will be future band members! Holly would like to thank her family for their love and support, her big brother Russ for encouraging her to take lessons back in sixth grade, and all the musicians in the group for putting up with her!

Dawn is the female vocalist for the Lakes Area Swing Band.A graduate of Augustana College, she also plays horn with the Waukegan Municipal Band and the CLC Wind Ensemble. Dawn has been a featured vocal soloist with several other area ensembles. The singer-songwriter has debuted works with Sigma Alpha Iota's "Celebrating Women in the Arts" concert series as well as College of Lake County's "Fear No Art" performances. A native of Gurnee, Dawn also recently published her first novel. She would like to thank her family for their love, support, and for coming to all those beginning band concerts.

Guy is the male vocalist with the band and has been with us since February of 2006. You don't have to look too far down Guy's family tree to find where he developed his passion for singing. His father competed and won first place on the The Morris B Sach Amatuer Hour ( a Chicago based radio / TV show) and his aunt was selected as the female vocalist for the Eddy Duchin Orchestra. Guy's first solo performance was at the tender age of 6 during the Christmas Assembly at his grade school's auditorium. Much more recently, he competed against 15 other finalists to become the "Hewitt Idol", a singing contest sponsored by his former employer, Hewitt Associates, WGN TV, and WXLC 102.3 FM radio. Guy lives with his wife, Linda, and 3 children in Lindenhurst, IL.

Dave is our part-time singer with the band. He joined us in the spring of 06. Dave thought he would have more time to devote to the band, but being a single parent and running his own home-remodeling business proved him wrong. Dave is thankful Guy also joined the band at the same time and, is happy to help out whenever he can. Dave has 5 children and a pet bunny, Harvey. Dave also sings in the rock band 'Mind over Matter'.

A native of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dave has been a member of the Lakes Area Swing Band since its’ beginning over 7 years ago. Dave began his musical career at the age of 10, playing his older brother’s alto sax. Throughout junior and senior high school Dave performed in various musical groups including the Junior Jivers, Eastonians and the Hollytones. While attending Grand Rapids Junior College and Western Michigan University he played with the John Catzere Orchestra. In addition to the lakesareaswingband, Dave is also a proud member of the Lakes Area Band & the Dixie Dudes. He is enjoying his life as the recently (May 3rd) retired Postmaster of Harvard, Illinois - (now, more time to practice). Dave currently resides in Harvard with his “fan club”: wife Kristine & daughter Cynthia. He thanks them for their endless support & encouragement to get back into the “swing” of things with his music. “Jazz it up!”

Hans, a native of Austria, born and raised near Vienna, began his drumming as a six year old in his home town brass band. During his years in the military he served in the Austrian Honor Guard as a drummer. Hans, is one of the original members of the Swing Band, joined in 1999 when the band was formed. He and his wife Carol reside in Lindenhurst Illinois.

Nancie plays piano with the band. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Eau Clare with a double major in music and psychology. She currently teaches private piano and flute in Antioch, IL. Nancie has played with the swing band since 1998 and also sings in a Sweet Adeline Chorus as well as a quartet. She has 3 children and 2 grandchildren and enjoys numerous forms of needlework and crafts. On weekends she can be found gardening with husband Rob. Her friends consider her the Queen of garage sales, and her motos are “I won’t grow up!” and “I plan on wearing out, not rusting out

Larry is the band’s guitar player, he is a founding member of the Lakes Area Swing Band. He lives in Waukegan. His hobbies include playing trumpet with the Lakes Area Band and building radio controlled airplanes.

A Fox Lake/Ingleside resident for most of his life, he has been playing bass guitar with the swing band for almost 1 year. Jim majored in music education in college where he learned to play all instruments in a band or orchestra. He played soprano, alto, tenor & baritone saxes, clarinet, flute, bass guitar, & sang lead & backup in a wedding band for 35 years. He has assisted in high school musicals in the Lake County area for over 20 years. Jim hs been repairing school band instruments for over 25 years and has been choir director at Lake Villa United Methodist Church for 10 years.

Rob plays lead alto sax in the band and has been a member for two years. Rob lives with his family in Lake Geneva, where he works in the real estate business. In addition to saxophones of all shapes and sizes, Rob plays bassoon although he is embarrassed to admit that around his jazz band friends

Jillian plays Tenor Sax in the band and has been a member since November 2004. She is 17 years old, and attends Richmond-Burton Community High School. Jillian lives in Spring Grove, Illinois. Apart from the swing band, she loves to play softball, hang out with her friends, and of course go shopping with her mom on weekends. Jillian would like to thank her parents for all of their never ending support, and every member in the band for always being there for her, and helping her when she needs it, and well...lets just say everything they do!

Phil joined the band in December 2006 and plays either Alto or Tenor Saxophone depending on what is needed for a particular gig. He also plays clarinet with the Lakes Area Community Band. After over 35 years, working for corporate America, Phil retired from Motorola in 2004 and started playing his instruments again. He lives in Antioch with his wife Diane and has 2 children, Lisa, a Mechanical Engineer and John, a Musician.

Randall plays tenor saxophone or trombone as needed in the swing band. Originally from Wauconda, IL, Randall is currently a Senior at Loyola University Chicago, where he is studying Music, Biology, and Neuroscience. He is an active member of the Loyola University Jazz and Wind Ensembles and currently plays saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, trombone, and percussion. Outside of college he is a certified Emergency Medical Technician. After graduation Randall is considering going to graduate school for Neuroscience. He would like to thank his friends and family for all their support. He would NOT like to thank all his professors for giving him so much work he can never get back to play with the band!

Russ plays sax and clarinet, and is one of the founding members of the band. He also teaches at PEARL STREET MUSIC in McHenry and occasionally can be found in the orchestra pit at Antioch's PM&L theater and the Woodstock Opera House. Russ also enjoys listening to Punk, Klezmer, Ska, and Puerto Rican bomba and plena, and plays in a dixieland band. Russ lives in McHenry with his family and Webster, his pet duck.

Jeff plays trombone in the band. He is married to Judy Keck-Lang with two children and one grandson. He is also a local Realtor with Century 21-American Dream and serves as a Supervisor of the Town of Burlington, Wisconsin. Jeff is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (1975, B.S. Psych) and has studied performance music since the fourth grade when he was chosen for the trombone due to having a long enough arm to reach seventh position on the slide! Born and raised in northwest Pennsylvania, Jeff relocated to this area in 1984 and has found paradise in our lovely Wisconsin. Jeff is an alum of Up With People, the Highland Park Pops and the Big Band Sound of Deerfield and has appeared on stage backing Bob Hope, among others. Jeff is an ardent supporter of YMCA Youth Camping and conducts an annual Band Camp at the Des Moines area Y-Camp in Boone, Iowa. Jeff is also the leader of The Jazz Wave, an 18-piece Big Band comprised of music educators and retired military band members which plays annually for the Silver Lake, WI “Music In The Park” series.

Tony plays trombone in the band and has been a band member since June 2005. He works as a Project Engineering Manager for Domino Printing Sciences, located in Gurnee IL. Tony enjoys outdoor activities, hunting, fishing, and camping. He lives with his four son's right here in Twin Lakes.

Gerry plays trombone. He has a long standing relationship with music and big band swing in particular. Growing up and living in Waukegan all his life, his first experience was naturally through schools. This proceeded through college and the Northern Illinois University bands. Upon graduation from high school Gerry began playing with the Waukegan Municipal Band and the Waukegan Symphony. He has played with the Highland Park-Deerfield bands and is a regular with the Waukegan area Last Dance Band. On retiring from the pest control business, Gerry went searching for more music and came upon the Lakes Area Swing Band. He began playing with them in January of 2007. Gerry also plays with the CLC Jazz Band and the CLC Concert Band. Gerry loves playing his trombone and in particular swing and dance music. He often plays in partnership with his son, David, who also plays trombone.

Bill plays lead trumpet and also manages and maintains the band’s equipment. Prior to putting the trumpet down for almost 20 years Bill studied with one of Woody Herman’s original trumpet players, Kermit Simmons. It was a trip to New Orleans and especially a visit to Preservation Hall that inspired Bill to start playing is trumpet again. He was born and grew up in Ohio, joined the Navy, and then became involved in the operation and maintenance of coal powered electric power plants. Bill presently works with control systems at such a plant in Waukegan.

Steve has played trumpet for over thirty years. Currently he plays in the Lakes Area Community Band, the Lakes Area Swing Band, and the Millburn School Symphonic and Jazz bands where he teaches 5th grade. When not involved with school work or playing trumpet, Steve coaches two soccer teams which is why he has no spare time. If he did have any time to kill, Steve would read or work on the miniature dollhouse he has been building with his wife, Jodi, for over fifteen years. He and Jodi have two overly-scheduled children, Katie and Michael, and one cute dog, Muffin. Steve would like to thank you, his audience, for coming to listen to the band and to ask for your forgiveness for any wrong notes he may play.

Kim, a resident of Twin Lakes, played trumpet in college and took a 25 year rest. Kim resumed playing three years ago with the Wilmot Community Band, and subsequently joined the Lake Geneva Community Orchestra and the Lakes Area Swing Band. In addition to practicing law on a full time basis, Kim and his wife, Roberta Levinson, have recently opened a bait shop and marina on Lake Elizabeth and look forward to seeing you this summer.

Jim plays trombone in the band. He started his music efforts by learning to play the euphonium in the New Jersey public school system. At Northwestern University he took up trombone (self-taught) fearing that there would be no post-college volunteer euphonium gigs. Ten years after graduation he discovered suburban community band organizations and resumed playing (both) instruments. While pursueing musical completeness, he then took up tuba (self-taught), and then cello (with the aid of private lessons). Following subsequent advice to play in a jazz band (for tighter musical awareness) he then embarked on an attempt to perceive and play swing music. Being a note reader all his life, he is now starting the ear-training and harmonic studies needed to support playing improvisational music. In his semi-retired status, when not studying music, Jim manages finances for his wife's Plato's Closet business, prepares dinosaur fossils at the Burpee Museum in Rockford, and assists the paddle sports educational outreach program for the Lake County Forest Preserve.

Pat resides in Twin lakes, Wisconsin with his wife and two children. Pat started playing guitar in High School with a jazz ensemble and continued on into college. After college wedding bands kept him busy for a couple of years, then life got busy and the music was put to the side for awhile. Twenty years later Pat learned about a temporary vacancy with the Lakes Area Swing Band and began playing with them in March of 2008. During the day, Pat works for United Conveyor Corporation as a Senior Programmer Analyst.

Tony from Gurnee,Illinois plays Trombone. He is married to Laura with 2 Children,Christina and Sean. Sean has played occasionally on Bass trombone. He is presently a freelance musician and plays with Jazz Wave and The Pat Crawford Big Band.Enjoys all aspects of Music playing bass and leading worship for his Church home.