Thomas Wisniewski Papers, 1946-1996

Collection Overview

Title: Thomas Wisniewski Papers, 1946-1996

ID: 12/5/54

Creator: Wisniewski, Thomas J.

Extent: 2.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: The collection is organized in 2 series. Series 1: Music Pedagogy, 1946-1995, (Boxes 1, 2) is arranged into three sub-series. Sub-series 1: Research and Publications, 1961-1991 (Boxes 1, 2); Sub-series 2: Teacher Education Presentations and Programs, 1960s-1990s (Boxes 1, 2); Sub-series 3: Personal Papers, 1946-1995 (Boxes 1, 2). Series 2: Music Performance, 1947-1990s (Boxes 1-6) is arranged into three sub-series. Sub-series 1: Music Performance Instruction Records, 1947-1990s (Boxes 1-6); Sub-series 2: Research and Publications, 1964-1991 (Boxes 4, 5); Sub-series 3: Personal Papers, 1940s-1990s (Boxes 4, 5).

Date Acquired: 00/00/2003

Languages: English [eng]

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of correspondence, programs, awards, newspaper clippings, journal articles, photographs, and phonographic and videotape recordings documenting Wisniewski's career as a musician and music educator in Illinois from the 1950s to the 1990s. Of special interest is Wisniewski's 1964 Northern Illinois University Master of Music thesis entitled "String Orchestra Music of the Baroque Period and Its Value to the High School Orchestra Program."

Biographical Note

Thomas J. Wisniewski was an author, clinician, conductor, and string music educator from the 1950s-1990s. He received his Master's of Music in 1964 from Northern Illinois University and began teaching high school orchestra in the Chicago suburbs during the 1960s and 1970s. During his tenure at the University of Illinois, which began in the early 1970s, he taught conducting at undergraduate and graduate levels, string pedagogy for music educators, and was the conductor of the Illini Symphony Orchestra. During that time, he continued to work with high schools. Mr. Wisniewski presented at and attended numerous conferences and meetings, notably the National School Orchestra Association (NSOA), Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) (as well as those of other states), and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). He was frequently a sumemr camp clinician at the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp, University of Wisconsin Summer Music Clinic, Western Illinois Summer Music Clinic, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Summer String Camp.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Music Pedagogy, 1946-1995

Consists of research publication materials, conference programs, articles and instruction programs, and personal correspondence and ephemera documenting Thomas Wisniewski's contributions to string and music teachers.

This series is organized into three sub-series--Sub-series 1: Research and Publications; Sub-series 2: Teacher Education Presentations and Programs; Sub-series 3: Personal Papers. The sub-series are chronically arranged.

Sub-Series 1: Research and Publications, 1961-1991

Box 1

Folder 1: Published Articles, 1961-1991
Folder 3: Development of Videodisc Self-Instruction for String Vibrato, 1980s: (correspondence, articles, brochures, published papers, reports)

Box 2

Folder 2: Lyons Music News, 1968-1975

Sub-Series 2: Teacher Education Presentations and Programs, 1960s-1990s

Box 1

Folder 1: Conference Presentations and Programs, 1960s
Folder 2: Conference Presentations and Programs, 1970-1975
Folder 3: Conference Presentations and Programs, 1976-1979
Folder 5: Conference Presentations and Programs, Course Syllabi, 1990s

Box 2

Folder 4: Conference Presentations and Programs, 1980s

Sub-Series 3: Personal Papers, 1946-1995

Box 1

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1950-1995
Folder 2: Student Correspondence, 1989
Folder 3: Awards, Clippings, Photographs, Resume, Ephemera, 1946-1993

Box 2

Folder 2: Educational Association Materials, 1957-1994

Box 7: Awards

Folder 1: American String Teachers Association - Illinois Chapter Award, 1991
Folder 2: American String Teachers Association - Tennessee Chapter Award, 1993
Folder 3: Illinois Music Educators Association Presidential Award, 1996

Series 2: Music Performance, 1947-1990s

Consists of festival, clinic, conference, and summer programs, sound recordings, videotapes, newsclippings, publications, correspondence, and photographs documenting Thomas Wisniewski's contributions to string and music performers.

This series is organized into three sub-series--Sub-series 1: Music Performance Instruction Records; Sub-series 2: Research and Publications; Sub-series 3: Personal Papers. The sub-series are chronically arranged.

Sub-Series 1: Music Performance Instruction Records, 1947-1990s

Box 1

Folder 8: Festival and Clinic Programs, 1963-1987

Box 2

Folder 6: Summer Programs, 1963-1983
Folder 9: Personal and University Performances, 1947-1983

Box 3

Folder 10: "Mid-West National Band Clinic", undated

[Glenbard East High School Orchestra, Directed by Wisniewski]

(one phonographic recorded disc, 33.3 rpm)

Folder 11: "Glenbard East High School Orchestra Presents Its Musical Best", undated

[Thomas J. Wisniewski, Conductor]

(2 disc set, 33 rpm)

Folder 12: "Glenbard East High School Orchestra Presents Its Musical Best", undated

[Thomas J. Wisniewski, Conductor]

(2 disc set, 33 rpm)

Folder 13: "Music by the Glenbard East High School Orchestra Concert Season 1965-66", 1965-66

(one phonographic recorded disc, 33.3 rpm)

Folder 14: "This Is Our Best", 1967

[Glenbard East High School Symphony Orchestra Thomas J. Wisniewski, Director. Featuring the University of Illinois Jazz Band, John Garvey, Director]

(one phonographic recorded disc, 33.3 rpm)

Folder 15: "Illinois Summer Youth Music 25th Anniversary", 1973

(one phonographic recorded disc, 33.3 rpm)

Box 4

Folder 1: Course Materials, 1971-1990
Folder 2: ICES Evaluation Forms, 1975-1976, 1991-1993: [Instructor and Course Evaluation System]
Folder 5: Conference Programs, 1972-1994
Folder 7: Newspaper Clippings, 1951-1980

Box 5

Folder 3: Lombard Jr. High School Orchestra Performance Evaluations, 1959-1967
Folder 4: Programs and Other High School Related Materials, 1950s-1990s

Box 6

Folder 16: Music 233 VHS, undated: (1 of 3 VHS cassettes. VHS video cassette recording of Music 233 course, 120 minutes)
Folder 17: Music 233 VHS, undated: (2 of 3 VHS cassettes. VHS video cassette recording of Music 233 course, 120 minutes)
Folder 18: Music 233 VHS, undated: (3 of 3 VHS cassettes. VHS video cassette recording of Music 233 course, 120 minutes)

Sub-Series 2: Research and Publications, 1964-1991

Box 4

Folder 2: String Orchestra Music of the Baroque Period and Its Value to High School Orchestra Program, 1964: (Northern Illinois University master's thesis)
Folder 3: Interactive Videodisc on Bowing Technique Proposal, 1989
Folder 4: Computer-assisted Instruction of Violin Vibrato, 1991
Folder 5: "Conducting Music" Manuscript, undated: (chapter 2, notes)

Box 5

Folder 1: "Learning Unlimited" String Program, 1975-1977: (4 string instruction books one of which contains a plastic audio disc insert, 2 audio cassette tapes, 2 advertising fliers)

Sub-Series 3: Personal Papers, 1940s-1990s

Box 4

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1940s-1970s
Folder 3: Resumes, Northern Illinois University Transcript, Course and Exhibition Catalogs, Award, Clinic Programs, Newspaper Clippings, 1960s-1990s

Box 5

Folder 2: Correspondence, 1980s-1990s
Folder 4: Photographs, 1953, 1960s-1970s: (high-school related)