The Aurora City Council this week accepted the primary members of the town’s new Music, Events and Entertainment Commission.

The 11-person fee will take its place amongst different commissions that advise the town authorities, tasked with advising on arts and leisure points.

There had been 51 candidates for the fee, and the mayor’s workplace interviewed 22 of them.

Alex Voigt, deputy chief of workers within the mayor’s workplace, identified when the fee was established that it will embody some non-residents. Because metropolis officers contemplate that they’re making Aurora a regional vacation spot for arts and leisure, Voigt mentioned having some members from outdoors the town was “deemed beneficial.”

Because it is a first-time fee, the appointments had been staggered with three-, two- and one-year phrases. Who would serve which time period was determined by lottery.

The appointments had been accepted at Tuesday evening’s City Council assembly, and Mayor Richard Irvin referred to as the brand new fee “a long-time coming.”

“You are the first members, so you’ve got to set the standard,” Irvin mentioned.

Appointed to three-year phrases had been Daryl Silberman, eighth Ward, a middle-school orchestra instructor within the Indian Prairie School District who additionally works with the Youth Symphony of DuPage; Tiffany Hall, 2nd Ward, a painter and singer who additionally has expertise with Broadway in Chicago; and Alvin Watkins, ninth Ward, who has a music administration diploma and can also be a touring musician.

Appointed to two-year phrases had been Didi Foley, a nonresident, who’s scholar providers supervisor on the downtown Aurora campus of Waubonsee Community College and likewise works on the weekends as an on-air radio expertise; Michael Summers, 4th Ward, who has expertise with the “Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman” as an intern and labored with New York University and occasion administration for high-profile occasions and people; Alex Benitez, a nonresident who owns We R Music studio in downtown Aurora and is a DJ; and Braden Smith, 4th Ward, the proprietor of French 75 in Aurora and an achieved jazz musician who performs the saxophone.

Appointed to one-year phrases had been John Sargent, fifth Ward, who works with the Fox Valley Folklore Society and the Ukulele Fest in Aurora and hosts “Singarounds” at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora; Nilda (Nina) Melendez, a nonresident, who’s a artistic director, occasion supervisor and podcast host; William Small Jr., eighth Ward, proprietor of Jazz Perspectives, a expertise administration firm; and Aaron Lechuga, 4th Ward, who has an arts administration diploma, does occasions administration, and is a musician and music instructor.

slord@tribpub.com