John Thomas Langfeld Commemorates a Career in Music and Education

WESTCHESTER, IL
December 10, 2025 /24-7 Press Release/ —

John Thomas Langfeld has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Langfeld is recognized as a retired educator, musician and author whose career in music education and performance has spanned more than four decades. Throughout his tenure as an educator, he consistently sought to foster musical and aesthetic growth in both himself and his students, challenging them to reach new heights in their understanding and appreciation of music.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Langfeld served as a band director from 1966 to 1973, during which time he navigated the complexities of teaching non-performance arts classes, which inspired him to propose and develop a comprehensive curriculum book on modern music education. With the support of the superintendent, he compiled approximately 350 pages of lesson plans and pedagogical insights. Despite facing criticism from some colleagues, he remained steadfastly proud of this accomplishment, concluding the book with an acknowledgment page that expressed gratitude to those whose “constant harassment” made him feel he might be on to something.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Langfeld held the position of band director at a junior high school in Beloit, Wisconsin. His tenure coincided with significant historical events, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which influenced his approach to programming band concerts that resonated with the social climate of the time. His innovative methods reflected a commitment to making music education relevant and impactful for his students.

From 1990 to 1994, Mr. Langfeld served as Executive Director and curriculum founder for an interdisciplinary arts education experience for high school students, the Illinois Summer School for the Arts (ISSA), in which “Sight, Sound, Music and Language” were studied, explored and experienced as essential expressive tools which artists have always used in various ways and settings for all time. Students explored those ‘tools’ with the guidance of arts education specialists in Music, Theater, Creative Writing, Dance and the Media Arts. The Illinois School for the Arts was State funded during those years and became the seminal environment in which Langfeld explored interdisciplinarity.

In addition to his work as an educator, Mr. Langfeld is an accomplished musician, playing the clarinet in concerts and recitals throughout Wisconsin during his late 20s and 30s and holding a lifelong passion for the recorder. For over 10 years, he conducted a series of recorder concerts featuring both baroque and modern repertoire, often collaborating with friends from his graduate studies and composer Randy Snyder, who wrote original pieces for his concerts. These performances often included string quartets and other instrumentalists, as well as recorder choirs for which he arranged between 20 and 30 pieces. Among these arrangements, his rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” stands out as a personal favorite.

Instrumental in shaping Mr. Langfeld’s career achievements was his academic background. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in music education from St. Cloud State University, he earned a master’s degree in musicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He subsequently completed advanced coursework toward a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, followed by advanced coursework completed in music and aesthetic education at Northwestern University.

As a member of the National Association for Music Education, Mr. Langfeld remains committed to his field. He has also enhanced his writing expertise through workshops at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, further developing his skills as an author and educator. His contributions have been recognized through several honors, including nomination for Who’s Who in Education and induction into Kappa Delta Pi, an honor society for music educators.

In his various works as an author and creative professional, Mr. Langfeld has reached diverse audiences. He contributed pedagogical essays to “Far Villages: Welcome Essays for New and Beginner Poets,” a recent publication that stands as a source of deep personal pride. His writing also appears in an anthology by Tulsa NightWriters focused on Native American and politically inspired themes. This collection features his humorous short poem “Dear Patriot,” which he regards as another significant achievement.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Mr. Langfeld continues to find fulfillment in writing — a passion that remains central to his life following retirement. Looking ahead, he intends to maintain an active role in the pursuit of continued publication opportunities for his work.