WESTCHESTER, IL, October 29, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- John Thomas Langfeld, BS, MM, musician, author, poet and assistant principal, retired from Morton West Freshman Academy, was selected by Marquis Who's Who for a prominent feature in the September 2026, Chicago, Illinois, issue of TIME magazine.

A beloved teacher and administrator, Mr. Langfeld built his reputation on being willing to engage with students where others would not. He experienced a defining moment as a band director at Beloit Public Schools, his first full-time role, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Mr. Langfeld recognized the painful impact this tragedy had on the student body, which included a significant Black population. And his students, in turn, recognized him as one of the only teachers who would be up front about the complexities of reality. They asked Mr. Langfeld to serve as the adult sponsor for a student-proposed Black history program. Although he was white and a band director, he stepped up where multiple teachers had turned them down.

This early experience provided the first demonstration of Mr. Langfeld's willingness to stand up for students' best interests as they navigated a complicated world. That thoughtful approach would lead him into positions of greater responsibility, most notably as a dean of instruction, building administrator and assistant principal at J. Sterling Morton High School East and West for more than a decade.

Since retiring from education in 2007, Mr. Langfeld has remained deeply invested in the world of music. Originally a clarinet player, he fell in love with the recorder in 1969, partly because it did not require reeds. Also, more music has been composed for the recorder than for any other wind instrument. Mr. Langfeld has led recorder workshops and recorded professionally across the Midwest. He is especially well-known for his concert series that includes reframing modern music, such as his popular 2013 recorder arrangement of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Though no longer a teacher, Mr. Langfeld remains driven by the same philosophy that helped him connect to his students, a phrase he shared often in the classroom: "You are smart, the world is complicated; so, what are you going to do about it?" In the face of a complicated world, he continues to choose integrity, honesty and joy every single day.

CAPTURING EMOTION WITH WORDS
Beyond his primary vocation, Mr. Langfeld has focused increasingly on writing in recent years. He began writing poetry in 1984, taking care to number and date each poem. As of 2026, Mr. Langfeld has written more than 24,000 poems. He has published one poetry collection, titled "There's a Brevitist Loose in the Condensory or If You Want Your Heart Broken, Read Somebody Else."

ACADEMIC HISTORY
Mr. Langfeld first sought an education at St. Cloud State University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in music education in 1966. Subsequently, he earned a Master of Music in musicology with a minor in European cultural history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973. After establishing himself as a band director, Mr. Langfeld returned to academia, entering two PhD programs. Though he enjoyed doctorate-level research, he did not prefer university culture. Choosing not to pursue a career as a professor, he completed all work but his dissertation in both programs.

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