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Jay percussion instructor's love of music dates to his younger days

Julie Smith/News Tribune Mike Sestak, Jefferson City High School percussion instructor, takes a break during a recent practice at Adkins Stadium.

By bwatson@newstribune.com bwatson@newstribune.com

Published: Monday, September 21, 2009 1:12 PM CDT

He began as an accounting major in college.

But Mike Sestak's love of music changed his plans.

“Actually, I started teaching here while I was still in high school,” said Sestak, the Jefferson City School District's music program percussion teacher. “I would do all the lessons, and write a lot of the material that we played.

“I was hired by the boosters up until 1993, then I went part-time when the middle schools were built.”

Sestak began learning in the Jefferson City district's band program in 1978, when he was in 7th grade. He learned drums and other percussion instruments because, he joked, “I wanted to be a rock-androll musician, first, and drums were the closest thing to what I could be taught.

“It seemed to be the most universal thing to do band music and rock music with.”

He pursued that dream for two years in 1986 and 87. “I was in New Jersey, where I wanted to be a playing/performing rock musician,” Sestak said. “It worked out OK - it's kind of a crowded field, when you get to either coast.

“As it turned out, I decided to go back to college in 1988.”

But he'd always been excited by the idea of “getting a few more people to do what I was doing, to watch them develop and, if I had a new idea, share it with other people and see what came of it.”

That led to full-time teaching and working on band competition routines.

Working with the other teachers - there's as many as six working with the students during a morning or evening band practice - helps determine which routines and what music will be played for each year's competition.

“You want it to be entertaining, and something that's at a level the kids can achieve,” Sestak said. “And there has to be a degree of difficulty to it, to be competitive.”

Since the 1980s, he said, percussion instruments have changed dramatically.

“It's the difference between a Model-T and a hybrid,” Sestak explained.

But the hardest part of being a music teacher these days is finding money for good instruments, and for travel to regional competitions around the region and the occasional college football bowl game.

“You want to give the kids every opportunity,” he said. “And, with being so connected on the Internet, you see what the rest of the world is doing - and you want to make sure you're up there with them. If not a leader in it.”

Success is “giving the kids more and more information that's going to make them better,” he said.


Conservation Department cutting positions		Two injured on private drive

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mommyof2 wrote on Sep 22, 2009 8:40 AM:

" Carolyn - what group did your son play for? I always love to catch DCI when they come close. Back in 2002 my college girlfriend and I flew to Madison Wisconsin for the Finals. You talk about a 2 day high! It was one of the most amazing things to see! "

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MADJAMER wrote on Sep 21, 2009 8:30 PM:

" MY SON JON ALSO STUDIED UNDER MIKE AND PLAYED PERCUSSION IN HIGH SCHOOL. NOT ONLY WAS MIKE HIS INSTRUCTOR BUT HIS FRIEND. THE JEFFERSON CITY JAYS PERCUSSION GROUP IS KNOWN AROUND AREA STATES FOR THEIR QUALITY AND MANY AWARDS. HATS OFF TO YOU MIKE, YOU'RE THE BEST!!! "

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Carolyn wrote on Sep 21, 2009 6:35 PM:

" My son studied under Mike and went on to take 2 Drum Corp tours. Got to play all over the US and into Canada. Hard work, but rewarding. "

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happy wrote on Sep 21, 2009 3:56 PM:

" Mike has got to be the best percussion instructor I have ever met, while the Jay Band has gotten smaller the Jay Band Drum LIne will always be HUGE because of Mike and what he does for those kids, is he hard on them, oh yes but that is what makes them as good as they are, I am happy to see the NT taking time out to recognize Mike he is a legend at JCHS and always will be. "

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mommyof2 wrote on Sep 21, 2009 3:45 PM:

" I couldn't imagine how hard it is to be a music teacher today. Trying to pry the video games out of the hands of kids. Kudo's to those who take that profession on. I started college wanting to be a music teacher, attending SMSU and marching in the band and it was one of the best experiences of my life. "

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