The Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) and Oconomowoc High School (OHS) are excited to announce that Mr. Jason Gillette has accepted the OHS Band Director position. Gillette will replace longtime Director, Michael Krofta, upon his retirement in June.
"I am incredibly excited to be joining the Oconomowoc team! I have served as Director of Bands at Brookfield Central H.S. for the past 25 years and have had an incredible journey. The opportunity to work with such gifted musicians and to also be part of such a collaborative music team drew me to Oconomowoc," said Mr. Gillette about his move to OHS. "Mike Krofta is a mentor, educator, and musical leader whom we all look up to in the musical community. It will be an honor to work in a school where Mr. Krofta helped lay the musical foundation for thousands of students. I look forward to getting to know each student as an individual and building relationships within the community. Congratulations to Mr. Krofta on a phenomenal 30 years at Oconomowoc High School!" he added.
Gillette comes to OHS from Elmbrook School District where he has served as the High School Band Director for the last 25 years. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a Masters in Educational Technology degree from Marian University. During his tenure at Brookfield Central High School, Mr. Gillette directed the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensembles, Marching Band, and Pep Band.
Mr. Gillette has been a guest clinician at Carroll University and Cardinal Stritch University along with a Guest Conductor at the Iowa City Regional Honors Jazz Ensemble and UW-Milwaukee Summer Institute. In addition to his teaching career, Gillette has an impressive list of professional performance experiences including the Milwaukee Symphony, several Broadway performances at the Marcus Center, and Summerfest. He's also worked with entertainers like Josh Groban, Eric Benet, Frankie Valli, Cheap Trick, The Temptations, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Clay Aiken.
Oconomowoc High School Principal Jason Curtis welcomed Mr. Gillette to OHS saying, "I am so excited to welcome Jason to our Raccoon family! In getting to know him these past few weeks, it is clear that Jason embodies the energy, talent, enthusiasm, and experience to build on the incredible legacy of our band programs. Our entire program will benefit from his expertise and his obvious passion for teaching music. With Jason as part of our team, our students and program will not skip a beat!"
The OHS Band Program is fortunate to have a strong base of parent volunteers, collectively known as the OHS Band-Aids. OHS Band-Aids President, Jennifer Mortensen, shared her enthusiasm by saying, "We were so pleased to have several of our OHS Band-Aids organization invited to serve on the hiring committee that also included nearly all 5-12 music faculty, and we especially enjoyed reading student survey feedback about each of the interviewees. This was a carefully considered interviewing process, and it will be hard to see Mike Krofta go. We are very excited to welcome and work with Jason Gillette as he brings his own gifts and personality to our OHS Band program!
OHS has a strong and longstanding tradition of musical excellence and Mr. Gillette is the right person to continue that tradition into the future. Gillette takes the helm of the OHS Band Program after the retirement of veteran Director, Mike Krofta, who will retire from the OASD after a 30-year career as Band Director. "I am so excited for not only Jason Gillette as the new Oconomowoc High School Director of Bands but also for the high school band students and school! I have known Jason Gillette for over 25 years and he is an outstanding musician, amazing educator, hard worker, and will keep the OHS Bands a program of excellence. I have seen Jason work with his students and he has a great rapport with all of them. I have performed a number of professional music jobs with him and I can tell you that he is the consummate professional. As an educator, he is one of the best. If there was anyone that I know that will keep the Oconomowoc High School Band Program performing at a National level for years to come it is Jason Gillette. There is a saying in the OHS program that when a student graduates, you will be missed but you will be replaced. That goes for the directors as well," said Krofta.
Mr. Gillette will formally begin his position in August, after receiving approval from the OASD School Board at their May 18 meeting.
A meet and greet event, hosted by the OHS Band-Aids, will be held in the Summer. Additional information will be shared on the OHS Band-Aids Facebook page @OHSBandAids and the OASD website at www.oasd.org.
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Photos: Mr. Jason Gillette
