Diego Salinas ‘26

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The start of the 2022-2023 brought a new director, Mr. Sean Burke, to the Strake Jesuit Band Program.

Mr. Burke started the job essentially from scratch. From four grades of students from Strake and St. Agnes that have never been under his direction to high pressure and expectations, the job wouldn’t be easy to tackle. Yet finishing the year we can look back to one of the most successful years our band has had, boasting many accomplishments such as sweepstakes for the Spring Concert and a record four students in the TMEA All-state Jazz band.

“I’m a big believer that students like to be in ensembles that sound good and play well,” Mr. Burke said.

Mr. Burke’s goal coming into the 2022-2023 school year was to recognize the progress and ability of the students.

“My first step was to see where the program was,” Mr. Burke said. “And then, given the context of Covid, where was the program precovid, and how could we get it to that point again, and better.”

From there, he came up with more tactile goals to improve the program. Two goals he had in mind were the recognition of the St. Agnes students in band and the improvement of musicianship.

“[The St. Agnes students] are a critical part of our band, so I was doing small things to show that ‘hey, you’re part of the program, you’re critical to our group,’” he said. “And then, push the individual musicianship as well at the ensemble musicianship.”

Mr. Burke’s work in keeping the group enthusiastic about music and playing together is perhaps his greatest strength, employing ways to keep the students in positions to grow and influence the band with input and growth.

“Since Mr. Burke became our director, I noticed there’s been more focus on what the students want the band program to look like rather than just the band director,” remarked a junior in Band. “The department has become much more collaborative, and Mr. Burke is almost always open to suggestions on how we think our program can improve.”

Mr. Burke is a firm believer that music is vital to us as individuals as well as a community, and he has persevered to convey this and deliver powerful music to our schools.

“Music is part of the soul, part of the human, and we have to advocate for it constantly, and then showcase all the hard work we do for our community,” Mr. Burke said.

But just as Mr. Burke has positively impacted the program, the program has also impacted him, and he has never lost sight of what is most important about band.

“The opportunity for the worlds of faith and music to cross has been beneficial for me–to give the Greater Glory to God through music,” he said. “Hopefully by exemplifying and role-modeling it, I’m showing our students that this is part of God’s plan and God’s will to use our gifts for the better.”