Students returning to the halls of Sentinel High School may see a new face pass by; Blake Mikkola has just joined the school staff of 24’-25’.
Usually found playing a brass instrument in the band hall, Mr. Mikkola is the new assistant to the band director, Mr. Lewis Nelson. Last year, the assistant director was Jacob Ransom, a percussion specialist.
Among the budget cuts for MCPS funding, the Board of Trustees of Missoula County Public School District #1 decided that most non-tenured teachers would be terminated. On this list of non-tenured teachers was Mr. Ransom (Missoula County Board of Trustees Meeting 5/14/24 records). Mr. Mikkola was hired as a replacement for Mr. Ransom for the following school year.
Blake Mikkola is an alumni of Missoula’s own University of Montana, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2023. He spent most of his college career in school bands and involved in music organizations, such as the National Association for Music Educators Collegiate, where he became the school chapter president and the vice-president for Montana (About the Sentinel Band).
After graduation, Mikkola took up a job in Worland, Wyoming, as the band director for Worland Middle School and Worland High School. The students and administration welcomed him with open arms, and he drove Worland High School to their first run of all superior scores at the district band festival in recent history (New band teacher begins career, About the Sentinel Band). After a great impression made for only his first year of teaching, Mikkola moved back to Montana to join Sentinel’s band program.
Now that he is back in his home state, Mr. Mikkola is looking forward to being a part of the Spartan community for his second year in education. “For me, it’s just all about the community of music,” Mr. Mikkola said in an interview, “[…] I got to college and immediately had a supportive community there, and it’s cool to be on the other side of that now, [being] a member to maybe helping create it now.”
For Mr. Mikkola, teaching has always been natural. Many members of his family are teachers, including Sentinel’s own math teacher, Justin Mikkola. Whether they were related was a very common question asked, and yes, they are indeed cousins. Along with familial influences, Mr. Blake Mikkola found people within his community that inspired him to teach as a child. “I had a few very inspirational band directors, and I was like, Alright, if I’m going to teach, I might as well go into music.”
To even have an assistant band director for a high school band is a big deal. When Nelson started teaching at Sentinel, he had around 50 kids in all of the bands combined. Now, in the entire band program, there are over 215 students currently enrolled to play (About the Sentinel Band). Along with the three Concert bands, Mr. Nelson oversees two jazz groups, percussion ensemble, marching band, pep band, and drum line. If you ask nearly any one of Sentinel’s staff, they will say that he is one of the most hardworking teachers there. If there is anyone in need of an assistant, it is Lewis Nelson; and Blake Mikkola is very qualified to fill that role.
“Offering a quality music education is never an easy task,” writes Ryan Davis, Sentinel’s own Orchestra director and President of the Montana String Teacher’s Organization. “[…] I consider it an absolute privilege to stand alongside such dedicated Montana teachers, and I count myself incredibly lucky to advocate and work with you for the advancement and preservation of music education in this amazing state” (Cadenza April 2024).
Becoming the newest part of Sentinel’s band family, Mr. Mikkola will be aiding Mr. Nelson in ensuring that the Band Program of 24’-25’ will prosper as musicians, and as people. Here’s to a new year of growth.
