Hello!
Mr. Jake Walker is honored to serve as the Music Department Chair and Director of Bands for the Leyden High Schools. Recognizing the great pride that Leyden takes in its musical achievements, he is committed to upholding and building upon this legacy.
My Story
A native of Belvidere, Illinois, Mr. Walker earned a Master's Degree in Wind Band Conducting from the Mead Witter School of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024. During his studies, he served as a graduate teaching assistant with the UW-Madison Badger Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, University Bands, and the undergraduate conducting class. He was twice awarded the School of Music Grant Competition, allowing him to further his education at numerous conducting symposiums in Texas and North Carolina. As a teaching assistant, Mr. Walker had the opportunity to lead the Badger Band at numerous athletic events, including the NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness Tournament (Brooklyn, NY), NIT (Las Vegas, NV), WNIT (Madison, WI), Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Phoenix, AZ), Reliaquest Bowl (Tampa, FL), and twice for the Green Bay Packers (Green Bay, WI). He also wrote pregame and halftime drills for the Badger Marching Band and served as a board member for the Graduate Wind Conductors Association (GWCA) during his graduate studies.
Mr. Walker earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Northern Illinois University in 2019, where he led the Huskie Marching Band as head drum major and trumpet section leader. At NIU, he was awarded Outstanding Band Member of the Year for consecutive seasons and received the Director’s Award for musical excellence from Dr. Thomas Bough, Director of the Huskie Marching Band. Additionally, he served as the President and Treasurer of their NAfME Collegiate Chapter. Mr. Walker’s performance experiences included two Mid-American Conference Championship football games at Ford Field (Detroit, MI), Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, MI), Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, FL), and the men’s and women’s Mid-American Conference basketball tournament at Rocket Mortgage Field House (Cleveland, OH).
Mr. Walker has taught at several schools across Illinois and Wisconsin. He previously worked as the 5th Grade Band Director at Hannah Martin Elementary and the Assistant Marching Band Director at Huntley High School (District 158), where he was nominated for Outstanding Educator of the Year. While at Hannah Martin Elementary, Mr. Walker created a national virtual Pen-Pal Project for his students during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with a partner school in South Portland, ME, which received national news recognition. He also served as the Assistant Marching Band Director at Crystal Lake South High School (District 155) and as a marching band tech at Plainfield South and Plainfield East High Schools (District 202). Additionally, he worked as the Summer School Band Director for the Wauwatosa School District in Wisconsin. Mr. Walker has also served numerous times as a guest clinician and adjudicator for solo and ensemble and band festivals.
Outside of teaching, Mr. Walker is a member of the Band Directors Marching Band, a marching ensemble of music educators representing North America. In 2022, the Band Directors Band debuted in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. In 2023, the band performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Mr. Walker has also performed on trumpet with various musical ensembles, including the Rockford Concert Band, DeKalb Municipal Band, Mueller Brass Quintet, Second Congregational Church Ensemble of Rockford, and numerous university ensembles at NIU and UW-Madison.
Outside of his academic work, Mr. Walker lives with his partner, Reed, in Elmhurst, IL. He enjoys running, traveling, baking desserts, and watching his favorite sports teams: the Green Bay Packers, NIU Huskies, Wisconsin Badgers, and the Milwaukee Brewers.