When he talks about where he grew up, Westside’s new choir director Andrew Jacobsen does not start with music; he starts with the town itself.

Hebron, Nebraska, has no stoplights and an ‘05 graduating class of 44. It also has the world’s largest porch swing, a landmark big enough for an entire senior class to climb onto for photos. It was in that small town, tucked inside every activity the school offered, that Jacobsen first realized music could be more than another box to check.

Jacobsen joined every ensemble he could: band, choir and smaller groups. The turning point came between his sophomore and junior year of high school, when he joined a European choir and band tour.

“We went to seven countries in about 16 days,” Jacobsen said. “We sang in these big places, but I also got to connect with students who were really passionate. I had some really high-level musical experiences I never would have had in my tiny high school.”

That summer was followed by another milestone. Encouraged by his choir director, he auditioned for the All-State choir and was selected to join some of the top high-school choral singers in the state.

“I was from this small town where what we had in choir was fine,” Jacobsen said. “But then you stand there with 439 incredible voices and a college-level conductor, and it is all happening at once. It was the first time I thought, ‘maybe I want to do this.’”

Initially, Jacobsen’s plan didn’t involve music. Though both his parents were teachers, neither were involved in music, and he had imagined something different.

“I had always wanted to go into architecture or mechanical engineering,” Jacobsen explained. “I’m was really good at math and how numbers and static things work together.”

This plan shifted once Jacobsen visited the campus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in an initial attempt to experience the architecture program. The tour led him to the art building, where he was told he would need to attend classes in to complete his degree.

“I was like, ‘No, that’s not something I really want to do,’” Jacobsen said.

Later that day, he met the director of choirs and toured the music building.

“I remember thinking, ‘I think this is what I want to do,’” Jacobsen said. “Music education kind of became, ‘Let’s get the degree and find out.’ College is where you grow up and figure things out.”

At the end of his college career, Jacobsen began practicums and student teaching. He dabbled in both elementary and middle school music education, and both were fine, but none particularly drew him; high school was a different story.

He began his journey at Lincoln Southwest as a student teacher and was quickly introduced and immersed into the colorful world of show choir, which barely resembled his previous experience with music. Halfway through second semester, the director resigned over spring break, leaving Jacobsen in charge.

“I had to fully take over,” Jacobsen said. “It was kind of a ‘we’ll see what happens’ moment, and then it just stuck. I ended up getting the job and stayed the next 15 years.”

During that time, he developed a new skill that turned into a second job–one that most students never get to see: arranging music for show choirs across the nation. What started as a simple hobby of dragging notes one by one turned into a very successful full freelance business.

“Back then it might have taken me three or four days to do a song,” Jacobsen said. “Now, depending on the difficulty, I can get a full song done in about two and a half to four and a half hours.”

In 2024, he arranged 144 songs for 34 different schools in states including Nebraska, Iowa, Virginia, Mississippi and Indiana. He is kept booked and busy by word-of-mouth and does not advertise.

Most of his arranging work happens in the summertime.

“People think teachers have summers off,” Jacobsen said. “I am usually working eight to four almost every day. I have an office at home, and I write and arrange every day.”

Jacobsen’s skill directly shapes what happens in the choir room at Westside High School.

“When I rehearse ATSC or the band, I know every part because I wrote it,” Jacobsen said. “If something needs to change, I can change the music, reprint it and hand it to them. We do not have to wait on anyone else.”

He also spends a lot of time listening–on Mondays, his Discover Weekly playlist updates. On Fridays it is Release Radar. His gym time is also his scouting time.

“I listen to so much music at the gym,” Jacobsen said. “That is where I find songs and start thinking, ‘This would be good for a show,’ for Westside or for other groups.”

When the position at Westside opened, Jacobsen stepped into a legacy built over decades by former director Doran Johnson. Rather than feeling weighed down by expectations, he said he felt supported.

“I do not feel pressure,” Jacobsen said. “I feel a push toward excellence that is already in me. I know the directors at Millard North, Millard West, Millard South, and Gretna. They are great teachers. If they beat us, it is because they are good at what they do. If we beat them, I feel really good because I know how high their standards are.”

He has many goals for the Westside choirs, both emotionally and competitively. He expresses wanting consistent finals appearances. He wants the program to be known for not only show choir, but also a strong concert choir that can appear at national and regional conventions. Above all, he wants audiences to feel something when they watch Westside.

“I want people to watch us and feel joy,” Jacobsen said. “I do not just want them to say, ‘Wow, they are good.’ I want them to feel like they were part of something and see high school kids who look like they are enjoying a meaningful experience together.”

This hope shapes how he thinks about scheduling and choir structure for next year; the new system, which keeps freshman treble and bass choirs separate, is one example.

“We want to develop those voices,” Jacobsen said. “If you can sing well enough to get into one of the top ensembles, you are going to feel different about choral music.”

Whether he is guiding freshmen through their first high school choir piece, leading ATSC through a fully custom show, or listening to new music before sunrise, Jacobsen’s throughline remains the same: relationships and growth over time.

“Most teachers see students for one year, maybe two if you are lucky,” Jacobsen said. “Music teachers often get four years. Selfishly, that means we get to make those connections, and that is what really hooked me on teaching.”

From the Hebron porch swing to the modular chaos of Westside scheduling, Andrew Jacobsen has built a life and legacy around making beautiful music with students. Now, his next chapter is unfolding one rehearsal, one arrangement, and one joyful performance at a time.