With the new school year comes an array of new staff members, including the recently hired orchestra director and guitar teacher, Nathan Sackschewsky.

The 2016-17 school year will be Sackschewky’s 11th year teaching. Prior to being hired at Lake Zurich, Sackschewsky taught at Batavia High School and Twin Groves Middle School.

“It’s a really great gig. I actually have a masters in arts management, and I’ve worked with other things [using that degree] and even took a year off [of teaching] to just focus on that one year and I just really missed [teaching],” Sackschewsky said. “High school students are so passionate about what they do, on all levels, and it’s really fun to create great art with them. Although it’s a lot of work, on the students end and on my end, it doesn’t feel like it. I’m doing stuff everyday and I get to play music. It’s a dream job, for sure.”

While at his dream job, Sackschewsky is striving to keep the current traditions alive while still adjusting the program to his style.

“My goal is to follow a lot of the traditions that are in place, but still make it something that follows a little bit of my aesthetic. Musicians, conductors, and teachers, we all have our own ideas of music and the way things should be played,” Sackschewsky said. “I hope to continue to follow some of those traditions that have been set, but then also do some minors things here and there and figuring out how we communicate together as an orchestra. I really enjoy that experience.”

Before Sackschewsky, Serge Penksik had conducted the orchestra for nine years. The new influence has been an adjustment, but students are excited to start the process, according to Matt Mauleon, junior and symphony violinist.

“You know we miss Mr. Penksik, but I’m sure that Mr. S will become a great addition to Lake Zurich High School [and will help] improve the orchestra,” Mauleon said.

To help improve the orchestra, Sackschewsky hopes to use his experience in the field and passion for music to his advantage.

“I started [playing music] when I was a little three year old on the violin. I did Suzuki violin forever, and then when I was in college I switched to viola,” Sackschewsky said. “I studied in Vienna and went to see the Vienna Philharmonic every night. The [study abroad program] gave us a stipend for money, so you could get all the food you wanted for 20 euros a day. [My classmates and I] used to take a roll from breakfast, so we didn’t have to buy lunch and we would eat a kebab or something really cheap for dinner so we could take our money and go buy concert tickets. We would do that every night, and it was the best music education. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

By utilizing his passion for his work, Sackschewsky is looking forward to getting to know his students better and helping them along their own music education.

“I’m really enjoying my time here,” Sackschewsky said. “It’s a fantastic place to be. All of the orchestra and guitar students have been playing really really well, with great skill and great passion for what they do. I look forward to making great music with them in the future.”