As the upcoming school year quickly approaches, newly hired Seminole Schools Band Director Konnor Robertson is looking forward to meeting the Seminole community and sharing his love of music with the students at Seminole Schools. Robertson will be replacing Steve Johnson, who was the band director for Seminole over the past 28 years. Johnson retired at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Robertson will begin his new role at Seminole schools with Summer Band Practice, which is scheduled to begin on July 31 and continue through August 4.

Robertson has had a run of success as the Konawa Schools band director over the past four years and is certain to bring the same positive touch to Seminole. Robertson explains that he grew up in Okemah and graduated from Okemah High School. He entered the band program there when he was in middle school, and notes that he had a different band director almost every year.

“Some were great, and some were not, but when band was great it couldn’t be beat, in my opinion,” Robertson states. “The good times in high school band instilled a love of music in me that continued through college and to this day,” he says, explaining how he first became interested in teaching music.

After graduating from Okemah high school Robertson furthered his education at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee.

“I continued to have amazing experiences in music there and developed some of the greatest friendships of my life there as well,” Robertson says of his continuing education. “I student taught band in Prague, Oklahoma and Dale, Oklahoma under two of the best band directors in the state, after which I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Instrumental Music Education from OBU.”

After graduating, Robertson began his band directing career at Konawa School, where he has taught for the past four year. He proudly points out that the Konawa band students qualified for State Concert Band Contest every year, and received Superior ratings at many different competitions, beating out other schools much larger than Konawa in a few marching contests. Robertson also hosted the highly popular and longstanding “Konawa Band Day” marching band competition each year.

“I continue to love music, strive for excellence in every aspect of band, and I love to win!” Robertson exclaims. “I am extremely excited to be Band Director at Seminole this year and look forward to all the incredible things the Seminole Chieftain Marching Band will accomplish. Go Chieftains!” he concludes.