Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
The Jazz Program is continually growing and is a great option and opportunity for students to learn more about America’s true art form. The Jazz Collective, Lincoln’s top jazz ensemble, is audition-only. It is required to improvise to gain entrance into the ensemble. The group performs at five concerts, five competitions, and many local opportunities to spread their love of jazz. In total, the group will perform 20-25 different selections each year. The Jazz Ensemble, Lincoln’s second jazz ensemble, and Jazz "the third", Lincoln's third jazz ensemble are also audition-only. The Jazz Ensemble and Jazz "the third" perform at three concerts and two competitions throughout the year. Developing improvisation skills is the base of the curriculum. Both groups will perform 15-20 selections each year. Jazz IV is Lincoln's final jazz ensemble. This group is open to any student wishing to learn more about Jazz music. Typically, this group has 25-30 students involved. This ensemble performs at three concerts and one competition each year. Finally, a jazz camp which focuses on improvisation is open to all students and takes place each summer.
The 2026 Jazz Collective is made up of (8) seniors, (8) juniors, and (4) sophomores. The group has earned many accolades in its illustrious history, highlighted by being crowned the 2024 and 2026 “Basically Basie” champions and 2025 “Basically Basie” runner-ups; first place finishes at the Coe College Jazz Summit (2023) which is one of the Midwest’s largest jazz festivals, first place at the Waukee BlueNote Jazz Festival (2024, 2025, and 2026), and consistent first place finishes at area jazz festivals over the last 40 years. In 2024, the Lincoln Jazz Collective was asked to open for the Augustana Jazz Ensemble and to perform at the South Dakota Bandmasters Conference. The band was also asked to be the first high school group to perform at the new jazz club in downtown Sioux Falls in February of 2025. In the fall of 2025, the band opened for the Fellowship Jazz Orchestra in downtown Sioux Falls. Finally, the acceptance of the Midwest Clinic in December of 2026 will be a program highlight that will be a staple for the remainder of the school's history.
Sioux Falls Lincoln Jazz Collective
Conductor's Bio
Drew Balta is a music educator, clinician, and program builder whose work focuses on creating high-achieving music programs where every student has an opportunity to belong, contribute, and grow. He is in his thirteenth year of teaching and currently serves as Co-Director of Bands at Sioux Falls Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Balta is passionate about building programs where excellence, opportunity, and belonging go hand in hand, while developing students as musicians, leaders, and young adults.
At Lincoln, Balta co-directs the Patriot Marching Band and Pep Band and directs Jazz I (Jazz Collective), Jazz II (Jazz Ensemble), Concert Band, and Freshman Band. During his tenure, alongside his tremendous colleagues at both the feeder middle schools and the high school, the Lincoln band program has experienced remarkable growth while achieving recognition at the state, regional, and national levels. The Patriot Marching Band has grown from 164 members in 2022 to 249 members in 2026, representing more than 50% growth in four years. The concert band program has grown from 200 students to nearly 300 and the jazz program has nearly doubled in size during the same period, expanding to four jazz ensembles for the first time in school history.
Lincoln's ensembles have experienced significant competitive and performance success during Balta's tenure. The Patriot Marching Band earned the program's first Bands of America Regional Championship in 2022, finished fourth at the 2022 BOA St. Louis Super Regional—the highest Super Regional finish by a South Dakota band—and became the first Lincoln marching band to advance to finals at the BOA Indianapolis Super Regional in 2023 - the band has made a Super Regional Finals in each of the last five years. The band also represented Lincoln High School in the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Jazz Collective (Lincoln’s top jazz ensemble) has earned numerous awards including 1st place finishes at The Eau Claire Jazz Festival (WI), The Morningside Jazz Festival (IA), The Augustana Jazz Festival (SD), the Coe College Jazz Summit (IA), the Optimist Jazz Festival (SD), the Blue Note Jazz Festival (IA), and the Coyote Jazz Festival (SD). In addition, the ensemble was crowned the 2024 and 2026 Basically Basie Champions and 2025 Basically Basie Runner-ups in Kansas City (MO). At the 2026 event, senior Henry Oppenheimer earned the top soloist award and performed with the Count Basie Orchestra. The ensemble performed at the 2024 South Dakota Bandmasters Conference in Brookings, South Dakota alongside guest artist Marques Carroll.
In 2026, Lincoln's Jazz Collective was selected to perform at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, becoming the first jazz ensemble from South Dakota ever selected to perform at the conference.
For Balta, however, program success is measured by more than trophies and performance results. He believes deeply in creating opportunities for every student and in developing ensembles where students learn to take ownership, serve others, lead with purpose, and contribute to something larger than themselves. His approach to student leadership and organizational culture has become a defining component of his work. Balta believes that a strong program should challenge students to pursue excellence while ensuring that every student understands that they have an important place within the organization.
Balta is active as a clinician and presenter, with particular interests in student leadership, band culture, program development, and jazz education. He has presented at the Iowa Bandmasters Conference, South Dakota Bandmasters Symposium, South Dakota All-State Band Festival, and other professional events. He has also served as a leadership consultant to more than ten schools throughout the region and has presented clinics on topics ranging from building successful band cultures to student leadership and beginning jazz improvisation.
Prior to joining Lincoln, Balta spent eight years as Director of Bands at West Lyon Community Schools in Inwood, Iowa. During his tenure, the program experienced significant growth and success, including an Iowa state jazz championship, multiple Iowa Bandmasters Association conference appearances, numerous marching-band championships, and participation levels reaching 37% of the school's 5–12 enrollment.
Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Balta graduated from William Penn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Music with an emphasis in trumpet performance and earned a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Florida. He studied trumpet with Dick Redman and began his teaching career through student-teaching experiences at Pella High School and North Mahaska.
Outside of music education, Balta enjoys following Cubs baseball and Hawkeye basketball and football and spending time with his wife, Amanda, and daughters, Wrigley and Lennyn. He has also served as an assistant varsity baseball coach at West Lyon for thirteen years.
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