Meet the Director

Mr. Pakaluk is the Instrumental Music Director at Lynbrook High School, where he directs three concert bands, two string orchestras, and oversees the Marching Viking Band & Color Guard. He holds a B.M. in Music Education from the Hartt School of Music and a M.M. in Trumpet Performance from the University of New Mexico. He has been teaching high school since 2006. Previously, he taught at Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, California (2006-2011), and elementary school in Derby, Connecticut (2003). Mr. Pakaluk has teaching experience with every age range from pre-K through collegiate/adult. His groups have consistently earned high ratings in festivals, and each year a significant number of students participate in All-State and county honor groups. He has taken Lynbrook groups on multiple national and international performance tours, including France, Spain, New York, and an upcoming trip to the United Kingdom. Under his direction, the Lynbrook Orchestra was invited to perform at CASMEC in both 2016 and 2022, and the Chamber Orchestra performed at the 73rd annual Midwest Clinic in 2019.

In 2019, Pakaluk was the recipient of the CMEA Bay Section Outstanding Orchestra Educator award. In 2020, he was recognized by Lynbrook as the Certificated Staff Member of the Year. In 2021 he was inducted into the John Philip Sousa Foundation Bandworld Legion of Honor. At CASMEC 2022, he received the Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award from CMEA.

As a trumpet player, Mr. Pakaluk has recorded and/or performed with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Maria Philharmonic, the Damon Castillo Band, The Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Wind Symphony, the South Bay Dub All-Stars, and many others. He is currently a regular member of the Menlo Brass Quintet, the Peninsula Symphony, and the San Francisco Brass Band. He was previously employed as a trumpet/brass instructor with Santa Clara Vanguard Music & Performing Arts and Santa Clara University. Mr. Pakaluk is active as a clinician and adjudicator for CMEA Bay Section and Music in the Parks, and has served as a board member with the California Band Directors Association (CBDA). He is currently the librarian for California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), and secretary for the Santa Clara County Band Directors Association (SCCBDA).