Jake Jacobson may spend his winters in Arizona, but the Nebraska native can’t be kept away from the Cornhusker State for long. The Elkhorn native and music director will be performing at the Oregon Trail Rodeo in Hastings for the fifth consecutive year.

“When you meet a new rodeo committee, you either fit in or you don’t,” Jacobson said. “This rodeo is like my second family now.”

Jacobson is currently one of approximately 180 music directors approved by the PRCA for professional rodeos across the country. He found his current career path by chance while riding bulls in Arizona.

“I was helping in the back pens when a guy came up to me with a microphone. He said, ‘We don’t have an announcer, and it’s your turn. There’s a CD with four songs on it. Let’s ride some bulls,'” Jacobson recalls.

Twenty years later, Jacobson is still playing music for rodeo fans.

It’s not uncommon for him to play a song from the ’50s, followed by rock music from the ’80s or a brand new trending song. When it comes to the fan experience, Jacobson says, good music can take the rodeo to the next level.

“The audience stays engaged. If you have a good announcer and good clowns, you can work together as a team,” Jacobson said.

Some may think that all it takes to run a successful rodeo is cowboys and cattle, but the music director is one of many behind-the-scenes staff members who work to enhance the experience for fans.

“The sound engineer is the first to leave and the last to leave,” Jacobson said. “It’s organized chaos.”

Learn more about the Oregon Trail Rodeo here: https://ruralradio.com/rrn/news/oregon-trail-rodeo-adds-new-elements-of-community-participation/

Listen to our full interview with Jake Jacobson here:

Listen to our interview with announcer Travis Schauda here:

Listen to our interview with Rodeo Chairman Scott Hinrichs: