Nebraska FFA Member Squeezes His Way to Success
Nebraska FFA member Justin Eisenmann has made several appearances at FFA events to showcase his special talent: playing the accordion. Since his freshman year, he has stunned audiences at Nebraska FFA conferences, the Nebraska State FFA Convention, and even the National FFA Convention & Expo. His most recent competition brought him to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the national convention in October, where he competed among 11 other acts in the semifinal round of the National FFA Talent Competition.
Eisenmann was first encouraged to audition for the national talent competition his freshman year, and he was accepted amongst 49 other contestants. “Just being in the preliminary round was cool because no one really sees an accordion that often, so being a freshman with no idea what this all entails, that was pretty cool,” he said. That year, Eisenmann advanced to the top 15, where he performed in the semifinals.
In 2025, he auditioned again and was accepted. At the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, he performed eight times and didn’t advance to the semifinals (the 2025 semifinals were slightly modified to accommodate only 10 contestants instead of the usual 15).
Eisenmann made it a goal and a tradition to keep auditioning for the national talent competition, which led him to audition for the most recent national convention. This year, he made a few appearances at the Indiana Convention Center and advanced to the semifinals again. He received amazing crowd interaction, but he did not make the final three.
“Lucas Oil is really cool because it’s so big and it’s an NFL stadium,” he said, but he believes his favorite place to perform stays close to home — Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
Home to the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball teams, Pinnacle Bank Arena also hosts the Nebraska FFA State Convention. For Eisenmann, performing in front of an audience with familiar faces makes the experience even more meaningful. He enjoys recognizing faces in the crowd and seeing the entire arena illuminate when he performs.
”He truly is a remarkable student,” Anna Koehn, Eisenmann’s advisor for Clarkson FFA, said. Koehn first met Eisenmann and his family while he was performing at the “Czech Days” celebration in their hometown of Clarkson, Neb. Koehn knew that he was interested in FFA, so she encouraged him to share his musical talent within the organization.
“Justin was asked to try something new, and he embraced it with determination and a positive attitude,” Koehn said. She shared how proud she is of Eisenmann for taking something he enjoys and making it his own to share with the world.
Nebraska FFA members gather to support and celebrate Eisenmann at many FFA events. Whether he is performing at a conference, a state convention, or even national convention, he has a group of people supporting, celebrating, and rooting for him.
