BILLINGS — The 11th annual MSU Billings Jazz Festival brought together music students from across the state to showcase their talent and learn from professional musicians.
Held all day Friday, the festival provided a unique opportunity for young musicians in junior high, high school, and college to perform, be judged, and receive valuable feedback from industry professionals. Ensemble entry is free for schools and non-competitive.
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MSU Billings music professor and department chair John Roberts founded the festival in 2014. Since then, it has only grown to include over 25 schools and expanded beyond jazz music.
“We expect to get about 800 people through our doors and we sold this 500-seat room out in about four hours as soon as the tickets opened, so it's really nice," said Roberts. "Part of that is because of the people I'm bringing in and the level of students I have playing in my ensemble, so people want to see that."
Each year, Roberts invites guest artists to attend and adjudicate the ensemble performances, as well as host musical clinics. This year, six guest artists were in attendance, including Ron Blake, Joey De Leon, Otto Granillo, James King, Junko Seki, and Eric Richards. While the events throughout the day were free, the night ended with a sold-out gala concert featuring the MSU Billings Jazz Ensemble and, for the first time in the event's history, a 20-piece full mambo-style orchestra.
"It's just something I always wanted to do and it's something that never happens anymore, so it's kind of special. This was standard in the '70s, but nobody does this music," said Roberts.
The band performed traditional mambo music, a Latin dance style that originated in Cuba. Made up of Grammy winners, nominees, composers, and various local artists and music professors, the performance blended the talents of Montana musicians with those from Los Angeles.
“These guys, I mean they play with Fitz and the Tantrums, they played with Christina Aguilera, they played with Mark Anthony," said Roberts. "People want to see them and they're just all really great people who have a great spirit, and they're here for the right reason."
Guest multilingual singer Junko Seki, who flew in from California to teach a clinic, was thrilled for the opportunity to play in the band and to share her experiences with the students.
"We're all excited. This is the first for all of us," said Seki. “It's really fortunate for us to be able to share our stories with all of (the students), and then some of (them) may get inspired."
That opportunity to listen to and learn from professional musicians is rare but valuable for the students themselves.
“It's a little nerve-wracking. It's super cool, like it's a super great experience” said Alexa Caswell, an MSU Billings sophomore alto sax player. "That's where you want to be someday so just seeing them is awesome.”
For former Sidney High School students Ben Stevens and Sheali Seitz, the festival played a pivotal role in igniting their passion for music, ultimately guiding them to pursue their studies at MSU Billings.
“High school for me was a great opportunity for me to explore the genre of music that I had a particular interest in at the time," said Stevens, a senior trombone player. “(Roberts) kind of demonstrated with this festival that the state of Montana really has a large scene to accommodate for jazz and Latin-style music."
As high schoolers, Stevens and Seitz attended the festival, taking part in the event’s performances, but now as college students, they help out behind the scenes. Their involvement with the festival has come full circle, allowing them to assist with event operations while also performing in the final concert alongside their school's jazz ensemble.
"Every year, I always dreamed about being in this band and being a part of the MSUB jazz orchestra," said Seitz, a sophomore tenor sax player. "(Now) to be on this stage in front of the sold-out house was an insane experience and be able to sit with all these musicians who I've watched for years and years growing up."
Instead of attending the festival as spectators, Robert's jazz students actively help make it happen, passing along the inspiration they once received to the next generation of students while still developing as musicians themselves.
"We have someone to look up to, and I feel like just being around those types of people and that level of musicianship helps you improve in a way too, even just for a couple days," said Sam Laytom, MSU Billings junior and percussion player. “I feel like that's what they're going to remember in high school like just getting that positive feedback as well and that encouragement to keep playing their instrument."
For many young musicians, the MSU Billings Jazz Festival is not just a high-stress performance, but a chance to grow, connect with others, and be inspired by some of the best musicians in the world, no matter their skill level, all united by their shared love for music.
“Music is universal," said Seki. "You speak the same language, so it really doesn't matter who you are. We all play music, so that's just love, I think.”
