Jazz Band in Missoula

Nine Malta High School Students participated in one of Montana's largest Jazz Festivals, the 2017 Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival in Missoula on March 16.

"He was a famous Jazz Clarinetist," Malta senior and bass guitarist Grant O'Brien said. "It was very fun. We played, went to a workshop and attended a concert. It was pretty nice."

O'Brien and Malta's Jazz Band consisting of Blake Sjostrom, Travis Epperson, Tel Jensen, Samuel Renville, Raina Mortenson, Joanie Sjostrom, Bella Mackey and Reese Sjostrom each attended the event, which was comprised of workshops and performance.

The PCN spoke with O'Brien, Mackey, Sjostrom as well as instructor Mr. Erik Engebretson last week.

A wide range of schools from Washington state and Montana were also performing and in attendance.

"There were universities to middle schools," Mr. Engebretson said. "There were mostly larger schools but there were some Class B schools there like Ronan, Bigfork, Florence-Carlton and us. We were about the furthest away."

The workshops were right along the style of Malta's Jazz Band that features an impromptu format of playing.

"We just take whatever they were playing and we had to make something up to go along with it," O'Brien said noting that it was in the top ten moments of his life.

Mackey, a clarinet player participated in the piano workshop, due to the fact there weren't any clarinet workshops.

"I play a little bit of piano but it was mostly chords and stuff, so I didn't really get anything from it," Mackey said.

Sjostrom, a guitarist went to the same workshop O'Brien attended.

"It was a little different because it was a bass workshop, which I don't play but learning about putting music together using different notes was pretty interesting," Sjostrom said.

The event featured drummer Chris Smith, a drummer who plays clinics throughout the country.

"He was really good," Sjostrom said. "He was really entertaining to watch and he seemed to know a lot about drumming and music, so it was pretty cool."

Though Sjostrom was impressed with Smith's skills as a drum set player, his favorite part of the event wasn't watching Smith's performance.

"I'd say probably the performance," he said. "I felt we did pretty good and it was fun to do our thing up there."

The MHS musicians were very well acquainted with their songs, having had performed them in other venues earlier this year.

"At this point, I kind of remembered everything and didn't really have to look at the sheet a whole lot," O'Brien said.

O'Brien's favorite part of the trip was a famous stop in Lincoln, The Hi Country Snack Foods facility.

"It's basically the what's what of jerky and clothing that's Montana related," O'Brien said noting they enjoyed the nighttime onesies in the store. "I found a foam finger that said Beat State in the University of Montana Bookstore, which is funny because my bosses (Julie Snellman at Art's Furniture) are Cats fans."

Mackey also enjoyed performing at the event.

"We did three of the ones that we did at our last concert," Mackey said. "We did Ginger Bread Boy, Summertime and Put It Where You Want It."