Montana
Montana music students get a taste of mambo at MSU Billings Jazz Festival
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.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
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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Montana music students get a taste of mambo at MSU Billings Jazz Festival
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.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
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.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
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.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
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.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
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.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“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.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“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.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
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.”
WESTERN MONTANA — Here’s a look at Western Montana’s top news stories for Tuesday.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office reports the suspect in last Thursday’s attempted kidnapping at a Kalispell gas station has been identified and arrested. The incident occurred at Woody’s gas station at Highways 35 and 206, where a man allegedly attempted to rob and kidnap a woman sitting in her car. (Read the full story)
Flathead County attempted kidnapping suspect in custody
The Bureau of Land Management is offering $1 permits for people to cut their own Christmas trees on public land, with options including Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and western larch. Harvesters must stay at least a quarter-mile from roads and rivers, with BLM encouraging people to target overcrowded areas where thinning would benefit forest management. (Read the full story)
Bureau of Land Management offering $1 Christmas tree permits
Two reindeer from a farm in Washington brought Christmas magic to Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply in Missoula on Dec. 6, featuring 10-year-old Candy and 1.5-year-old Elsa posing for photos and meeting dozens of families. The reindeer, raised by Jordan Duncan at Reindeer Express near Spokane, spend their off-season splashing in water and munching grass before returning to holiday duties. (Read the full story)
Creature Features: Reindeer for Rent
Montana
Montana-Montana State’s FCS semifinal get-in ticket prices surpass College Football Playoff games
Montana-Montana State, known as the Brawl of the Wild, is one of the best rivalries in FCS. This year, more than bragging rights are on the line, as the matchup will take place in the FCS semifinals.
The high stakes and relatively smaller seating capacity have made this game the most expensive entry-level ticket in college football this weekend, including the first round of the College Football Playoff.
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The cheapest ticket for the game at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana, is $675 on Gametime Tickets compared to about $350 for the Miami at Texas A&M game, which is the most expensive of the four first-round College Football Playoff matchups. The most expensive ticket for the FCS semifinal is a sideline seat priced at $1,152. The Miami-Texas A&M game has Founder Club tickets listed at $2,484.
The seating capacity for Bobcat Stadium is 20,767, compared to more than 102,000 at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. The other three CFP games this weekend will be hosted by Oklahoma (capacity 80,126), Ole Miss (64,038) and Oregon (60,000).
Next year’s Montana-Montana State matchup starts at $876, with some tickets listed as high as $1,359.
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Montana State is the No. 2 seed in the playoffs at 12-2 after defeating Stephen F. Austin 44-28 in the quarterfinals this past weekend. Third-seeded Montana is 13-1 and beat South Dakota 52-22 in its quarterfinal. Montana leads the all-time rivalry 74-44-5.
Montana State has won the last two matchups between the teams, most recently winning 31-28 at Montana on Nov. 22. At least one of the teams has appeared in the FCS championship game in three of the past four years. Montana’s last national championship came in 2001, while Montana State’s came in 1984.
Montana is led by head coach Bobby Hauck, who is the second-winningest active FCS head coach and one of the top 10 winningest active coaches overall in Division I football at 151-42. Montana’s key players are quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat, running back Eli Gillman and wide receiver Michael Wortham.
Montana State is led by head coach Brent Vigen. Key players for Montana State include quarterback Justin Lamson, running back Julius Davis and wide receiver Taco Dowler.
The first playoff meeting between football rivals Montana and Montana State is set for 2 p.m. Mountain time next Saturday at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. The game will air nationally on ABC.
The Bobcats and Grizzlies will square off in the semifinal round of the FCS postseason after each team won convincingly in the quarterfinal round. No. 2-seeded Montana State defeated No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 44-28 at home Friday night and No. 3-seeded Montana raced past No. 11 South Dakota 52-22 on Saturday in Missoula.
Next week’s game between the Cats and Griz will be the 125th all-time meeting, and it will be for a berth in the national championship game Jan. 5 at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
It will also be the first time the schools have faced each other twice in football in the same season since 1913.
The Bobcats are seeking their fourth all-time trip to the FCS/Division I-AA title game and their third visit in the past five years. MSU claims three national championships — 1956 (NAIA), 1976 (NCAA Division II) and 1984 (I-AA). The Bobcats lost to North Dakota State in the championship game in Frisco, Texas, in both 2021 and last season.
The Grizzlies are looking to make their ninth trip to the championship game and their second in the past three seasons. Montana has won two previous titles — in 1995 and 2001. The Griz suffered title-game losses in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2023.
Montana State beat Montana 31-28 in Missoula on Nov. 22 in the regular-season finale to earn the outright Big Sky Conference title and the No. 2 seed for the playoffs. The Grizzlies lead the all-time series 74-44-5 but MSU owns a 12-10 edge since 2002.
Saturday’s other semifinal game pits unseeded Illinois State against No. 12 seed Villanova. Illinois State went on the road and upset No. 8 seed UC Davis 42-31 in the quarterfinals on Saturday while Villanova held on to beat No. 4 seed Tarleton State 26-21.
Illinois State and Villanova will kick off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time on ESPN2.
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