It’s a global, grassroots celebration of the everyday joy of making music—any music!

To mark the occasion, we’ve rounded up six stories that celebrate the Midwest’s musical makers and rich musical histories. Think of it as a little nudge to make some music of your own this weekend.

Check out Make Music Day for event listings in your city.

Photo Credit: NBC

1. How Ohio Funk Changed the World of Music

The Great Migration, which saw millions of Black Americans move north during the early to mid-20th century, led to a flowering of musical movements across the Midwest. It led to Chicago blues (think Muddy Waters) and the Minneapolis Sound (think Prince).

In Ohio, there was funk: insistently rhythmic, flamboyantly fun, and forward-looking in its use of audio effects. Artists like Ohio Players, Zapp, Lakeside, Faze-O, Sun, and Slave came out of the Dayton area and hit airwaves across the country in the 1970s and ’80s.

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Dennis J. Neumann

2. Over 100 Years in the Making: The Lakota Song Repatriation Project

In many Indigenous cultures, ceremonies and traditions are paired with music. You cannot have one without the other. The beat of the drum represents the human heartbeat. The song is the prayer. The language is the foundation of those prayers.

But what happens when the language—and with it, the songs—is disappearing?

A Lakota language revitalization project in Bismarck is working to keep these important vocal traditions alive.

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Woolsock Facebook

3. Bare Feet and Banjos Meet at Woolsock, a Winter Festival

Woolsock is an annual celebration of Midwest winter—and the dancing, old-time music-making, and community building that can (and does) still happen in the gray hues of early January.

Participants play and dance to old-time music, whch has roots that span across Africa and Europe. It often features the fiddle, banjo, harmonica, upright bass, and maybe a harmonica or mandolin.

North American old-time music comes with its own unique culture of accompanied dance like square dancing and clogging. Songs carry stories and traditions, and get you moving.

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Rock The Rez

4. Rock The Rez Brings Power Chords to Indigenous Kids in South Dakota

This rock camp aims to empower Indigenous girls, two-spirited, transgender, and gender diverse youth in a safe space where they can raise their voices—and crank the amps.

The program also ensures that campers connect with musical role models within their own communities.

“We try to invite one local Indigenous band per day of camp for a lunchtime performer,” explained Matson. “The campers are always really excited to meet them, and then you say, ‘This person lives here, lives in this place where you live.’”

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Frank Weidman

5. Meet Todd Perrine, the DJ Helping to Sustain Toledo Nightlife

Step into Wesley’s Bar and Grill in downtown Toledo on a Friday night and you’ll find it packed with people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s moving to a soundtrack unlike anything else playing at surrounding establishments.

Through the crowd, which reaches between 200 and 300 people most weeks, you’ll find Todd Perrine—AKA DJ Sandman—the proverbial man behind the curtain pulling the strings, crafting in real-time the musical mood that carries the night forward.

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Kat and the Hurricane Facebook

6. Midwest Made: New Local Music to Add to Your Playlist

If you had an embarrassingly meager number of Midwestern artists on your year-in-review playlist, this one’s for you. We scoured the internet (and your hot tips) for the best new Midwest-made music to listen to in 2025.

Here’s a sampling of artists from the Dakotas to Ohio.

The post Celebrate Make Music Day, the Midwestern Way appeared first on Arts Midwest.

It’s how Shayna Karuman describes Fargo’s Asian Night Market—a local gathering, globalized: “I’m really proud that our event can be that for a lot of people.” 

Karuman started the annual North Dakota market in 2022 as simply as one can: with Hannah Flohr, Sacred Mauricio, and a well-energized idea. 

The trio met through protests and North Dakota State University’s Asian Student Organization (which Flohr founded). The pandemic was riddled with loneliness and hate crimes affecting Asian Americans. This event was their vehicle for change, and they were the gas. 

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

“We all have passion and drive for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the Fargo-Moorhead area. That’s what pushes us, because of our experiences knowing that loneliness, not having that community,” Flohr says. “We wanted to bring that and continue that…[and] we knew no one else was gonna do this.” 

That first market saw 14 vendors. This year’s event on May 23 is welcoming over 40—in a new, bigger location and twice as many food trucks as 2024 (not to mention 1,500 attendees last year, versus 400 at its start). The concept is based off Chinese open-air night markets, and the socializing strolls that come with these cultural pillars. 

Filling up a local aviation museum with cuisine, art galore, cultural groups, shopping, and performances, Asian Night Market is a “platform for growth for everyone,” Asian American and Pacific Islander or not, Flohr says. 

‘Come, Connect, Learn’

There will be group, experiential art (involving lanterns and fingerprints!) and activities for children; educational opportunities; and a new passport activity to encourage connection among vendors and attendees. 

“Our event is a great small step in someone’s journey to learning about cultures around them,” Karuman says. “Demystify the idea that culture is ‘over there.’ Culture is here, and we are people, and you can come up to us and talk to us and support us.” 

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

Photo Credit: Asian Night Market

Painter Nancy X. Valentine is a committed vendor at Asian Night Market. Proudly based in rural Otter Tail County, Minnesota, her artistry is rooted in her Chinese identity.  

She, like market organizers and many others, was disheartened by her neighbors’ response to shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2021. She has also felt the impacts of Asian isolation in her rural town, COVID or not. 

Art—and markets like these—provides some remedy. 

“Here’s a very highly visible offering for the community to be able to come, connect, learn,” Valentine says. “And also, for us Asian people to be in a space and feel economically empowered and also seen.” 

She hopes this market can be a bridge for people—to have the “courage to be curious” and “create with care.” And, at the heart of it all, to connect with community. 

The post This Grassroots Night Market Proves ‘Culture is Here’ in the Midwest appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Though not a bald eagle, the seabird is the symbol of patriotism here. 

The sculpture is on display in a two-story brick building in Grand Forks, North Dakota, nestled along the Red River across from Minnesota. 

Photo Credit: Arts for Vets

The artist: Randi Goodoien. He, like many others in the space, is a veteran. He joined the Navy out of high school, spending four years as an aircraft mechanic. 

Along the way, he found art. 

“I went into autobody work … and it really interested me how I was able to make the metal move and be creative,” he says. “That’s when I realized I was an artist.” 

Cue Arts for Vets, home to Albert—and a cache of studio artists, neighbors, and visitors sharing the locale. 

It was founded nearly a decade ago by artist Kimberly Forness Wilson, who comes from a family of veterans. It grew from four to over 100 people involved in one year and has had a brick-and-mortar spot for six years. 

Photo Credit: Kimberly Forness Wilson Instagram

Photo Credit: Arts for Vets

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the artist

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the artist

Photo Credit: Randi Goodoien Instagram

Photo Credit: Randi Goodoien Instagram

“Arts for Vets is a veteran-initiated community arts entity. We do community arts in the physical—at our gallery—and we also bring community arts out,” Forness Wilson says, such as school visits. 

Thirteen of Grand Forks’ 50,000-some residents rent studios at the small business. Some teach, others sell their work; everyone creates. 

“It should be called Arts by Vets, the way it’s evolved,” she says. “The veteran teaches the community. It’s a way of serving.” 

A Gathering Force 

Arts for Vets studio artist and volunteer Senta Grzadzielewski hasn’t found anything like it. 

“It’s kind of cool to be around people who value people who have committed, at least some point of their life, to serving the country. So to me, that’s super important to be a part of,” the Air Force officer says. “It actually cemented me in the community, made me feel like I had a purpose and that I belonged here.” 

Photo Credit: Courtesy Senta Grzadzielewski Instagram

Grzadzielewski is an impressionist artist, focusing on landscapes in the Midwest.  

Her creative output—vast skies, flowing hills, colors galore—is a stark contrast from the militarism she’s known for over 15 years.

“I work in a lot of absolutes, a lot of black and whites … My art has allowed me to escape from that and expand into more of an unknown,” Grzadzielewski says. 

Arts for, Well, Everyone 

Arts for Vets isn’t just for vets or even capital “a” Art, really. 

Photo Credit: Arts for Vets

Studio artists invite community members who maybe, say, create for fun or for cultural tradition. Anyone can come for classes, gallery openings, you name it.

That’s intentional, Forness Wilson says.

“We feel a patriotic act to make sure that all can participate,” she says. Everyone is invited to share their story, through art or practice.

“Once they sit down and they’re part of the group, their creativity starts flowing and it’s like, ‘Wow, I didn’t think I could do this,’” Goodoien says.

“It builds a little more community, one brick at a time, one person at a time.”

The post Art and Veterans: A Welcoming Community Combo in Grand Forks  appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Though numbers are slowly trending upward. In 2023, 35% of artists on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts were women—a 12-year high. 

The Midwest is rich with historic music from artists like Aretha Franklin to Tracy Chapman. Here are the stories that have inspired a love for music, in small towns and big cities across the Midwest (if not the world). 

Photo Credit: National Park Service

Photo Credit: Minnesota Music Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gwen Matthews The Artist Facebook

Photo Credit: South Dakota Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: Courtesy Tracie Spencer Instagram

Photo Credit: Discogs

Photo Credit: Wisconsin Area Music Industry

Photo Credit: Michigan Rock and Roll Legends

Photo Credit: Michigan Rock and Roll Legends

Photo Credit: Tiara Thomas Instagram

Photo Credit: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: Newspapers.com by Ancestry

The post Midwest Women Who’ve Made Music History  appeared first on Arts Midwest.

MJ McHugh wants you to, too. They’re the Education and Rural Arts Director at the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks. 

“When I moved to North Dakota, I wasn’t expecting a crazy amount of arts. But when I got here, I was just absolutely shocked about how passionate the people of North Dakota are about art,” they say. 

The museum’s Rural Arts Initiative goes beyond the bigger cities of Fargo or Bismarck and into the in-between spaces. Why? 

“Many rural communities don’t have access to something like the Art Institute of Chicago or the Minneapolis Institute of Art,” they say. “They just don’t always have that privilege and luxury to go see something.”  

So, the something comes to them. 

Not Empty, but Open

Poet and photographer Rebecca Norris Webb, along with partner Alex Webb (a photographer with 15 published books), is part of the program’s traveling exhibition across North Dakota. 

Alex’s work takes in North Dakota’s urban scenes, while Rebecca’s focuses on the spaces between them. She grew up in South Dakota and found solace in the landscape of the Dakotas when her brother unexpectedly passed. 

“It seemed the only place I could breathe was the prairies and Badlands,” Rebecca says. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy MJ McHugh

The Great Open exhibition, now on view at Long X Arts Foundation in Watford City, was inspired by the late poet Tomas Tranströmer’s quote: “I am not empty, I am open.” 

Rebecca says anyone who considers the Dakotas as ‘flyover states’ is at a loss. Her work for this project was rooted in the grasslands, the prairie, and the Badlands that stretch across both states.  

Sinking into this environment has helped to deepen her attention, she says. It’s mesmerizing. 

“Just recently in the dead of winter, I was working near the South Dakota Badlands and was delighted to run across a series of Arctic migrants,” Rebecca says, recalling her experience watching the birds hopping across wintry grasses in search of food. 

“All of a sudden, the flock lifted off, as if of one mind—a brown and white flash flitting as it vanished across the prairie.” 

The World Comes to North Dakota

The educational outreach program works “to encourage and empower rural school students and their teachers to actively participate in learning through the arts.” It came about as a direct response to feedback from rural educators and families. 

“We’re always trying to bring international, global, regional, and local art to our museum,” McHugh says, especially from artists with state ties. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy MJ McHugh

Not only do you have world-class artists displaying that beauty, but it’s accessible. The galleries traverse rural areas of the state; admission and programming are free. 

So if you’re searching for that awe-inspiring gallery, perhaps look no further than your Midwest neighbors.  

The doors are open—and not just from that North Dakota wind. 

The post Embrace the Expanse: Rural Program Brings Art to North Dakota Students  appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Photo Credit: Rachelle Baker

Bloomquist has dedicated her life to two traditional Swedish folk art painting practices, dalmålning and bonadsmålning. Along the way, she has found a way to blend these historic techniques with contemporary stories to create something all her own.

What makes Swedish folk painting unique, Bloomquist explains, is its narrative quality. While the tradition of Norwegian rosemaling focuses on decorative floral and scrollwork, Swedish styles incorporate storytelling, often showing Bible stories or other meaningful events.

In 18th-century Sweden, traveling artists painted scenes on cloth to decorate wooden farmhouses. These paintings weren’t just art—they were personal and functional, often marking important moments in people’s lives.

It’s the storytelling aspect of dalmålning and bonadsmålning that Bloomquist loves most. After working as an oncology nurse for years, she has spent much of her life listening to people’s stories and helping them through difficult times. Art became a way to manage stress and express her thoughts.

Blooomquist’s artistic journey was shaped by mentors Karen Jenson and Judith Kjenstad, two master folk artists known for their work in Norwegian and Swedish folk art traditions. They passed on the technical skills of the craft, inspiring Bloomquist to learn to make handmade paint, flour-based gesso, and stretched linen canvases.

But Bloomquist’s work didn’t stop with tradition—it evolved to include modern narratives. Her paintings show scenes like elders sipping coffee at a local Cenex, children climbing apple trees, or a North Dakota community rallying to move a church. Each piece bridges the past and present.

“I want the original paintings to be valued as tools that have allowed us to tell our stories,” Bloomquist explains. “But I’m very careful not to romanticize those old paintings. I recognize this tradition needs to stay relevant.”

Photo Credit: Pieper Bloomquist, scan by Arts District Imageworks

Photo Credit: Pieper Bloomquist

Photo Credit: Pieper Bloomquist, scan by Arts District Imageworks

Photo Credit: Pieper Bloomquist

One of her most meaningful projects involves working with elders in nursing homes to create community paintings. Bloomquist interviews residents to gather personal stories, sketches their stories onto a large canvas, and holds open painting sessions where participants contribute to the artwork. In the end, the finished piece reflects residents’ lives and hangs in their home—a lasting tribute to their stories.

Bloomquist also shares the history of dalmålning and bonadsmålning through teaching, both in the United States and in Sweden. “I want people to know about this tradition. I’ve been vocal to make sure it’s not forgotten,” she explains.

Through her work, Bloomquist ensures Swedish folk painting remains a living, evolving tradition—rooted in history but reflecting today’s world. “If something I’ve done has touched someone,” she reflects, “that’s my legacy.”

Pieper Bloomquist is a 2024 recipient of the Midwest Culture Bearers Award, which celebrates and financially supports the work of Midwest culture bearers and folk arts practitioners.

The Midwest Culture Bearers Award is supported by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts for project management.

The post Meet Pieper Bloomquist, a Painter Bringing Swedish Folk Art to the People appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Look no further for your guide to all things wacky, theatrical, and artsy galore.

‘Indiana’s Nicest Day’ 

The Penrod Arts Fair means 400 booths, live music, food, and beer. It’s been alive since the 1960s outside the Newfields museum grounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. Organizers call it one of the biggest single-day art fairs in the U.S. 

‘House of a Thousand Dreams’

Imagine the brightest colors you can. Now imagine them even brighter. The Immersive Art Fun House in Fairfield, Iowa, is home to artist Tom Lassota’s 20-years-in-the-making walk-through display that truly puts the fun in fun house. 

Artist Haven

Ask any local what Makanda Village is, and odds are you’ll hear something about art. The small Illinois community is home to many artists and is often called Valley of the Arts, with its annual Vulture Fest and countless galleries and studios for visitors to peruse.

We’re Not in (Ohio) Anymore

An old OfficeMax store turned truly bizarre, immersive trip Otherworld is, well, otherworldly. The Ohio bucket-list item has 50 rooms and different storylines meant to make you feel like you’ve truly left Earth.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Otherworld

Photo Credit: Courtesy Interact Facebook

Art from Your Car Window

Fancy a road trip? Over 30 miles of sculptures are scattered along the road across North Dakota’s Enchanted Highway, from the world’s biggest tin family to Theodore Roosevelt riding a horse. It’s all wheelchair accessible with audio tour options.

Bookworms Unite

South Dakota’s Festival of Books is for all the bibliophiles out there. This year, authors and readers gather in Spearfish for signings, big ol’ book clubs, and panel discussions galore. Read on!

Art for All

Over 100 artists work at Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, whether it be painting, dissecting a script, or working a loom. The St. Paul, Minnesota, non-profit caters to artists with disabilities and the wider area looking for a show, a print, or community.

Celebrating Black Culture

Awaiting to fully open, A Museum of Black Experience in Saginaw, Michigan, established a brick and mortar building in 2023. Inside is an artist-in-residence space, gallery and reflection area, a library, and a reading room. 

Mid-Winter Art Crawl

Coming up in February is Eau Claire’s Banbury Art Crawl—we’re talking all the art, food, live music, and demonstrations. The free-to-attend Wisconsin event has been running since 2008 and includes over 100 artists and vendors, from woodworking to stained glass. 

The post 9 Midwest Must-Visits from Enchanted Highways to Winter Art Crawls  appeared first on Arts Midwest.

Sitting on multiple floors, the grassroots art venue in Fargo, North Dakota, hosts pay-what-you-can studios, a music and event stage, a 24/7 band practice room, and an art store. 

It’s what many call a third place — a no-cost hangout spot. Run by five board members and a handful of volunteers, Parachigo is for all ages, alcohol free, and low cost. 

“Parachigo is a seat at the table that we built ourselves for local artists,” Karna says. “It’s the community voice of art.” 

This particular voice has a particularly uncommon name, too. 

Photo Credit: Amy Felegy

“I think a lot of the people who run the space and are passionate about the space share very similar views, but the goal is also to be neutral ground, regardless of that, for anybody recovering or like may come from a different angle, but shares the understanding that equality is important. So I think that’s kind of the only guideline and expectation.” 

Storefront Director Crona Solberg says Parachigo is “the little glue” between people and community, which often don’t meet due to financial or other barriers. 

Photo Credit: Amy Felegy

Photo Credit: Amy Felegy

Photo Credit: Amy Felegy

Photo Credit: Amy Felegy

Photo Credit: Amy Felegy

“Everywhere in life, it seems, everything is just so disconnected. And this is the only place that feels connected,” Solberg says. “Mom and pops died 40 years ago. We’re bringing that back, but now it’s like 30 mom and pops all together.” 

Up next for Parachigo is adding more board members and volunteers, partially to lessen Karna’s workload as director, manager, fundraiser, outreach specialist … the list goes on. 

A main goal is climbing out of $2,800 in debt from relocating this year. People can donate by texting DIY to 53555. 

A dedicated space to make art happen is just as integral as the art happening in it, Karna says. Parachigo is Fargo’s unwavering reminder of it. 

“I think in all cities, local communities and art communities are a dying breed. But they’re not going anywhere. [Artists] just need a place to get together. And if you have an empty space and open it to local creatives, they will fill up the space with beauty.” 

The post Fargo DIY Art Space for ‘Little Stinkers’ Started with Just $50 appeared first on Arts Midwest.

With recent economic developments, more Filipinos are moving to North Dakota for work and family. They make up most of the Asian and Asian American community in the state. This increases the demand, as well as curiosity, for Filipino food statewide. 

Meet the three Filipino food makers shaping the perception and reception of Filipino cuisine in North Dakota. 

Photo Credit: Crista McCandless

Foodways with Care

With the scarcity of Filipino food ingredients in Minot, Jenny Thomas cooks at Bear’s Kitchen with creative ingenuity. 

“When I cook Filipino food, I want it to cater to different palates without sacrificing its authenticity,” says Thomas. “So, I grow my own vegetables and ingredients. I buy meat at the local butcher shop. I want to make sure the ingredients are of good quality.”

She curates the dishes on her menu considering organic ingredients and customer requests. “I have Filipino teachers and nurses (for customers) who immigrated here in North Dakota for work. When they come to me because they’re craving Filipino dishes, I want my food to offer comfort and a warm big hug,” she says.

Watching her mother cook inspired Jenny’s love for food and sense of adventure. She dreams of owning a restaurant one day but in the meantime is happy for how her food truck serves her kababayan.

 

Photo Credit: Pamela Crabtree

Photo Credit: Bear’s Kitchen

Photo Credit: The Wok

Passion for Cooking

Hailing from Pampanga—“the culinary capital of the Philippines”—Rose Stokke’s culinary story began thousands of miles away in Qatar. She worked as a service crew member at the prestigious La Cigale hotels. From taking orders to becoming a sous chef with no formal training, Stokke found success in the commercial kitchen.

Now, she shares her culture through food in Grand Forks while working at a local hospital. Stokke’s culinary practice is rooted in the regional Kapampangan cuisine. 

“Every Filipino knows how to cook. Regional dishes make for rich culinary traditions. We love our food and we try to look for them wherever in the world we are,” she says.

In 2019, she opened her award-winning food truck, The Wok, in Grand Forks. The name was inspired by talyase, a wok she uses when cooking Filipino food. She blends tradition with innovation to accommodate Western palate and reinvents the dishes that shaped her childhood. 

“I pay homage to my cultural roots through the food I cook,” she says.

 

Photo Credit: Philip Schultz

Preserving Food Traditions

Pamela Yena Crabtree serves authentic regional Filipino dishes to her patrons in the Bismarck-Mandan area. Born and raised in Bohol, Philippines, she’s motivated by her desire to share food that brings people together.

What led her to pursue cooking? Her grandmother’s delicious home-cooked meals. She initially started serving bar food at her restaurant Blackstone Grill in 2021. Sensing that she could offer more, she began making lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and pancit (stir fried noodles). 

“Filipino food is underrated yet very diverse and vibrant —reflecting Philippines’ rich history and culture. Our flavor profile balances sweet, sour, and salty elements, blending indigenous ingredients with influences from Chinese, Spanish, Malay, American and other cuisines,” says Crabtree. 

People enjoyed the food, so a year later she renamed the restaurant Blackstone Filipino Kitchen. She expanded her menu to include Filipino stew and soup dishes.

Since her restaurant’s closure in February 2024 (due to a change in building ownership), she has found success in a new venture—catering Filipino food—while looking for a new location.  

The post Filipino Chefs Share Flavors of Home in North Dakota appeared first on Arts Midwest.

This isn’t your typical day in Grafton, a town of 4,000. Jazz doesn’t exactly fill the airwaves here. For many of these kids, it’s their first time hearing live jazz—and they are loving it.

Photo Credit: Alana Horton

Bringing Jazz to Small Towns

For JAS Quintet, though, this scene is nothing new. Members of this five-piece group have been playing in rural towns across South Dakota for over a decade thanks to local touring grants.

Their mission? Introduce jazz to the next generation—kids who might never hear it otherwise. They estimate that they’ve performed for over 65,000 students over the years.

“I try to share what we’re doing, letting audiences know that what they’re hearing is unique and we’ll never play it again,” says band co-founder Joel Shotwell, speaking about improvisation and jazz. “I like to go into how this music evolved, and how American it really is.”

JAS Quintet includes Shotwell on saxophone, along with Jeffrey Paul (keys), Andrew Reinartz (bass), Daniel Heier (drums), and Jim Speirs (trumpet).

Together, they create a sound that blends original jazz pieces with timeless classics.

A Tour Fueled by Music (and a Grant)

JAS Quintet’s latest tour, made possible by a Jazz Road grant from South Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, took them through North Dakota for the first time. And at each stop, they reached new audiences of jazz listeners.

Over in Bismarck, they held workshops to coach high school musicians, helping them hone their craft. In Valley City, they played for a group of engaged college students, who peppered the quintet with questions after the show finished. 

On the way home, they stopped at Aberdeen’s Red Rooster, a multi-purpose café with a stage and an art room in the back.

“Right when you walk in, you know it feels inclusive,” says Shotwell. “You’re like, oh, there are people here who probably wouldn’t fit in a lot of places in a small town in South Dakota.”

It was a particularly special gig for the band, who believe in creating spaces where everyone can listen and learn.

Photo Credit: Alana Horton

Coming Together for Jazz

Back home in Sioux Falls, drummer Daniel Heier hosts a monthly community jam session. It’s been going strong for almost nine years now.

Audience members of all ages can experience “sitting in” – a jazz term for improvising alongside a band.

“It’s definitely something I wish I had when I was coming up on the scene,” says Shotwell.

For JAS Quintet, it’s not just about playing music. It’s also about getting people—especially young people—excited about jazz.

“The biggest challenge is just convincing people that this music is worth their time,” he explains. “If people can get their eyes open to what jazz is, maybe they’ll be compelled to go listen again.”

The post Meet the Rural Road Warriors of Jazz appeared first on Arts Midwest.