Hellgate arts students have wrapped up a busy season of performances and showcases. Throughout February and March, both performing and visual arts students were extremely busy participating in festivals, concerts, and more. Students got a variety of experiences, many of which included collaborating with different programs and schools.
The Hellgate Band has had lots of exciting opportunities recently, including the UM Concert Band Festival, AA Band Festival, and the UM Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival. At the festival, seniors Jack Morss, Noah Morss, and Dominic Gingerelli earned outstanding soloist awards, and Hellgate won awards for best trumpet, saxophone, and rhythm section. One of the highlights of experiences like these is that students get the opportunity to interact with people from other schools and work with different musicians than they usually do. Band teacher Jesse Dochnahl said, “I learned so much about their approach to teaching. I learned so much about performance techniques and ideas from the students, from other bands. It always has me reevaluating my approach and my music choices and my teaching.” He said he hoped students felt the same way through these fantastic learning opportunities.
Another collaborative experience the band has gotten is performing in the Hellgate art show at the library. This combines both students in visual arts and performing arts. Jazz band students got the opportunity to participate in the show. About this intersection, Dochnahl said “It’s more of a shared experience. The art club is kind enough to invite us. We have numerous members in the jazz band that are in the art club and have art to show.” He added that he wished there was a chance for the two programs to do something more interactive, as opposed to just side by side.
Another collaborative experience students got was the side-by-side concert between the Missoula Symphony and Missoula Youth Symphony. Many Hellgate string and wind players got to play alongside professionals and work with the conductor of the Missoula Symphony to put together a performance of Smetana’s “The Moldau”.
Later in the month, the Good Knight Theater Company put on their production of The Hobbit, after months of hard work. The show was the last play for many Hellgate seniors, including Lucia Bergoust who said that the show felt like a pay off for years of hard work. “One of my favorite parts was getting to work so much on the set design to help the show come to life,” she said. Bergoust, who is also an artist, designed lots of the set pieces that were painted for the show.
Hellgate’s arts students are now looking ahead to their last few performances and experiences. These include final concerts for band, orchestra, and choir, projects for visual arts students, musical showcases, and fun experiences like the Pops Concerts that brings many of Hellgate’s top musicians together to perform a fun set of popular songs. While the last few months have been busy, they have been packed with learning opportunities and chances for connection between programs for many Hellgate students.
