Northern Lightning’s Music Strikes Area
It started out as a high school jazz band. Then, the power of music — maybe as strong of the force as a bolt of lightning — struck and the effort grew into a group of 11 members featuring current and past Wolf Point High School music enthusiasts.
“Cole [Boysun] really wanted to do a jazz band, and I said I would do it with him,” Ryan Schumacher, Wolf Point class of 2024 member, said.
Boysun, who is entering his senior year at Wolf Point High School, explained the musicians originally simply named the Wolf Point Jazz Band started out as a small group. Now, the band includes five community members as well as recent alumni. “I never imagined it to get just big,” Boysun said.
The band, now known as Northern Lightning, performed in front of a very responsive crowd prior to the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks’ performance in Wolf Point on Friday, June 27.
“It’s kind of jazz with some pop tunes,” Boysun described the selections that featured songs made famous by the Police, The Weekend Band and Elton John.
The group includes former Wolf Point music instructor Russell Johnson, who taught many of the current band members. Boysun said talking his former music teacher to joining wasn’t too difficult.
“He still cares about our program,” Boysun said. Along with Boysun, Schumacher and Johnson, other band members include Rebekah Landsrud, Walker Harmon, Jayla BigTalk, Cole Baker, Will Schwarzrock, Maya Deserly, Ryver Summers and Chase Adams.
Instruments include three alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, one baritone sax, a trombone, two trumpets, bass and drums.
Schumacher thought of the name Northern Lightning because of the beautiful and strong storms that occur in the area. The rest of the band’s members agreed with the idea. Upcoming performances will include a barbecue on Aug. 1 and the Chokecherry Festival in Williston, N.D., on Aug. 9.
“We’ve been getting pretty high remarks,” Schumacher said of the band’s reception. “As we practice more, we get better all the time.”
