College concerts can feel like the kind of event people mean to go to but never actually make time for. Between classes, work, and the general chaos of the semester, it is easy for students to forget that campus events can be worth showing up for. Still, live music has a way of pulling people in, especially when it is part of something bigger. And who doesn’t love Jazz music?
The evening concert took place on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Recital Hall on campus. It served as the closing concert of the 2026 NMU Jazz Festival, which was held on Thursday and Friday, March 19–20. The performance featured The Westerlies, a Grammy-nominated brass quartet based in New York, along with the NMU Jazz Band and NMU Jazz Combo. The event was organized through NMU’s Department of Music as part of the larger festival, which also included performances and clinics for middle school and high school jazz bands. Tickets for the concert were listed at $12 for general admission, while NMU students and youth ages 18 and under could attend for free.
“The jazz program runs like any other jazz program; we start with auditions every semester for the varying instrument groups, and after auditions, everyone picked is sorted into big band and smaller jazz combos. Usually, there are two. We rehearse a lot, but there is freedom that comes with being a part of the band, by expressing yourself and creating music with like-minded people. More so in the NMU jazz combo, where a smaller group of people really need to lean and rely on each other more than in the big band. NMU jazz combo puts a lot of emphasis on the individual players, where everyone communicates nonverbally to perform as best as they possibly can,” said NMU combo member Dain Rainer.
The NMU Jazz Festival is an annual event that brings student musicians, guest artists and school jazz bands together on campus for performances and learning opportunities. This year, the festival took place on March 19 and 20 and featured the Westerlies, a Grammy-nominated brass quartet based in New York. Along with the evening concerts, the festival included performances and clinics for registered high school and middle school jazz bands, which made it more than just a concert series.
What makes this event interesting is that it was not just another concert on a random Friday night. It was the final performance of a full jazz festival, which gave it a greater sense of purpose. Having The Westerlies perform with NMU student groups also made the concert feel more meaningful, since it brought together guest artists and campus musicians in the same space. That kind of mix matters because it gives student performers a chance to share the stage with professional musicians instead of just hearing about what that might be like someday.
“You have to really want to be in the combo as well; there’s no room for laziness or half-effort. We often receive material that is very challenging to play or even arrange pieces ourselves. Overall, I love it, and I hope I can continue to be in jazz combo as well as the big band for as long as I’m here at Northern,” added Reiner.
Overall, the Friday evening concert was an important part of the 2026 NMU Jazz Festival and a strong way to close out the event.
