Postcard from Rob Verdi, on tour in Montana!

Rob Verdi
Dec 18
2 min read

Hello MPAC Community,

I wanted to share some exiting experiences I had while on tour last month in your beautiful state. My trip included a few private performances in Helena and Bozeman, a formal concert in Glendive and a residency through the Northeastern Arts Network (NAN).

For any artist who has participated in NAN, you know it’s an exciting week of educational outreach programs and formal concerts. One of the beautiful benefits of NAN is their focus on reaching rural communities. And we’re talking rural with enrollment is some K-12 schools being under 100 students. Some of these schools do not even have music programs so it’s such a joy to give them the exposure of live arts in their school.

The schools I visited were Nashua, Hinsdale, and Dodson. Dodson has a fun tradition where the artist stands at the exit and high 5’s or fist pumps all the students as they leave. They also present the performer with a school t-shirt and memory book.

The residency also included 3 formal concerts in Malta, Glasgow and Sidney. In Malta I was joined by the high school jazz band who shared the stage with me for the formal concert. The kids did a wonderful job and Nancy Murdock from NAN even sat in on piano. I received many heart warming comments from the parents of the band students in the lobby after the show. Glasgow and Sidney were equally enjoyable and well attended by the community. The folks in Glasgow provided a tasty home cooked meal before the show and a visit to famous Eugene’s Pizza (a NAN sponsor) after the performance. I was also spoiled in Sidney with a meal hosted by Kyra who opened up her lovely home for dinner. Sidney scheduled me for several elementary school programs where I was greeted by hundreds of enthusiastic K-5th graders who sang along to many of my songs. Thanks to Leann from NAN who I adopted as my personal roadie.

Thanks to all my great friends at NAN for being such wonderful hosts and inviting me to your communities.

Rob Verdi,

Saxsational, Saxophobia