The 2009 Interlochen Presents Summer Arts Festival was a great success. One performance in particular left an everlasting impression on two campers.
On Monday, July 20, minutes before the Steve Miller Band was scheduled to take the stage in the Kresge Amphitheatre, Miller approached the presentations staff with a request. An advocate for arts education, he asked for two high school students to perform with the band - preferably a saxophone and a guitar player.
The presentations staff quickly contacted the jazz faculty who suggested tenor saxophonist, Rachel Mazer of Alamo, California, and guitar major, Max Bowen of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The two students were soon backstage with their instruments where they met Steve Miller and his band mates. They boarded the tour bus and quickly played through the song, “Fly like an Eagle” to prepare for the live performance.
Soon after, Mazer and Bowen were welcomed on-stage and greeted with exuberant and supportive cheers and applause by nearly 4,000 concert-goers.
“I thought I would be a lot more nervous,” said Bowen. “But, they are such a tight band - they’ve playing together for a long time. It was really relaxed and was such a great experience.”
Mazer recalls her experience performing with the Steve Miller Band fondly. “It was probably one of the best nights of my life,” said Mazer. “Yeah, it’s up there with my favorite things to do … perform with Steve Miller.”
Both students played alongside the Steve Miller Band and performed in solos over the band’s well-known song, “Fly like an Eagle.” Each student attributed their preparedness at short notice to improvisation classes taken at Interlochen.
