Rewinding back to the youthful years of middle school, a young student unknowingly takes his first steps towards his high school music career with the sound of a single note.
Scotlen Brown, a junior, has ventured a long way since his middle school years. Today, he is a performer in Symphonic Band, the Russtones ,The Great Falls Community Band, The Great Falls Youth Orchestra, The Rustler Pep Band, and the Great Falls Chamber groups. In the beginning of his journey towards his pursuit of music, he was far from perfect. However, those years of curiosity are what brought his talents to the light, all starting with the encouragement from his sixth and seventh grade teachers – Kara Painter and Russ Kellogg.
“Painter – – and especially Kellogg – – really sparked the light in me,” Brown said.
Initially, Brown’s journey into music was inspired by his mom, who insisted he pick an instrument to focus on. He started with the flute in fourth grade, and eventually the clarinet in fifth. However, his musical path took an unexpected turn when Painter, his 6th grade teacher, suggested he try the bassoon. Brown had always been most attracted to deeper, more resonant notes similar to the tuba, he said, making the pair between him and the new instrument a practical match. Little did Painter know she was setting him on his path to the future. By the end of seventh grade, Kellogg took the reins in guiding Brown towards his musical improvement.
“Music isn’t the kind of thing you can fake your way through. You can either play or you can’t,” Kellogg said.
Having been a music teacher for 21 years, he had a lot of skill to offer young Brown. For the two years Kellogg was his music instructor, he taught him that dedication and hard work are the only ways to succeed in the musical field. In the beginning, Kellogg admits, Brown was not the most ambitious musician, but currently has accomplished impressive feats since his change in motivation, he said. He observed as Brown grew from what he described as an amateur to an advanced player.
“Has he improved? A ton,” Kellogg said.
Having picked fun of him in the past for his former lack of hard work when he was younger, Kellogg shares pride in the amount of time and effort Brown currently invests into his music. Under his mentorship, Brown’s dedication and passion for music ignited, marking the true beginning of his connection to his beloved bassoon.
“What can I say? I fell in love,” Brown said.
Practicing after school for hours, Brown’s dedication was evident, and he continued to improve. For his eighth grade Christmas present, he received personal bassoon lessons with Dorian Antipa, the second best bassoon player in the state, who also holds a doctorate in bassoon performance. Brown still takes classes with him to this day. His connections grew from there. He eventually met Derek Bannasch at a CMR wind quintet performance, and Brown was shown a whole new world of opportunity. Not only did Bannasch teach bassoon and contrabassoon at Montana State University, but he told him that he would give him a scholarship to allow him to play contrabassoon if he went to his school. These opportunities and goals to play his instrument past high school motivated him to work his hardest in all of his music camps, practice hours, and performances. It all led to his most prideful accomplishment during his sophomore year.
During his performance at All Stars 2023, Brown played alongside Julie Giroux, a composer of some of the most complicated bassoon parts in musical pieces. After their performance, which included one of these advanced pieces, Giroux turned around, mid-concert, to praise Brown for his playing.
“Getting a thumbs-up from Julie has probably been my greatest achievement,” Brown said.
Although recognition and admiration for his skill brings a lot of pride, motivation, and joy, the people that he is surrounded with is what brings the true enjoyment, he said.
“Playing with other people is the best thing about it,” he said.
Being a member of several music groups is no easy task, and the amount of hours and dedication to practice time has had to become a strict aspect to Brown’s daily routine. Despite the challenges, such as making time for all his musical groups, Brown said it’s worth it in the end because the better you are, the more fun the programs become. It’s also worth it for the people.
Dean Zook, a bassoon performer in the Great Falls Symphony, is a musician who has held an inspirational role as a mentor and a friend in Brown’s musical journey. The duo currently plays alongside each other in the Great Falls Community Band. Zook described his experience of playing with Brown as a joy and a privilege. Zook occasionally loans his contrabassoon for Brown to play for performances and practices for The Great Falls Youth Orchestra. Describing him as a really good player for a high school student, he admits he enjoys his playing experiences with him.
“If becoming a professional musician is what he wants to do, I’m sure he can do it,” Zook said.
Everyone you meet, connect, and bond with on stage is what truly makes the experience worthwhile. Not to mention the gain of lifelong musical ability, Brown said. He currently can play nine instruments, including bassoon, contrabassoon, almost every form of saxophone, flute, clarinet, and recorder. None of it would have been possible without the hard work and commitment he has put in throughout the past few years.
“I’m not going to lie. It’s a grind. But once you put in the work it becomes really fun.”
