myHMB delivers exactly what the body’s working muscles need — HMB. Scientifically known as β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, HMB is produced naturally in our bodies during the metabolism of the essential amino acid leucine. Leucine is found in virtually all protein — we eat it every day in foods like soybeans, beef, alfalfa and fish, and some proteins have more leucine than others.
It is difficult if not impossible to consume enough protein with supplementation or a healthy diet alone to achieve the effective amount of HMB. With myHMB, you can get the muscle-building power of HMB directly — this provides noticeable, long term benefits.
Special Thanks to City Lifestyle magazines, FUEL, Angel Flight West, PEAK ATP and MyHMB Supplements & to The LifeGuard Group for Sponsoring our 2023 Climbing Adventures
WARM UP CLIMB
The identity of what I wear.
I have never been a "clothes gal." Raised by my father who was in his 60s when I was in my teens didn't lend even a smidge of fashion sense. He wore "slacks" and "dungarees" and shiny loafers with tassels. A cellphone clip at his hip and a baggy shirt that would always be tucked in. When we went to the mall, he'd sit on the bench outside the store and I'd navigate the world of fashion on my own.
I have my sister to thank for stylish hand-me-downs and my mom to thank for visiting said sister at the Garden State Plaza—a swanky metropolis for high-end shopping—where I could get some guidance on what I should buy with the money I stuffed into my fringe lined crossbody purse.
I was the 10-year-old girl who didn't take off my leather paddock boots or full length chaps before going into the grocery store on the way home from riding, even though Dad always told me to. It was just who I was: the sporty girl with an ever-present ponytail who looked like I'd just gotten off a horse (because back then, I probably did). Any type of shopping or fashionable experience was more of a memory of togetherness. I still think of those trips to New Jersey with Mom, meeting up with my sister, and sharing a couple cheesecake swirl brownies or going to lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. I don't recall anything I ever bought or wore, but I do remember those fun filled visits and having some girl time.
Which brings me to the notion of quality. This issue has a thick thread coursing through each story and that thread is quality. Now in my 30s, I have a growing family, a mortgage, a vehicle loan, and countless other expenses. Clothing cost often deters me from purchasing new apparel for myself, and I'm tempted to scoop up a few things from stores that have "bargains." But a bargain is just a curtain thrown over some ugly process that probably exploited a worker and it just doesn't sit right with me now that I've educated myself.
Today, I don't wince at the $150 jeans or the $500 wool coat because those might be the two items I purchase all year—and they'll last me a lifetime. I hope this issue inspires you to reconsider how you shop, and maybe you'll treat yourself to something made with care.
CHELSEA LYN AGRO,
September 2024
PUBLISHER
Mike Tucker | MTucker@CityLifestyle.com
EDITOR
Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@CityLifestyle.com
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Marla Huggins | Marla.Huggins@CityLifestyle.com
MARKET SUPPORT ASSISTANT
Jace DeWalt | Jace.DeWalt@CityLifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chelsea Lyn Agro, Shelby Humphreys, Emma Trotter, Susie Wall
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chloe Nostrant, Jonathan Qualben, Michael Wilder
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
inside the issue
Clothes That Make You More Youer
Local
Home
business monthly
GO Griz!
The M Store is the off-campus store for University of Montana where you can find Griz apparel and novelties. It's the perfect time of year to represent our home team!
Betty V Vintage
Betty V Vintage has your curated vintage clothing, decor, and furniture ready to add that unique touch to your everyday life. Buy, sell, or donate and discover the timeless nature of vintage clothing.
Scan to read more
Men's Clothing Boutique
REVOLVR is a gentleman's retail experience. Second-to-none service and a curated assortment of quality apparel await any customer who is hunting for the best value. Dress for work, vacation, a wedding or your couch and find something for any budget.
Photography by Erika Spaulding
Keep It Local, Keep It Fresh
“We
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO
CLOTHES THAT MAKE YOU MORE YOUER
LOCAL APPAREL MANUFACTURING COMPANY OFFERS FUN AND FUNCTIONAL STYLE
Mallory Ottariano is the founder of Youer, a women's clothing company located right here in our city. Her tenacity, talent, and passion have brought Youer to our community and beyond, offering up fresh and colorful designs that are made with care and consideration.
"I think my favorite thing we’ve made is the Superpower Blazer. It's really a spectacular depiction of what Youer is all about."
MALLORY, YOUR JOURNEY TO PRESENT DAY IS SO INSPIRING, AND LIKE MOST INSPIRING STORIES, THEY ARE LACED WITH COURAGE, HARD TIMES, AND TRIUMPH. BACK IN 2012 WHEN YOU HAD A FRESH DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE, WHAT ABOUT THAT CAREER DIDN'T CATER TO YOUR CREATIVE CORE?
Well, I started off at art school and that was incredible. I was pursuing a fine arts degree at a school that didn’t have any academics and it was such an immersive creative life of making art constantly. Then, after a year there, I realized that I needed to make a choice about my future and go to a cheaper school, so I transferred. And I thought “What am I going to do with a printmaking degree?” So I thought Architecture seemed like a logical pivot within the field that could guarantee me a pretty solid job with a pretty solid salary. But about halfway through, I realized I wasn’t going to be the next Frank Gehry. I was probably going to be drafting basement remodels and adding closets next to bathrooms. I wanted to be in charge of ideas! Not bringing someone else’s ideas to life. I worked in the field really briefly and did exactly what I predicted I would do—designed remodels and bathrooms and spent a lot of time behind a computer.
CONTINUED >
IT SEEMS THAT YOUR WORKING CONDITIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN GLAMOROUS. CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW THOSE LITTLE SPACES (OFTEN TIMES WINDOWLESS OR HOT!) HAVE INSPIRED YOU TO DO MORE THAN CONSIDER MANUFACTURING BUT DIVE RIGHT INTO IT?
Well, it’s really not to do with those little spaces that we’re manufacturing in Missoula— it’s because of dozens of experiences over the last decade working with USA factories who really fumbled the ball. The options were to go out of business, move production overseas, or do it ourselves. Apparel manufacturing in the US is extremely unsupported. The workforce, technology, and funding behind it have dramatically shifted since the 1990s and now only 2% of the clothes Americans buy are made here. That means that as a small brand, you don’t have a lot of options when things go wrong. And, with limited financial power, you’re always deprioritized if a larger account comes along. That continually happened to us and we were already managing every link of our supply chain. So I figured, what’s managing one more? When I first started this business, I was sewing everything on a $100 sewing machine. And after a couple of years, I couldn’t keep up so I outsourced to other factories. Now, 12 years later, we have a team of seven and are making clothes on about 50 thousand dollars worth of sewing machines!
TELL ME ABOUT HOW THE REALIZATION OF WHAT IT TAKES TO PRODUCE CLOTHING INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I’ve always been obsessed with clothes, ever since I can remember. I grew up making a lot of clothes and in a very creative household so the appreciation for creating things with stories is a very innate part of me. I’ve always sought out things that you couldn’t find everywhere and have had an affinity for the unique. After years of making clothes and hearing “Ooh you gotta sell those!” I finally did in 2012! I went to thrift stores and
found weird and wonderful clothes and cut them up for fabrics. A whole sustainability story was born out of that, I learned a lot about upcycling in fashion, but it wasn’t sustainable for growth. So a few years in, I started making my own fabrics and taught myself how to design fabric prints and got connected with a printer. I started custom milling fabrics from recycled and bio materials so that our impact would still be as responsible as it could be, and then started sharing the story of how things were made with more people. I think making clothes in a responsible way is a non-negotiable piece of business.
TELL ME ABOUT THIS YOUNIVERSE.
The Youniverse is what we call our factory. Montana’s first athletic apparel factory. We’re small, so we can be a little more experimental in how we do things but we still practice principles of big factories because at the end of the day we have quotas to hit. The Youniverse is a big space that houses all our business operations at every level. It’s a fun place where you can see how clothes are made and meet the people making them (as long we’re open for a tour), pick up orders, come be involved in content we make, and see a group of people having fun working together. We have a great team and there’s a lot of joy in our day. We’re currently in the process of moving our operation to a new location that’s going to be colorful and themed and have whales hanging from the ceiling and murals on the walls and an entrance that looks like a solar system.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED APPAREL?
Well, Community Supported Apparel was a little term I coined for a crowdfunding campaign we ran back in 2021 to fund this factory. I called it a CSA in a little play on the agricultural format to get funding for a growing season. At the time, we had just made the decision to bring some production in-house and we raised $100k in 30 days. Our community knew we needed to do this next step and they came forward in a really big way. It took three years, but in June we finally bought a building and used the CSA funds to do so! It’s pretty powerful to know that our community came together to get us exactly what we needed. And we can’t wait to celebrate with them on our grand opening September 14.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU'VE EVER DESIGNED/PRODUCED AND WHY?
Youer is really an extension of my personal style so I love most of what we make. I was the designer for many years, but I’ve now passed that hat along to Sarah Cabral who is our lead designer and much more talented at technical design than I am. I think my favorite thing we’ve made is the Superpower Blazer. It's really a spectacular depiction of what Youer is all about—beautiful clothes that are technical and designed for movement, even if they don’t look it. The blazer looks like a classic oversized blazer with some feminine details, but in fact it’s made from stretchy legging
fabric so it really flips the idea of businesswear on its head. We designed it for women who lift and have shoulders that are restricted by traditional blazers. The places women wear these blazers is really what makes them special to me—dressed up on a date, casually over a hoodie and leggings, and often to litigate in court. It’s a piece that really transcends activewear for us.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYONE'S PERSPECTIVE ON HOW CLOTHING IS MADE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT'S ONE SENTIMENT THAT HAS STUCK WITH YOU THROUGH THIS JOURNEY?
Ethical sustainable fashion isn’t expensive, it’s that fast fashion is artificially cheap. We’ve grown to expect clothes should cost $5 or $10 when in actuality there are so may exploitations involved in that low price. I think we really have to examine our consumption as a culture. In the 1960s, the average American bought less than 25 pieces of clothing a year, spending the equivalent of $4000 on them ($160/piece). Today, the average American buys over 70 pieces a year but spends only $1800 on those 70 pieces. Style is individual and if you build a closet for your personal style instead of trends, the pressure to consume at the volume we do dissipates.
Find something for yourself at ShopYouer.com
THE RUNWAY FOR REUSE
ARTICLE BY SHELBY HUMPHREYS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN QUALBEN
HOME RESOURCE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF SPONTANEOUS CONSTRUCTION
Quick! You and your team of creative friends have seven hours to transform salvaged construction materials into something new. You’ve got a lumber yard, plumbing inventory, and all the construction materials you could ask for. Flair or function, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. It’s a challenge. It’s a party. It’s SponCon.
Spontaneous Construction (SponCon) is an annual celebration of sustainability and creativity hosted by Home ReSource. As a build-out competition that engages the community in transforming reclaimed construction materials from “junk it” to “funk it,” SponCon has become a highlight event on Missoula’s fall calendar. Past competitions have yielded steampunk-style lamps with bases made from old air duct parts stitched together with funky screws and knobs. Larger sculptures have emerged like an elk with antlers made from pipes and a body formed with old grates and gears.
Jessica Allred, development director at Home ReSource, pointed out that this year’s SponCon is extra special. “This is our 20th annual SponCon. Spontaneous Construction has been an annual celebration of reuse for almost as long as Home ReSource has been around. In just seven hours, SponCon teams create unique, usable, and completely custom pieces. It's pretty amazing,” she said.
Throughout the day, the public is invited to wander around and watch each team work. Sounds of hammering, sawing, and innovation in action make the area feel more like a playground than a competition. In fact, you don’t have to be a professional to participate. All building equipment is provided. “We have one family team that has participated in every single SponCon,” said Jessica. “They don't live in town anymore, and
they travel to be a part! The family has a 16-year-old, and there are stories of mom being pregnant at one SponCon. Now the whole family participates.”
Teams can enroll in one of three categories: power tools, hand tools, and (new this year) youth builders. Participants will attest, however, that ingenuity is the best tool. Louisa Berky, a past team member, helped build out that elk sculpture. “We had a few ideas beforehand, but walking around Home ReSource that morning, we were really inspired to create an elk. We drew an outline of the elk on the ground to get a sense of the dimensions and then started finding materials to build the frame, adding volume and details as we went along. It was a true team effort, with the shape fully influenced by what we found that day, including the front piece of a tractor or car that another team had brought and given to us,” said Louisa.
After the last nail has been hammered and the final drill packed away, items are displayed at the Missoula Public Library for public viewing. Then, SponCon itself is upcycled into Home ReSource’s biggest fundraiser of the year—the Sustainability Auction. “We wouldn't be able to do the work we do without it. We try to keep the auction very Home ReSource-y. It's very funky, very celebratory. There's a guaranteed bidding war for what is always an incredible piece of artistry,” she said.
SponCon and its annual auction have become Home ReSource’s biggest fundraiser of the year and helped the non-profit to grow from a simple drop-off and discount construction store to a full-circle community sustainability center. More education and services make it easier for Missoulians to think outside of the recycling bin with a variety of programs including fixit clinics and project-centered workshops, a green team outreach program that provides bins and staff for sorting trash at large events, and deconstruction services to help dismantle buildings for maximum reuse of materials.
In addition to these public-facing services, Home ReSource has partnered with the Missoula City Council to create the ZERO by FIFTY Plan. They helped outline a strategy to reach Missoula City’s goal of 90% waste reduction by 2050. “We are really proud of the progress Missoula has made toward our zero waste goals and know that we have a long way to go,” Jessica said.
If there’s anything that SponCon reminds us of, it’s to think twice before tossing that old garden tub or rusty shovel into the trash. They could be the stars at next year’s SponCon and the top auction item that infuses Home ReSource with the resources to keep going.
SEE THE ACTION THIS YEAR!
This year’s SponCon will be held September 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. There will be music, food vendors, and a ReUse Family Fest from 12 to 4 p.m. Awards get handed out at 4:30 p.m., followed by an after party with Mudslide Charlie from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Interested in forming a team? Registration is open through September 10. To register, go to HomeResource.org/SponConTeams
This year’s Sustainability Auction will be held on October 13, 4 to 6 p.m.
"IN JUST SEVEN HOURS, SPONCON TEAMS CREATE UNIQUE, USABLE, AND COMPLETELY CUSTOM PIECES. IT'S PRETTY AMAZING."
- JESSICA ALLRED
A Different Kind of Hearing Care
Dr. Jennifer Hartze, Au.D Board-Certified Audiologist
Dr. Nora Martin, Au.D Board-Certified Audiologist
Alyssa T. Keith, HIS Hearing Instrument Specialist
Helping Patients Live Healthier Lives
Today’s
Connection
Wyatt in the Wild
WYATT OUTDOORS FINDS ITS HOME IN MONTANA AMONG OUTDOORSY WOMEN
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHLOE NOSTRANT
“I wasn’t as happy as I knew I could be,” says Colleen Tuohy, founder and owner of Wyatt Outdoors—an apparel line for women where fashion and function form the perfect match. “I wasn’t really sure what my next chapter was but I knew this wasn’t going to be my last one.”
Colleen is on a trip down memory lane, recounting her every move—and there are many—between owning her own pet boutique to working at Kemo Sabe (a high-end western wear store) and then Ralph Lauren in Aspen, Colorado, to New York City to the Catskill Mountains, and eventually to Montana where Wyatt Outdoors came to full fruition at the place where the initial inspiration was born: the Resort at Paws Up during the cowgirl roundup, an annual weekend event hosted by the resort each spring. Even though working at Ralph Lauren had captured about 15 years of her career in the client experience and retail, she knew more was afoot.
“I took my life off-road, literally,” she says, arriving at the part of her story where she set up a wall tent on her brother’s hay farm in the Catskill Mountains of New York, just a few heel clicks north of where her very corporate-centric life took place in Manhattan, after resigning from Ralph Lauren to start over at age 47. Her apartment in the West Village was traded for canvas walls and a crackling fire.
“It was good living,” says Colleen, candidly, when taking a look at the contrasting lives she’s lived. “My treat at the end of every night was to plug my lamp on my side table into the Jackery (battery powered generator) and I would have a few minutes of being able to read at night…I built my fire and that’s where Wyatt was designed and created. I lived in that for almost seven months.”
And who is Wyatt? “Wyatt—she was my muse,” says Colleen. “She’s a piece of all of the gals I’ve met along the way who’ve inspired my vision and my designs and my confidence. She’s wise beyond her years. Her kindness inspires others and she’s courageous. Her courage gives her the confidence to lead the way for all of us gals…Wyatt is for women who build their own fire.”
It’s no surprise that the client experience is at the heart of Colleen’s creative career. She credits her time at Kemo Sabe as life-changing—a pivotal time that gave meaning to the work that was done there. “It was magic, what they created. Embracing the spirit of the West,” says Colleen. “When I put a warm hat on somebody’s head and saw the smile come across their face—that was the feeling that I knew I wanted to take with me wherever I went.”
Which is why she says that smiles are guaranteed with purchase of any Wyatt piece.
“My trip to Montana sparked joy. It reminded me of what happiness felt like. For whatever reason, it called me.”
“Why can’t we have a shirt that we can wear from sun to stars that fits us great and looks great and makes us feel good?"
Her product is heirloom quality, made to be worn sun to stars, from a day on the river to dinner afterward. Quality over quantity.
She loves to fish and ride but she didn’t love that there wasn’t a shirt that could do it all.
“If there was, it never fit great. It was never cute, and I was never excited to spend my money on it. But I bought it because I had to, not because I wanted to,” says Colleen. This frustration went on for a decade before she had the courage to fill the void. “Why can’t we have a shirt that we can wear from sun to stars that fits us great and looks great and makes us feel good?… When someone puts on a Wyatt piece and they smile from the inside out, that’s what builds my confidence. But it’s courage that got me here.”
While Colleen mazes through her journey of paved and dirt roads to now—living in Livingston, having her own line at the Wilderness Outpost at the Resort at Paws Up (which is open to the public)—she reflects on the emotional journey as well, expressing how grateful she was to have been in that place— the figurative place of not being quite comfortable. “My trip to Montana sparked joy. It reminded me of what happiness felt like. For whatever reason, it called me.”
Her story has smaller stories woven in— scenic routes, really—like the story of the Darrell Ranch Jacket. It’s soft, durable, and
made from 100% Austrian wool, cut and sewn by hand in America. “Hat to hat, steamer to steamer,” says Colleen when describing her time working with Gina at Kemo Sabe, shaping hats for clients. “Her folks were friends with a cowboy named Darrell.” And Darrell became the Marlboro Man, putting a face to the spirit of the cowboy and selling it to American men and women. Colleen says to her friend, “Gina, one day you’ll be the Darrell to my Wyatt. It’s an ode to my best pal Gina who went out of her way to support me along the way.” Her friendturned-family was there to welcome her and her initial inventory of shirts when Colleen was freshly resigned from Ralph Lauren, ripe with a dream and the product to make it a reality. Gina posed for marketing photos and her mother snapped the camera. “My dream is that that jacket just continues to collect stories along the way,” says Colleen, noting how important it is that her product has the quality to last our generation and the next.
“It’s for women who light their own fire, who prefer dirt roads to paved,” says Colleen. It was this devotion to character and creation that brought her Wyatt story full circle to the Resort at Paws Up with a whole line of shirts for every Wyatt gal who walked through the door. “It wasn’t confidence, it was courage,” says Colleen. “It was a huge dose of courage.” WANT TO WEAR WYATT? Shop WyattOutdoors.com.
LIFESAVING STYLE
Advanced Imaging has the equipment and approach to save lives
ARTICLE BY EMMA TROTTER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO
At Advanced Imaging, life-saving discoveries are all in a day’s work.
“Pretty much every day we’re catching breast cancers on screening exams,” said radiologist Dr. David Bauer.
“That’s exactly why we do screenings – when we can catch
“Advanced Imaging provided crucial and accurate reports that guided my surgeon in achieving successful results in removing all cancer.” - Kim Latrielle
these things when they’re small and non-invasive, the treatment options are plentiful and survival is almost one hundred percent.”
Visitors to Advanced Imaging’s Main Center in Missoula—located by Community Medical Center— are welcomed into a calming environment of live plants and serene artwork of flowers and waterfalls. Patients will find a similar friendly environment at Advanced Imaging’s dedicated screening mammography locations in Stevensville and North Reserve, both of which accept walk-ins.
“That’s to bring the outside in,” said clinic manager Jenny McGuinn. “It was designed to be a comfortable, warm environment. Most radiology departments don’t have daylight. They’re in the middle or the basement of a hospital.”
Inside one of the patient rooms, the automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS) is designed to detect abnormalities in very dense breast tissue.
McGuinn adjusts the dimmer in the room where a patient might have a screening or a discussion with a radiologist. It’s a small but notable detail that carries that comfortability to a new level of consistency and care.
“We’re very patient-centric,” Bauer said. His job often entails giving someone unfortunate news but there’s a silver lining that often sparks hope for patients. “It’s a heightened moment and letting them know there is someone there who cares is really critical,” he continued. “The amazing thing about being part of that person’s life in that moment is those are the things they’ll remember forever."
In addition to breast imaging, Advanced Imaging also offers spine injections and various exams performed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. These screening imaging services as well as diagnostic imaging, aid in the diagnoses and the treatment of cancers,
diseases, and other illnesses and injuries. In the Northern Rockies Orthopaedics building across the street from the Main Center, interventional radiologists lead the Advanced Imaging Vein Clinic for treating varicose veins.
Kim Latrielle, who had a cancer scare earlier this year, credits Advanced Imaging with saving her life.
“Advanced Imaging provided crucial and accurate reports that guided my surgeon in achieving successful results in removing all cancer,” said Latrielle. “Their professionalism, dedication, and promptness were instrumental in my journey to recovery.”
And for other patients, a reduction in pain can be just as life-changing. CT-guided spine injections offer instant relief to patients who are hoping to avoid back surgery.
“It’s a very satisfying feeling to see that direct impact on someone,” added Bauer.
Advanced Imaging also serves as an emergency medical imaging provider for Community Medical Center. Lives can be saved knowing the extent and location of injuries, and sometimes, in emergency situations or diagnostic scans, the radiologists discover other medical issues.
“Incidental findings—there’s a ton of those that lead to something good,” said executive director Stacy Jakob. “My dad had a scan done on his heart, and it had an incidental finding on the lung.” Ultimately, she said, her father was able to avoid chemo due to the early detection.
Advanced Imaging’s style of care centers around its tagline, “Quality for life,” and folks seem to be constantly working
“The amazing thing about being part of that person’s life in that moment is those are the things they’ll remember forever." - Dr. David Bauer
toward an even higher standard. For example, in December, Advanced Imaging added a 3T MRI machine, which is the only one of its kind in the Northwest and is especially good for prostate cancer detection. The “T” stands for “tesla”, and the 3T model has twice the magnetic field strength of the clinic’s still operating 1.5T MRI.
“Resolution is incredibly improved, and speed is incredibly improved,” McGuinn said, noting a trend toward higher resolution images and faster imaging in the industry. “That’s good for us, for patient throughput, and patient comfort.”
Jakob agreed, “For those who are nervous, the quicker you can finish the exam and get good pictures is very helpful.”
Similarly, soon the CT scanner will be upgraded to a Siemens Dual Source model.
“The main idea for that was to do more advanced cardiac imaging,” said McGuinn. “The whole goal of all of us being here is to provide quality care and quality imaging, and make people comfortable.”
Another way Advanced Imaging emphasizes patient comfort is by offering CinemaVision, a piece of technology that allows kids to watch movies while undergoing tests. “They can lie there and watch Nemo,” said McGuinn. And if that fails, sedation is also available, both for kids and adults who might be claustrophobic.
“We want to make sure patients are comfortable, safe, and well cared for,” said Bauer. “Patients leaving here have that feeling.”
Left
Classical Strings Stitch our Musical Missoula
ARTICLE BY SUSIE WALL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILDER
STRING ORCHESTRA OF THE ROCKIES INTRODUCES FOUR PERFORMANCES FOR THEIR 40TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY
String Orchestra of the Rockies is tuning up to celebrate its 40th anniversary season
Maria Larionoff, String Orchestra of the Rockies’ artistic director and renowned violinist, is excited to spread the word about their four performances during this extra special 2024/2025 season.
“Throughout this year we’re celebrating American music and featuring American artists and composers. We launch the season on September 15 with guest soloist and legendary American and Emmy Award-winning violinist Robert McDuffie who will be performing The American Four Seasons. It’s a work written just for him in collaboration with renowned American composer Phillip Glass,”said Maria.
For the remaining concerts, the orchestra will be joined on stage by Missoula’s beloved choral ensemble, Dolce Canto, aspiring young string musicians, and veteran orchestra members that have been instrumental in shaping String Orchestra of the Rockies’ 40-year legacy. Each performance is held on Sunday afternoon starting at 4 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the University of Montana School of Music.
Maria’s own journey with String Orchestra of the Rockies began when she was hired as a guest soloist in 2015. Both she and the musicians had a wonderful experience so it was inevitable that her name came up when the orchestra was looking for an artistic director five years ago.
“I love Missoula audiences,” said Maria. “I remember the first time I
played with String Orchestra of the Rockies there was so much laughter, so much energy and interest, which I found irresistible. Missoula has such a high level of appreciation of the music, arts, and culture for a town of this size.”
A truly unique aspect of String Orchestra of the Rockies is that they do not have a conductor to lead the 15 string musicians on stage which include violinists, violists, cellists, double bassists, and occasionally one harpsichordist for Baroque pieces.
“We have a collaborative process of creating music with equal democratic players,” said Maria. “It’s different from a symphony which has a conductor setting the musical tone and the musical ideas. We have 15 of those people who each have a say and out of that comes a pretty extraordinary energy.”
To play without a conductor requires a high level of preparation, which is not easy considering many musicians hail from all over the northwest and are only able to come together for practice a few days before each performance.
“You have to have what we call ‘musical radar’ which means when
For more information on this and each of their four live performances during the 2024/2025 season, and to purchase tickets, visit Sormt.org.
you’re playing together you have to aware of everyone who is playing. You have to know your part, you have to know what everyone else is doing, and you have to know the musical score because there is no conductor to rely on,” said Maria. “It takes a level of sensitivity and flexibility and fearlessness. I think that attitude of fearlessness is what makes us so successful in Montana.”
It’s a common misconception that classical music is somewhat exclusive or elitist. String Orchestra of the Rockies works to break this stereotype by keeping ticket prices at a reasonable level ranging from $35 for adults to $12 for students. Also, before each piece, the musicians take turns engaging with the audience. They talk about the composer’s background, the historical significance of the piece, and give tips on what to listen for to best appreciate the music.
“It breaks down that barrier,” said Maria. “People can be intimidated by the protocol of classical music and I get it. What do I do, what do I wear, how long is this going to be? We really try to engage the audience in both individual pieces and the performance as a whole. We understand that you
might like this piece, you might hate this piece, but we help you listen to it with an open mind.”
One of the orchestra’s core values comes into play as the musicians strive to mentor high school and university students while providing opportunities for these students to join the orchestra on stage during concerts. The musicians and the board of directors have worked to expand this mentorship component over the last 40 years including offering an annual $1,000 talent scholarship to one string musician studying at the University of Montana.
If you are unable to make one of the four live performances, or are still a little intimidated at the thought of attending one, be sure to check out their Armchair Concerts on their website
which allows you to watch videos of several different performances from the comfort of your home.
“If you’re at all intimidated at the thought of a classical music concert, don’t be,” said Maria. “We’re friendly and we explain the music. I find that when people come to our concert, they say ‘Wow, this is classical music? This is fun!’”
String Orchestra of the Rockies kicks off their 40th anniversary season with a gala celebration on September 12, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture. The evening will include a reception, a special chamber music performance by the String Orchestra of the Rockies quartet, and a docent-led tour of the museum.
