Malmstrom hosts open mic nights for Airmen, local community

  • Published
  • By Airman Collin Schmidt
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Created as a way to lift morale and provide an additional avenue for Airmen, their family members and the Great Falls community to connect and share their talents, Malmstrom Air Force Base's open mic night has seen success in its early stages.

What began as a simple idea has grown into a reality in the form of an invaluable creative outlet.

"With starting the open mic nights, we were going for something new that would allow Airmen to express themselves and their talents," said 2nd Lt. Chandrika Brewton, 341st Force Support Squadron community support chief. "I know there's a lot of talented people on the base and helping them to get some exposure while allowing others to experience something new has been our goal and is what we continue to strive for."

The first open mic night took place in February and drew nearly 150 spectators. Fourteen poets, singers, instrumentalists, dancers and storytellers took to the stage to display their skills and creativity.

"We had way more people than expected, especially for that being our very first open mic night," said Senior Airman Thaddeus Johnson, 341st FSS personnel customer service representative. "Right now, we are really striving for even more base participation."

Johnson said this is a really good opportunity for people to let out their creativity and display their talent.

"We are even trying to help Airmen get their talents noticed by the Great Falls Community," said Johnson. "This is a chance to branch the military and the community together and try to help everyone succeed in what they love."

The next open mic night will take place Friday at 6 p.m. at the Grizzly Bend and future events are scheduled to take place the last Friday of every month.

"We had so much positive feedback after the last show," said Brewton. "The response from the audience members as well as the performers was off the charts, which tells us this is something our community really enjoys."

For Brewton and Johnson, the hope is to continue to build the event and allow everyone who has a skill or talent to have the opportunity to display it. According to them, having the ability to bring people joy while providing Team Malmstrom and local community members with an avenue to connect is what motivates them to continue this mission.

"We're expecting the unexpected with these upcoming events, and having that anticipation really excites me for what's to come," said Johnson.

"I'm excited to see how the word of mouth has spread," said Brewton. "We cannot thank the performers and attendees enough for their participation."