>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

While some of their peers were graduating Saturday, four Eastern Oregon University music majors were performing live to a million-plus audience on National Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion" in Bend.

Junior Jesse Jones of Union, seniors Emily Muller Callender and Isaac Callender, both of Pendleton, and Luke McKern of Mount Vernon form the bluegrass/swing group Blue Pass. The Callenders passed up walking in Saturday's commencement ceremonies for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play on the nationally-renowned NPR radio show.

"(EOU) President Phil Creighton gave them their diplomas the night before at the choir concert," said Jones. "We left after that and didn't get into Bend until 4:30 a.m. We slept until 8 a.m. and then had a sound check."

Jones said a woman approached the band after they had performed in Hood River a few weeks ago and told them to send a CD to "A Prairie Home Companion." They did. Two weeks ago they received a call to play on the show when it came to Bend. The EOU band shared the stage with world-class harmonica player Howard Levy, singer Jearlyn Steele, the Booher Family and Steve Einhorn and Kate Power.

"A Prairie Home Companion," based in St. Paul, Minn., through Minnesota Public Radio, is hosted by Garrison Keillor, who has been with the program since 1969. Nearly four million people throughout the United States listen to the weekly program on 511 public radio stations. It is also carried abroad on America One, the Armed Forces Network in Europe and the Far East.

"We were pretty excited," said Jones. "It's just about the biggest program acoustical people can go on. Their average audience is 8.5 million."

Blue Pass performed two songs written by Jones — "Outlaw's Lament" and "Heart Made of Stone" — between 3 and 5 p.m. during the show in front of 7,000 people at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre. Both songs were from the CD "Here Comes the Rain," which Jones and Isaac Callender released last fall.

Blue Pass also played the song "Wheelhouse" with the Shoe Band during the closing credits.

"It was neat to meet all of those profesional musicians," said Jones.

"Everyone on the show was so nice, and they made us feel so comfortable that we weren't nervous. Garrison Keillor is a really nice and smart guy."

Saturday's show can be heard via the "A Prairie Home Companion" Web link at http://www.prairiehomecompanion.com/performances/20030614/index.shtml