Inside The Mint in Los Angeles, surrounded by roughly stroked paintings and colored lighting, CSUN Jazz performed on Oct. 24. This was far from the venue’s first show, as they had seen plenty of students perform and grow.

With Halloween approaching, many dressed up in costume, a fun little distinction for this event. A few were in group costumes, such as characters from the “Scooby Doo” gang, “Powerpuff Girls” and “Super Mario.”

Among them was Michael Mull, the director of CSUN Jazz B Band, dressed as a referee. He directed the band through challenging pieces like “April in Paris” by Jon Hatamiya, allowing friends, family members and patrons to see what the students had become.

He said CSUN Jazz music students have performed at venues such as the Mint for what he estimated to be 15 years.

“We’re always trying to reach out to different places in Los Angeles, partially to create community between CSUN and students,” Mull said. “It’s a good way to create connections and also for the students to play.”

Saxophone player Daphne Gilwedel, who went as Velma of the “Scooby Doo” group and is Tenor 2 in C Band, described what it feels like to perform out in such venues, especially with the piece “I’ll take you there” by Dave Elstrman.

“I feel like I get really happy when I’m performing with a big band,” Gilwedel said. “Like, warm inside. I’m just sort of living in the moment and just listening and just happy to be part of it.”

Nickolas Ortiz, a saxophone player in the B band, was dressed as Wario and detailed how it felt to perform.

“It could be a little bit nerve-wracking but also exciting,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz said he hopes the band can inspire future students in the crowd to play at CSUN.

“That’s kind of where I was before,” Ortiz said. “I came here for a regular dash and saw CSUN playing over here, and that inspired me to go with that school.”

The Jazz B band performs at least two performances per semester, traveling yearly. CSUN Jazz will perform a combo from Nov. 17 to 19 at Shigemi Matsumoto Recital Hall. Future events from the Music department can be found through their online calendar.