Editor’s note: The original publication of this article contained a number of factual errors. The corrected version is printed below.

Columbus band Maza Blaska mixes its formula up at every show. The band features a constantly shifting lineup of performers playing music influenced by several cultures.

Maza Blaska operates as a “collective” rather than a typical band. Although 10 musicians are listed as band members, not all perform at the band’s shows.

Sam Corlett, a 24-year-old multi-instrumentalist and vocalist in the group, said the average concert features five or six band members, composed of “whoever can show up.” They often play their songs in different styles to accommodate the constant change. For example, listeners might hear a “reggae” version of one of the group’s songs that usually has a “rock” feel.

Maza Blaska mixes Native American percussion with Eastern European melodies and a modern rock edge. Though the melodies are mostly Western, the instruments lend an Eastern feel. The band uses banjos, mandolins, glockenspiels and sitars to fuse “indie rock” and “world” music.

The variety of band members mirrors the range of instruments. Corlett said many of Maza Blaska’s members play in other bands in Columbus.

Corlett and Yoni Mizrachi, the 24-year-old guitarist and singer of Maza Blaska, scheduled an appearance at Independent’s Day 2009 before they had any actual members. They asked some of their friends to fill in, who were then “tricked” into “staying with the band for good,” Corlett jokingly said in an e-mail to The Lantern.

“We just kept adding more because we have a lot of friends that are musicians,” Corlett said. “So it was just like, ‘Hey, why don’t you play with us?'”

Mizrachi said the band avoids cluttering its sound by placing an emphasis on rhythm. Many of the members play percussive instruments, which bandmembers said leads to a more “danceable” sound.

“I want to get people moving their feet and feeling good,” Mizrachi said. “We don’t really want to create any drama. We just want people to have fun, feel good, dance and do whatever.”

The name “Maza Blaska” came from a list of Native American names Mizrachi found on the Internet. After picking a few names he liked, he sent them to Corlett, who ultimately chose the group’s name.

Mizrachi wrote much of the group’s initial material while on a trip to Israel. He sent a song to Corlett through the Internet, who expanded on it.

The blending of genres led to unique challenges for the band’s members.

“Coming in and trying to learn those songs, the chord structure and the melody lines are not very typical,” said Kyle Charles, the group’s 26-year-old bass player. “It actually took me a while to figure out the songs because (Mizrachi) plays some weird chords.”

The group bases its lyrics and themes on stories, experiences and written tradition, and its upcoming record will be called “Storyteller.” Mizrachi said most of the original material came from his desire to describe his trip to Jerusalem, which is evident in tracks like “River Jordan.”

The band has been recording its debut record on and off for a few months but has not set a release date.

After discovering the band through MySpace, assistant professor Eddie Ashworth of the School of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University invited the group to record with him and students in music production. Ashworth mixed and engineered many of the albums by the band Sublime.

After the album is finished, Mizrachi said he plans to use it to attract a record label. The band doesn’t intend to release the album on its own unless it can’t to find a label or a distributor.

Though the group members are passionate about their music, they said their only concern is creating art.

“I don’t think that any of us are expecting that we’re going to make any money any time soon from any musical thing we’re doing,” Corlett said. “That’s not because of a total lack of faith as much as we’re not worried about it.”

The band is taking a short hiatus, but plans to begin playing concerts again in December.