HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT?
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE!
New Horizons Music programs provide entry points to music making for adults, including those with no musical experience at all and also those who were active in school music programs but have been inactive for a long period. A New Horizons Music program should be inclusive rather than exclusive. Every person has musical potential that can be developed to a level that will be personally rewarding. Active participation in music fills important needs for adults – the need for challenging intellectual activity, the need to be a contributing member of a group, and the need to have exciting events in the future. For many people, music can serve these vital needs better than anything else.
A New Horizons Band or Orchestra is a new kind of Community Band or Orchestra (CBO). Traditional CBOs provide enjoyable musical opportunities for their participants and are important parts of the cultural life of their communities. Nearly all the people who play in them, however, were able to read music and play an instrument before joining. In some CBOs, most participants have music degrees and auditions are required to participate.
A New Horizons program does not compete with a traditional CBO. It serves a different function and population. Some people who start in New Horizons programs go on to also join other community bands and orchestras.
New Horizons bands and orchestras become important parts of the cultural life of the community, performing in many different settings and for special events. In addition to formal concerts, performances in shopping malls and summer concerts in parks, they often play for retirement and nursing homes where added events are really needed.