New Horizons Band: A Musical Community Analysis

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Introduction When you envisions music, your perceptions display elements of previous experiences, cultural beliefs, and identity. Involvement in a musical community captures new friendships, while encouraging a zeal for music. The New Horizons Band is not only a musical organization, but also a social one where senior citizens and undergraduates gather to play instruments and learn various types of music. This musical community highlights the essence of numerous generations, ranging from young adults to senior citizens, and the average age of the participants ranges from fifty years old to eighty years old (Cole). Undergraduates often volunteer to play alongside the senior citizens and to conduct the band. An establishment of identity, formation of iconic experiences, and notions of truth characterize the New Horizons Band.
History
New Horizons bands not only play a significant role on the local level but also impact individuals on a national scale. Dr. Roy Ernst, a professor at the Eastman School of Music, began the first New Horizons band in 1991 (Cole). Since then, the organization has continued to grow throughout the United States and now includes the involvement of over ten-thousand
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The group performs a wide range of music, including Christian hymns, marches, and traditional Irish folk music. Dr. Warfield selects pieces that are not only attainable but also challenging. He also chooses pieces that the audience and performers are likely to enjoy and recognize (Warfield). More lyrical pieces, such as Into the Clouds, capture the wide range of dynamics and the use of accelerandos, while more stylistic pieces, such as the marches Military Escort and Rough Rides, showcase short articulations and contrasting ranges (Russell). The group avoids playing intensly complicated music, while also challenging each member to maximize the capabilities of the