On August 24th, August 31st and September 7th, 2022, The Suburban (a community newspaper based in Montreal) has published our ads for the upcoming Fall 2022 season.
On September 3rd, 2019, the West Island Gazette ran the following article about West Island New Horizons Band.
Click HERE to go to the original article.
Montreal Gazette - West Island Gazette
Bill Young: Seniors strike up the band with New Horizons
Author of the article: Bill Young • Special to the Montreal Gazette
Publishing date: Sep 03, 2019
September. The month when summer holiday treasures surreptitiously slip into distant memory, bosses and employees are back on the job, parents rediscover “parenting,” and students of every ilk struggle to sort out new schools and corridors and class rooms.
But for “older folk,” September is also the month when many of us yearn to rediscover the challenge of learning, of taking on something new. That urge might lead to music and the challenge of learning how to conquer a musical instrument, in a band setting and with an experienced conductor.
Hudsonite Ron Goldenberg, who plays clarinet and saxophone, knows just how satisfying that experience can be. He belongs to a non-profit, seniors’ orientated wind and percussion band catering to both West Island and Off-Island residents. Called the West Island New Horizons Band, it practices in and is hosted by Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
“When I first learned of the band’s existence, I was ecstatic,” Goldenberg said recently. “Close to home, it was a real opportunity to get back into music, to warm up my saxophone and share with other seniors. Doesn’t get any better than that!”
The band was established some years ago by clarinetist Barry Blackhurst, a longtime West Islander. He had linked up with Ernst Roy and the New Horizons International Music Association, founded in 1991 at the Eastman School of Music in Syracuse, N.Y.
“Our raison d’être,” he said, “describes us as a friendly, bilingual wind and percussion ensemble that caters to seniors 55 years and up keen on learning a musical instrument, within a group and guided by experienced teachers.”
Goldenberg is the perfect cheerleader. “My musical career pretty well ended when I finished school. It was not until I learned about Barry and his Band that I realized here was an opening for new beginnings. Doubt reigned at first but in working with others we soon discovered with help we could do it.
“And, you know what; we all did,” he added.
For that, full credit goes to Blackhurst.
“He had the motivation, the organizational skills and the time to design an inviting comprehensive music program for middle-agers. And he ensured that the program would be both challenging and enjoyable,” Goldenberg noted.
It worked then. And works still today.
Program demands are minimal. The year is comprised of two semesters, fall and winter, of 12 or 18 weekly, two-hour sessions. The standard fee per semester is $120 or $180, with the money directed to essential needs, including sheet music and a professional conductor. Student numbers tend to hover around 25 although there is room for more.
The current conductor is McGill University graduate Christian Ingelevics.
“We are really fortunate to have Christian with us,” said Blackhurst. “He has the magic touch. He always starts with the positive no matter what challenge calls for attention.”
Working within a repertoire that tends toward classical, semi-classical, popular, and show tunes, focus is placed more on the teaching/learning quotient and less on performance.
Nevertheless, the odd public presentation will pop up from time to time. After all, who’s to know when the next sensation will suddenly appear? Best be prepared!
For more information, check westislandnh.com.
— Bill Young is a longtime Hudson resident.
From left to right: Andrei Toma (trumpet), Jean-Guy Jutras (oboe), Ron Goldenberg (saxophone) and Ken Kates (trumpet) are members of the West Island New Horizons Band.
Ron Goldenberg, who plays the saxophone, is a member of the West Island New Horizons Band.
