Mark Enns graduated from Western University, London, Canada, with a degree in performance on clarinet. He continued his studies with a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia and the summer diploma program in Wind Band Literature and Conducting at the University of Calgary. He retired in 2017 from a twenty-nine year career teaching secondary school music in West Lorne and London, Ontario. Mark joined the New Horizons program at Western University in 1999 where he conducts an advanced band, beginning group, and jazz band. He, along with members of the Western NHB program, organized the first New Horizons Band Camp in Canada held at Brock University in 2012 in Ontario. He also helped organize and lead Western NHB members in nine European tours. He currently sits on the board for the London Kiwanis Music Festival and Encore the Concert Band, a group in which he also performs. Mark has conducted in many NHIMA camps and will be co-director for the NHIMA Music Event in Mont Tremblant, QC for the third time in October 2025. If you would like to find out more about Mark's New Horizons Band, please, click here: https://music.uwo.ca/outreach/new-horizons-band.html

Debbi Gibson began her involvement with the NHIMA in 2016 when she became the conductor of the New Hampshire New Horizons Band of the Lakes Region. She was a former music educator of public school and collegiate levels for over 40 years. New Horizons was a perfect fit!! Debbi was still able to teach and make music!!! The “age” of the student was just a little different. Debbi earned her Bachelor of Music Education (BME) from Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, with a Certificate in Performance and her Masters of Music Education (MME) from James Madison University. Currently Debbi conducts several groups alongside of the New Horizons Band; the Carter Mountain Brass Band of New Hampshire and the Taylor Community Chorus of the Retirement Community in Laconia, NH. An avid free lance musician, she continues clarinet and other woodwind instruments in ensembles in New Hampshire, such as the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, the Newmount Military Band, the Center Harbor Town Band and the Gilford Community Band as well as playing in several pit orchestras. Throughout Debbi’s musical career, she has received many accolades. Those include; 2002 National “50 Directors Who Made a Difference”, 2005 New Hampshire Music Education Association (NHMEA) Distinguished Music Educator of the Year, 2011 New Hampshire Band Director Association (NHBDA) Outstanding Band Director Award. She has been a guest conductor at several middle and high school festivals as well as the guest conductor at the Adult New England Music Camp at Snow Pond. Debbi believes that “Music is Medicine”, and enjoys helping people share in the joyful and healing experience that music can provide both through conducting and performing on her clarinet. She lives in Sanbornton, New Hampshire with her Great Dane, Ziva and is surrounded by her children, 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. This interview was done in May 2025 via Zoom. If you would like to find out more about Debbi’s New Horizons Band please, go to https://newhorizons-lakesregion.org

Colin Enright is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Education Interdisciplinary studies at McGill University where he researches group music in community and educational settings and its effects on mental health, resilience, and general wellbeing.

He is co-director and principal conductor for the Montreal New Horizons Band and works as a vocal coach and band director for the Préville Fine Arts Centre, a not-for-profit arts education organization on Montreal’s south shore. Having previously worked as an elementary and high school music teacher and as a conductor and musical director in the Montreal area, he is a member of the NextGen advisory council of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada where he works to embed evidence-based health and wellness practices in music learning and engagement. He is co-editor of the upcoming volume Pedagogies for Later Life Music Learning and Participation: Facilitating Creative Musical Development in Later Life.

Colin is a Director of the Board of the New Horizons International Music Association since 2025.

You can find out more about Colin Enright's New Horizons Band on www.nhmontreal.com

Mark Tietjen is currently serving as Executive Director and Conductor of the New Horizons Orchestra - Spokane, a position he has held since October 2019. A retired public high school music teacher, Mr. Tietjen brings 31 years of experience and musical performance excellence to NHO - Spokane. While at University High School, his ensembles consistently received Superior ratings at all local, regional, and international festivals.

Professionally, Mark has performed with the Spokane Symphony, Clarion, Spokane Valley Summer Theatre, Coeur d’ Alene Summer Theatre, Spokane British Brass Band, and is currently acting as Principal Percussionist with the Coeur d’ Alene Symphony Orchestra.

Mark will be conducting at the Cincinnati New Horizons Music Camp in July 2025.

This interview took place in April 2025.

To find out more about Mark’s New Horizons Orchestra, please go to their FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/new.horizons.orchestra.spokane/

Oscar Thorp is a conductor, trumpeter, and music educator based in Brooklyn, New York. Oscar is the conductor of the Mannes Prep Chamber Orchestra, the New York Late Starters Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Music Community’s Kings County Concert Band. As a faculty member at the Third Street Music School Settlement, Oscar directs several ensembles, including the Concert Band, Prelude Band, and the New Horizons Morning and Evening Bands. Through the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, Oscar coaches the brass in the Symphonic Band and is a substitute conductor with the ISO orchestras. He has appeared as a guest conductor with the Chelsea Symphony, the New Conductors Orchestra, the New York City Brass Choir, and Make Music New York’s Sousapalooza. Through his participation as a conductor with the New Horizons International Music Association, Oscar has given virtual classes on score reading and music appreciation.

This Interview took place in April 2025 via Zoom

If you want to find out more about the Third Street New Horizons Band please go to: https://musicanddance.thirdstreet.nyc/activities/new-horizons-bands-(beginner-through-advanced)

Gerrit Lamain

A Compilation of Essays Volume 1 and 2

My Song of Life (A Dream Realized)

In this special episode of “Music Forever, a NHIMA podcast” Gerrit Lamain, a church organist and music educator, is featured.

Born in Rotterdam, he and his family survived WWII and emigrated to the US. He became an organist playing in churches, international concert halls as well as hockey stadiums. He directed high school and college vocal ensembles. In addition to his U.S. music education, he also studied organ improvisation in The Netherlands.

As Music Director of the Lowell Michigan Showboat, he worked with Louis Armstrong, Dinah Shore, Milton Berle, Bob Newhart, and Steve Allen. His choral groups performed for President Richard Nixon in the White House Rose Garden; his groups also performed in the Lincoln Memorial, Walter Reed Hospital, Arlington Cemetery and West Point Military Chapel.

His organ concerts were broadcast over Luxembourg Radio, and his numerous recordings have been enjoyed around the world over the Armed Forces Network. His dream lived on in founding and directing the Woodbury Chorus and Orchestra in Woodbury, MN, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for area food shelves; his groups performed in European Cathedrals as well as little county churches.

With humour and humility Gerrit reads one of his stories “A Dream Realized”, his journey in becoming a young organist who ends up playing at the Luxembourg Cathedral.

I would like to thank Gerrit Lamain for sharing his story and Garrett Masters of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in West St. Paul, MN, in assisting Gerrit Lamain with AV assistance.

His books “Gerrit’s Notes: A Compilation of Essays Volume 1 and 2” can be purchased on Amazon and are free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. All proceeds will go to local Food Shelves.

Cathy Wilcox has guided the Ottawa New Horizons Band program as founding band leader since 2008 at Dominion-Chalmers Church, and continues to serve as a band leader and member of the board of directors since its incorporation in 2017.

Cathy holds an Honours Bachelor of Music with a minor in French, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Western University. Soon after graduating, she joined the vocal Renaissance octet Vox Humana, performing locally in concerts and theatrical presentations in conjunction with the Twelfth Night Society. In her over-30-year career as a music educator, Cathy directed musicals, choral ensembles, concert and jazz bands, and her school music program was selected for special projects, such as the pilot of Blues in the Schools and Listen Up! Cathy also served the Ottawa Carleton District School Board as both a music and arts consultant, developing curriculum content and offering workshops and classroom visits to schools across Ottawa. In addition, she worked on contract as an education resource creator for the National Arts Centre, and as a curriculum analyst for the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Cathy has fond memories of participating as a band leader at the NHIMA Orford Band Camp, and looks forward to making music with friends, old and new, at the Mont Tremblant New Horizons Music Camp in October 2025!

This interview took place in March 2025 via Zoom.

If you would like to find out more about Cathy Wilcox’s Ottawa New Horizons program, please, visit https://ottawanewhorizons.com

Eric Heidenheim is a graduate of Western University’s Faculties of Music and Education in London, Ontario, Canada. He retired from the Thames Valley District School Board in 2018, after 30 happy years of teaching instrumental music at the elementary and secondary levels. Eric was as an active musician during his teaching career and he has played euphonium, trombone and tuba in several community ensembles. He also actively pursued conducting studies at many symposiums and summer courses. Currently,

Eric is Music Director of the London Concert Band. He also conducts Once A Quartet and The Saturday Morning Brass, 2 ensembles that are affiliated with the New Horizons program at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. Eric has also enjoyed serving as a clinician and guest conductor at several elementary and secondary school band clinics in recent years, including the Ontario Provincial Intermediate Honour Band.

Eric is thrilled to join the staff at the NHIMA Music Camp in Mt. Tremblant in October 2025. This interview took place in London, Ontario in February 2025. If you would like to find out more about the Western University New Horizons Band, please go to https://music.uwo.ca/outreach/new-horizons-band.html

François Dorion has been the Director of Music of the Regimental Band of Les Voltigeurs de Québec since 1997 and of L’Harmonie de Charlesbourg, which he founded, since 1993. He recently retired from a 30-year career as a high school teacher in Quebec, and is a composer of music for beginning band, some of which is published by Hal Leonard. He is Co-Founder and Director of the Quebec New Horizons Band. François has conducted both symphony orchestras and string ensembles and has recorded François Couture’s works Symphonie des lampes allumées and Yahndawa’. He serves as Canadian Armed Forces National Reserve Band Advisor, and is the teacher for the Master’s Degree in Conducting program at Université Laval. He has developed a special and innovative online program for continuing education in music entitled 'Expressive Conducting'. A renowned conductor and educator, he regularly appears at conducting workshops and high school clinics. François adjudicates at music festivals and contests and works as a Yamaha Artist Conductor-Educator. He studied conducting with Gilles Auger in Québec and attended several Wind Conducting Symposiums, with instructors such as Otto Werner Mueller at Domaine Forget, Craig Kirchhoff at Ithaca College and Mark Davis Scatterday in Calgary. He received his Master’s Degree in Conducting with Alain Cazes in 2015. He has commissioned many works from renowned composers including Jan Van der Roost, Bert Appermont and Philip Sparke. François’ discography consists of ten albums, including many cornerstone works for Wind Ensemble, pop and jazz music and a Christmas CD. François has conducted at several NHIMA music camps in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. If you would like to find out more about François’ New Horizons group, please, go to their FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/people/Harmonie-Nouveaux-Horizons-Québec/100068052622978/ This interview took place via Zoom in February 2025.

Catherine Blake has a Master’s degree and a Diploma in Adult Education. She is currently enjoying retirement but worked for 30 years at Western University, first in Continuing Studies, then in the Faculty of Medicine managing courses for faculty, staff, and the community, and the final ten years as a research coordinator working on dementia research projects. She has been a member of the London, Ontario New Horizons Band since 2000 and also plays in Sounds of Swing, and Jazzabelles, two community swing and jazz bands in the city. Mark Kearney is an author and an award-winning journalist. His latest book is Al Christie: Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Pioneer, published in 2023. He has co-authored 10 other books and contributed to another three. Mark is currently a lecturer at Western University, teaching a range of journalism courses. Over his 20-plus years there, he has won several awards for teaching including the Dean’s Award of Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Media and Information Studies. Mark lives in London, Ontario and plays clarinet with the New Horizons Band at Western University. He also plays in the Alte Klezmer group and strums his ukulele weekly with the Southern Ontario Ukulele Players. He and his wife, Catherine Blake, are long-time members of NHIMA. This interview took place in London, ON in February 2025. If you would like to find out more about the Western University New Horizons Band, please go to https://music.uwo.ca/outreach/new-horizons-band.html