Mary Gillard graduated from Western University, in London, ON with a Bachelor of Music, Honours in Education. She retired in June of 2014 after 31 years of teaching music in London at Clarke Road Secondary School. She introduced a classical guitar program and built a highly successful four-year program. Mary also taught vocal and instrumental music and was vocal director and keyboard player for 15 school shows. Mary sang with The Gerald Fagan singers in London, ON and continues to sing in a community choir in St. Thomas, ON. Mary started conducting for the NHB program in London, Ontario in 2000. Mary has conducted in many New Horizons music camps including St. Catherines, ON, Chautauqua, NY, Cincinnati, OH and Mt. Tremblant, QC. She also travels to Europe with the London ON, New Horizons Band. In this interview Mary gives insight in how music has impacted her life and how she loves giving the gift of music making to others. This interview was done in May 2024 in London, ON, Canada. If you want to find out more about the New Horizons Band in London, ON, go to https://music.uwo.ca and click on the New Horizons Band tab.

Diane Scholfield was introduced to music when her parents bought her a piano at age 4. She thought then that she and her piano had a special language and that she was the only one who could understand it. Since then she has tried a long list of other instruments including the flute, percussion, acoustic guitar, trombone and French horn. She spent many years as a vocalist singing a cappella and caroling in San Diego including at the famous Hotel del Coronado. After a decades long career as a writer and editor she heard about the New Horizons Band of Carlsbad and decided to join. Diane tells a delightful story of her journey of music throughout life, her discovery of NHIMA on-line programming and live band camps and her desire to possibly play a violin, cello or saxophone in the future. This interview was done by Zoom in March 2024. I would like to thank Diane for giving this interview. If you would like to find out more about Diane Scholfield’s New Horizons Band in Carlsbad, CA, please go to https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org and look for the New Horizons Band under their Education tab.

Mark Goodrum grew up in Boston and area. His father was a drum player. Mark was introduced to playing music himself during his junior high school years. Mark tells his heartfelt story how he ended up as a music major at Grambling University in Louisiana. After a detour through Florida, he was hired to become a music educator in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he still lives. Mark became a professional saxophone player, which is still his main instrument. After more than 3 decades of teaching, Mark joined the New Horizons Band of Rio Rancho, NM. Mark Goodrum’s passion for music and connections with musicians can be heard on his own podcast “OTP, On the Podium” which you can access through your favourite podcast platform.

If you would like to find out more about Mark’s New Horizons Band of Rio Rancho, please go to http://www.nhbrr.org

Michelle Skomars plays clarinet in the New Horizons Orchestra of Spokane, Washington.

She was introduced to music at a young age by her parents. She gives us a tour of her music interests throughout life. Michelle had a career as a pilot, joined the US Army and worked for many years in air traffic control for the Federal Government in Spokane. She was introduced to the New Horizons Orchestra of Spokane by an old acquaintance while playing hockey. She has never looked back. Michelle joined the NHIMA Events Committee as a non-board director in order to assist NHIMA in developing ongoing programming for its members. Michelle is a true believer that “Music is meant to be shared….period.”

If you would like to find out more about Michelle’s New Horizons group please, go to their FaceBook page by looking up New Horizons Orchestra of Spokane: https://www.facebook.com/new.horizons.orchestra.spokane/?locale=hi_IN

Linda Hartley is a retired Professor of Music at the University of Dayton (UD) where she coordinated the undergraduate and graduate music education degree program for 24 years. She then served the UD School of Education and Health Sciences as Associate Dean for Education. Linda has taught a variety of music education and performance courses, founded several university bands. She received outstanding faculty teaching awards from the University of Dayton and its College of Arts and Sciences. The Honorary Band Service Sorority, presented Linda with the Outstanding Service to Music-Award to honor her research and publications in the area of gender and ethnicity in instrumental music conductors. Linda is the founder and music director for the University of Dayton New Horizons Music Program which celebrates its 25th year in 2024-25! She is one of the conductors at the NHIMA Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio Band Camp in August 2024. If you like to find out more about Linda Hartley’s New Horizons Music Program go to udayton.edu and look for the New Horizons Music Program.

Ron Berry is the founder of the NHB of Northern New York. Jim Cubberly is an active member of the Saline NHB in Michigan. Both Ron and Jim will be the NHIMA Band Camp Co-Directors in Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio in August 2024. Ron and Jim had technical careers, Ron as a structural engineer and Jim as an hydraulics specialist. Ron plays tuba and Jim plays trumpet. They share their musical journey, their love for the New Horizons organization and give a detailed description of the upcoming NHIMA band camp in Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio in August 2024. To find out more about Ron Berry’s New Horizons Band of Northern New York go to https://www.newhorizonsbandsnny.org. To find out more about Jim Cubberly’s Saline New Horizons Band go to https://www.nhbsaline.org

Steve Garone is a trumpet player and original member of the Sudbury Valley New Horizons Band in Massachussetts. He also plays many other instruments including guitar, bass guitar and ukulele.  He shares how music creates a good balance in his life and how his New Horizons group provides many opportunities to socialize and make new friends.

Steve’s career has spanned a number of disciplines, including engineering, marketing, competitive intelligence and market research. Steve is currently the founder and chief analyst at Lake Shore Analytics, where he focuses on helping organizations execute content strategies to help them grow their businesses. He joined the NHIMA Board of Directors in 2024. We met via Zoom in January 2024. To find out more about Steve’s New Horizons Group, please, go to https://svnhb.org

Florence Buschke plays bassoon in the New Horizons Band at the Third Street Settlement Music School in Manhattan. Music was in her life from the moment she was born. She shares her family’s musical journey and her love for the bassoon and many moments of serendipity in her life that got her involved in New Horizons Music. We met at the New England Adult Music Camp in Maine in August 2023. To find out more about Florence’s New Horizons Band go to www.thirdstreet.nyc/newhorizons

Paula Sousa is a flute and piccolo player in the Eastman-Rochester NHB in Rochester New York. She has been active at an administrative level of her band and joined the Board of Directors of NHIMA in 2022. Paula shares her love for music and her involvement in New Horizons programming, including the ‘Play it Forward’ program that was started by members of the Eastman-Rochester NHB to support young talented children in their community. She describes the origins of the New Horizons movement in Rochester. Paula and I met at the 2023 Cincinnati NHIMA camp. To find out more about Paula’s New Horizons Band, please go to www.rocnewhorizons.org

Carol and Alex Neubert are retired educators from Northampton, Massachusetts. They became musically active in retirement when they joined the New Horizons Band of Northern New York in Potsdam. After several years they moved to Northampton, Massachusetts where they started the Pioneer Village New Horizons Band at the Northampton Community Music Centre. Carol joined the NHIMA Board of Directors in 2020 and assisted in building NHIMA’s new format which includes virtual programming, broader communication among members and educators and an interactive website. She was the NHIMA Events Committee Chair for 2 years. The interview took place at the Snowbound New England Adult Music Camp in August 2023. Carol and Alex explain how the New Horizons Music mantra ‘Your Best is Good Enough’ works so well for them and their band members. Information about their band can be found here: https://www.ncmc.net/programs/new-horizons-band