Author: Webmaster

Jim will be at the church – will hand out new music and if enough people want to stay and rehearse –good. The side roads in Akron are still a little messy, so don’t drive if you don’t want to. I know we can’t wait to get started, but, we need to respect the weather too. Be safe.

There will be no Zoom as I won’t be able to make it. (webmaster)

IT WILL WARM UP SOMETIME!

Weekly Calendar updated link

Attendance Sign-In

When you get done digging out your driveway, go dig out It’s Miller Time and The Marches of the Armed Forces. Hopefully the weather co-operates and we have rehearsal tomorrow, but, will send an email tomorrow to confirm.

At the annual NHB annual meeting on Monday, January 12th, Jim Adkins announced that he would be stepping down as the director (a position he’s held for 22 years) after a concert that we will be playing at the MAPS Museum on Sunday, April 19th. Jim is experiencing health problems and he feels like this is the right decision – not only for him but for the band. The good news is that he is going to become a “member” of the band and play percussion with us!! 

Cathy Fogle will be taking the reins after Jim steps down. She is excited to be able to do this and Jim thinks she will be a great fit.

Please be sure and thank Jim for all his years of service and EVERYTHING that he has done for us and New Horizons. 

Jim and Cathy cancelled rehearsal today due to the extremely cold weather. So far 2026 has been cold. See you Thursday (I hope) . Please pass the information along to anyone else you know in the band.

Jim cancelled rehearsal today due to the extremely cold weather. Stay warm and see you Monday. Please pass the information along to anyone else you know in the band. (1/15/26)

Also, dig through your music and see if you can find Semper Fidelis and bring it with you.

Weekly Calendar updated link

Attendance Sign-In Please sign in for each rehearsal you attend.

We are starting back up one week earlier for preparation of our Glenn Miller extravaganza! It is going to be fun! It was posted as our first rehearsal on January 19th but we are starting back on Monday, January 12th at First Evangelical Church. The rest of the calendar dates and times will be updated ASAP. We will also have our yearly business meeting at 7:30 on Monday. See you there!

Cal and I want to thank you so much for the generous Christmas gift and all of the wonderful well-wishes. We really enjoyed the fun Christmas message from all the different instruments at the Masonic Home Concert. It was so clever and funny. Thanks to Carrie for organising that.

Most of all, we want to thank you for allowing us to play, teach and learn with you these past several years. We are so proud of the musical growth you have made during this time. You have proven that making and performing music is for everyone. As Robert Shaw famously said, “Music is far too important to be left solely to professionals.”
Your willingness to keep coming to rehearsals and to keep improving your skills and musical expression is so inspiring. I hope you keep it up and bring others to join you in learning and making music.

Cal and I have enjoyed our time with you so much these past years. You haven’t seen the last of us! We will still be coming to rehearsal as often as we can as players and to catch up with our friends. I will continue to let you know when the Western Reserve Community Band will be performing, and we will hope to see you there. Maybe some of you will be confident enough with your playing that you will join us at some point.

Again, thank you for your welcome and your kindness these past seasons. We will look forward to watching you as you continue your musical journey. Enjoy the rest of your holiday season and have a wonderful New Year.

Bev and Cal O’Connor

To my band mates and my music friends, this has been my second full year of being able to play music with you all, it has been a great experience and pleasure to be able to share the love of music with you as well as the audience that we were able share play for. I believe we have been able to advance musically through the hard work that each and every one of us put in. But also the hard work that was put in by Jim, Bev, Cal and Kathy. To be able to speak through each note to our audience be it family and friends, to share the story of the music that is written but also what is in us, to give the pride in doing the national anthem, to share solemn music of the Commemoration Service, to share the stage with Helen Welch and her band, to be able to share the stage with the professional musicians was a great privilege and honor. 
        But it was a great honor and privilege to be able to share the work with each of you as we made a commitment to be better musicians which to me made us better people. 
        The scriptures say make joyful noise unto the Lord, whatever your thoughts or feelings are we gave our audience joy and happiness. I sincerely enjoyed the Christmas concert and the beautiful voices of our ensemble as sang with such feeling and emotion. 
      I want to thank those of you who helped me get in and out of practices:  Carrie, Marylyn, Rob, Rich and Kathy and others who shared their concern for me. I also want to thank those of you who put up prayers for my wife and I.    I wish you all the best and I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed holiday season. 
            Abyemabi 
   

From Sandy B.:

Merry Christmas to all my friends in New Horizons! 

 If you don’t have other plans, please join us on Christmas Eve at my church (Emanuel United Church of Christ) on Eastern Rd. in Doylestown. Our service starts at 6PM and Cathy Fogel (flute) and Marilyn Katzmark (violin) will be playing along with our bell choir and other vocalists.
    This is the church where we play in the cemetery!
    Sandy Bee Lynn