New Horizons Band of Summit and Stark Counties
Providing Life Enrichment Through Embracing Music
Thank you to all of the board members and members who had a hand in organizing, setting up, grilling and cleaning up during the picnic. It takes lots of thought and planning to put on a special event like the one we had today! The performances were a delight, food was excellent and I got to meet some new people. Thanks again for a delightful afternoon. I had a blast! — Submitted by Debbie Withnell (Percussion)
Andrew is Carrie Cunningham’s grandson. This is a little after the fact, but he still really needs prayer. He had been taking an appropriate amount of aleve and ibuprofen for an old sports injury, but unbeknownst to anyone he had developed an ulcer. A couple of days ago the ulcer perforated and he needed to be airlifted to a better hospital so that emergency surgery could be done. He was really in grave danger, especially since the e.r initially wanted to send him home. If it wasn’t for his mom refusing to take him home, and then later insisting he be life flighted to the other hospital, the outcome may have been quite different. He was just a couple hours away from being septic.
Thankfully surgery went well and he should be out of the hospital in a week, but pain management and the risk of infection is still a concern. Please pray for his perfect healing.
To fellow band mates, I am looking forward to today’s concert, I consider it a privilege to be able to perform with you, it’s great to see Dave back with us again. Each time we have a concert I have sleepless nights going over the music, where Jim is correcting different parts of the songs like-Do Wa, Dit-Dit-Da, that’s pretty crazy right! But I enjoy working with you all, I appreciate the help that different ones give. I reflect on the commemoration ceremony we did, I will always look on that ceremony differently for the rest of my life.
I love music, it has helped me to be more creative, to share what I feel through music.
I am excited and looking forward to todays performance.
Sincerely, fellow music lover
Abyemabi Kwalume
I will say, I am guilty of never really connecting with Memorial Day. I understood it on a cognitive level but I just could not totally relate. No one in my immediate family had been in the service until my niece and son-in-law, and thankfully they have not had to go into combat yet. But I did have an uncle who did. He died at Anzio during WWII and he was just…that uncle I never knew.
I grew up twirling in parades for Memorial Day and laying lilacs on graves. The family tradition was to go to the graves of our deceased relatives and bring flowers and make sure everything had enough water. So Memorial Day in general was about remembering who died before us, whether they served in the armed forces or not.
Our performances for New Horizons have helped me to better understand what Memorial Day is all about. When I see these older people fervently commemorating our fallen soldiers, it really helps put things in perspective. I especially was listening this year as to where all the Americans were buried over seas. Where were the guys who died at Anzio buried, I wondered.
This year, something really changed how I see Memorial Day. My niece posted information on my brother-in-law’s Uncle Alexander. He died in Anzio and was buried in Sicily-Rome. Our family and their family were very close and lived in the same town, but in the 1940’s they lived 2 hours apart. Could Alexander and Paul have known each other? After getting information from a cousin about Uncle Paul, because I didn’t even know his middle name, we found out some interesting stuff. It’s doubtful Alex and Paul knew each other, but they died 13 days apart. Paul was 20 yo and Alex was 19 yo. Paul was buried in his home town, and his grave was still being watered by my sister and sister-in-law who were carrying on the Memorial Day tradition. I had probably watered that same grave years before; I just didn’t care enough at the time to remember.
They both received Purple Hearts. Paul also received a Silver Star. The below citation is what changed me. I was filled with pride, sadness, and gratitude. I could “feel” the story. He was never going to be married, have kids, and he was never going to reconcile his relationship with his dad, which is why he enlisted in the army in the first place. All of a sudden Memorial Day became very very real.
PAUL J. KELLY, 32945161, Private, Company K, 135th Infantry
For gallantry in action on 26 May 1944, in the vicinity of Velletri, (Rome, Lazio) Italy. During an attack by enemy armor, Pvt. Kelly and another comrade manned a bazooka gun and, disregarding intense small arms fire that was raking their position, succeeded in knocking out an advancing enemy tank. Refusing to seek cover, Pvt Kelly then turned his attention to an enemy self-propelled gun which was firing on his company’s position at point blank range. The courageous duel with the enemy artillery piece ended with Pvt Kelly being killed and his comrade painfully wounded. But their heroic stand so inspired their comrades that they drove off the enemy gun and broke up the enemy counter-attack.
I just want to thank all the Pauls and and Alexs that have died over the years defending our country. I feel undeserving of everything they have done. Because of them, I have had a wonderful life, a wonderful family, and freedom.
Cal and I would like to thank everyone in the New Horizons organization for the welcome you have given us this year. We have loved getting to know you and to make music with you, and are excited about even more opportunities to do so in the New Year. Thank you to Jim and to Jamie for welcoming us into the outstanding community of instructors in this group. We feel privileged to work with such outstanding and dedicated musicians.
We would also like to thank the group for the extremely generous holiday gift. It was not necessary, but very much appreciated.
We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and were able to take time with family and friends to enjoy and appreciate all of the blessing of the season. We look forward to seeing all of you in the New Year and are eager for the new musical adventures that await all of us.
With love,
Bev and Cal
To my fellow New Horizons Band members,
I just wanted to share my great appreciation for the privilege of being able to share this past musical journey with you all, I gained a greater appreciation of listening and seeing other musicians playing. To be able to listen to the strings on “Song of the Birds “, to listen to “Big John on bass and the sax, the way each of the strings articulate the notes led by Jaime, I loved the French horns very distinct sound , I loved the trumpets loud beautiful sounds with “Doc and Maynard”, and the rest of the swinging crew, Of course my fellow trombonists, each of the brass section members, the wind sections flutes, oboe’s, sax sections, being led by Bev,Cal and our fearless leader Jim, I’ve enjoyed each and every encounter be it the practices or concerts, I think of Psalms 150. I want to thank each and everyone of you for your help and support. I look forward to our next encounter.
Sincerely, fellow music enthusiast and lover.
Abyemabi Kwalume
Good evening, everyone! Just want to take a moment to share with you all the POSITIVE FEELING of appreciation, achievement, and accomplishment that I have been feeling during the last six months.
I am so Blessed to have the opportunity to share with you all, my never-ending love of music. I can hear, see, and feel that you are growing toward this same inter glow as many of you are beginning to really feel the connection that we are making with our audiences. You are not just playing notes and making sound with your instruments you are connecting with them as your instruments becomes part of you and your inner feelings. Please remember that the more you know about the language the better you can use it to communicate your innermost artistic expressions. MUSIC IS THE LANGUAGE OF FEELINGS!!!!
I am also impressed with your deep feelings of cooperation and concern for each other. You may have noticed that each week we have different numbers of members who attend our classes and rehearsals. We are trying very hard to provide a schedule that is flexible, but also effective. We are carefully entering the time of the year during which our individual health becomes more challenged. Each week I have receive calls from responsible members who have made the correct decision to stay home simply because they feel that they are a little under the weather and do not want to put others in danger. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! These responsible decisions are what have allowed us to move forward and collectively advance our growth and understanding of the ART! MUSIC is like any other art form. It doesn’t exist in a unison format. It must be shared to exist, however taking care of yourself and being considerate of others is the formula for intelligent growth.
Finally, I need to express my sincere appreciation for the Board of Directors and Staff of our organization. I have the privilege of being surrounded by a team of people who REALLY CARE. They each understand the TRUE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS. They contribute their best efforts UNSELFISHLY toward the TEAM’S GOALS. They understand my old logo “FUN is spelled WORK, and WORK is spelled FUN.” MUSIC and Hard Work are the magic ingrediencies that are moving each of us forward. We are growing into something special, and I am so happy to be a small part in each member’s success. I’m so excited about our upcoming Concerts and a new year of continued growth!
\THANK YOU ALL! Each member is important! Remember…. I’M HERE FOR YOU!!!!
Jim
Hello my friends and band mates, I wasn’t able to make it to practice because I have MS, which is exacerbated by the weather, however, I just wanted to share with you all my excitement about the strings performance on Monday, I enjoyed each song, especially Tocatina(I hope that’s right) and the band as well, I am looking forward to making beautiful music with you all, I also want to thank each of your help at various times.
Fellow music lover, Abyemabi
Kathryn Weaver (violin) has recently been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs and is having a hard time breathing. Apparently it’s the same germ that causes RSV. She is slightly better but is not expecting to be back to New Horizons for a couple weeks. Her goal is to be back for the John S. Knight performance.
Kathy Jesser (trombone) recently had surgery and has been scootering ( hmmm, I wonder if that’s a word) around her house. She’s hoping to get the okay from her doctor tomorrow to bear weight on her foot. Her goal is to be in good enough shape to make rehearsal on Monday.
Please keep these two in your thoughts, and pray for quick recoveries!
Dear NHBSSC family,
I would like to announce that I have accepted a research fellowship in Silver Spring, MD, and will be relocating by the end of the month. While my NHBSSC membership and association will remain as they are, you will see much less of me at rehearsals and concerts. I will keep in touch with Connie for materials to work on. Whenever possible, I will attend virtual rehearsals and major in-person performances.
I must thank the teaching faculty, and all past and current members of the Board of Directors for making this experience possible. The camaraderie of all other fellow NHBSSC members who, like me, find themselves on their own noble musical journeys, is much appreciated. Lastly, this is an excellent opportunity for me to express my immense gratitude for the personal guidance and encouragement I have received from Jim over the years. I will be reporting my musical progress to him in the years to come as well.
Thy humble music seeker,
Iskinder (alto sax)
