New Horizons Band

133 Burney Street, Modesto, CA 95354 PH. (209)523-5326

The First New Horizons Band was started by Professor Roy Earnst at the Eastman School of Music in 1991. The word spread through articles in publications such as the New York Times and a feature spot on the NBC Today Show. There are now more than a hundred New Horizon Bands in the United States, with more bands and orchestras in the planning phase.Initially, the Bands were open to adults 50 years and older. However, due to the popularity of the program, many Bands, including ours, are open to any adult who wishes to learn to play an instrument.

Gottschalk Music Center is Happy to have launched a local New Horizons Band. The classes and bands meet weekly on Monday and Friday mornings. We hope you will join us. You'll have a great time!!

If you already have an instrument or if you'll be using an instrument that your children left behind, be sure to take it into our repair shop to make sure that it's in excellent working condition. Some music students become frustrated because they try to learn on an instrument that no one can play.

If you don't already have an instrument to use, we rent them at special rates for members of New Horizons. If you're not sure of what instruments to play, our staff will be happy to help you select one. And if your initial selection doesn't work out, you can switch to another one.

Playing music is a special joy and it will help you maintain mental and physical health. It's also a way of experiencing life; playing music from the past keeps us in touch with the past; daily practice keeps us active in the present and striving for new goals attaches us to the future. One band member describes it as "serious fun".

As a member of the New Horizons Band®, you will meet new friends and work with them as a team to learn music for the concerts and other performances in the community. New Horizons ensembles typically perform many times each year in venues ranging from formal concerts, shopping malls, and parks to retirement and assisted living facilities.

Re-learn to play the instrument that you played earlier in life.

Our New Horizons staff will be happy to help you select one to learn.

As an adult, you have advantages that will help you learn music. If you played an instrument in school years ago, you will be amazed at how much you remember and how quickly you will be able to play again. Even if you've never played music, you are already familiar with the sound of a lot of the music that will be included in your early instruction.

Most adults are more motivated, self-disciplined, and have more time to practice than their younger counterparts. If you attend lessons and practice, you'll be playing music before you know it! From then on, it's even more fun to play with others in classes, chamber music groups, bands and orchestras.

There are also a number of annual music institutes you can attend which cater to New Horizons musicians in locations like Aspen, CO; Lake Placid, NY; Door County, WI; Sydney, Australia and Palm Springs, CA.

In one study, nearly everyone who participated in a New Horizons band felt that their accomplishments met or exceeded their expectations.

The first step in getting started is to give us a call at 209-523-5326. We'll answer your questions and invite you to visit one of our rehearsal sessions. If you like what you see and hear, then you can enroll and start your new adventure!!

Click on the picture for more pictures.