At age 12, Wellesley Middle School student Jordan Shufro is used to having his mother Jane attend his activities, or as he puts it, “a lot of things.”   But last weekend, Jordan and his mom swapped roles. While his mom warmed up for the Sudbury Valley New Horizons Music winter concert, Jordan dutifully handed out programs at the entrance to the Wayland Middle School auditorium. “This is kind of a reverse,” he observed, “and it feels kind of strange.”

 

Like many in the audience, Jordan was there to watch a parent.  Others were there to support a partner, friend, colleague, or grandparent.

“I think it’s good,” Jordan said of his mother’s violin playing. “I think she played as a kid, and I think this makes her happy.”

The program was founded in 2008 in Wayland and draws players from throughout the region. It is part of an international music movement, New Horizons Music, and is designed to create musical opportunities for people who never played an instrument or have not played one in many years.

At 75 and in his second season, Dave Morin of Ashland is an exception.  Clad in a bright red vest and tie, Morin expanded on his experiences as a drummer just before taking the stage to help out the Beginner Band. “I started playing at 16 years old and now I’m 75. My wife and I raised six children, I worked two jobs full-time, and I kept playing,” he recounted. Now he plays in the Jazz Ensemble and agreed to help out the Beginner Band when the teacher approached him.

 

A string orchestra was added this fall with nearly all of the members being novices. Strings conductor Donna Nagle, who teaches in the Weston Public Schools, noted the group had only eight rehearsals prior to the concert. They proceeded to surprise the audience with a lively rendition of “Jingle Bells” and an English folk song, “Country Gardens” after Nagle had them demonstrate their playing ability when they first started and barely a note could be heard.

Overall, participation has remained strong since the 2008 inception, with many of the original members still attending Wednesday evening practices and performing in concerts and at local assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The activity also provides a social outlet as it emphasizes the importance of having fun and relaxing while coming together over a shared interest.  At last week’s performance, parents and grandparents peered through the darkness on stage, happily picking out and waving to sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

Founder Diane Muffitt, Wayland Middle School’s band director, noted at the concert’s conclusion that more than 80 people are currently involved in the program, which includes a jazz ensemble, beginner strings, intermediate strings, beginner band, and intermediate band.

 

She credited the adult players for their courage and for taking the risk to come and play, and she extended the invitation to join to the audience members.  A quick survey of the musicians showed that more than three-fourths hadn’t picked up their instrument in many years. Some were returning after 10 years, a handful after a 20-year hiatus, and for some, it had been 40, 50 and even 60 years since they had played.

The music in the 90-minute program included the William Tell Overture, played by the Intermediate Strings; Cripple Creek, the All-hStrings Orchestra; Night Train, Beginner Band; three of  Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance Suite pieces, Gershwin Classics and Johnny B. Goode, Intermediate/Novice Bands.

SVNHM staff includes:  Gina DePaoli, beginner woodwind teacher; Steve Curtis, beginner brass teacher; Dan Foote, percussion coordinator; Linda Murdock, program volunteer and Do-All; Tim O’Brien, string orchestra teacher; Sara Mangum and Donna Nagle, string orchestra directors; Jamie Clark, Kevin Donegan, and Diane Muffitt, band directors.

Anyone interested in joining SVNHM can contact Muffitt at (978)261-5065 or Muffitt@bandnotes.info. The website is www.svnhb.org.  Each Wednesday there are rehearsals of the bands and string orchestra, and there are classes for first-time players to help anyone wishing to start a new instrument.

The Wayland-based program is hosted by the Wayland Public Schools through Wayland School Community Programs.
For more information about the origins of the international program, go to www.newhorizonsmusic.org. To learn about the regional group, check out the web site at www.svnhb.org.