For Brother Phil Aaron, S.M. ’54, the trombone has symbolized a new beginning.
“When you retire you can either just forget everything and just coast along or you can start a new life,” said Aaron, a retired international studies professor who previously played the trumpet. “When people join New Horizons, they start a new life.”
Twenty-five years ago, he attended the first rehearsal for the University of Dayton New Horizons music program, which teaches music to older adults and helps current students grow as music teachers themselves. This year, he and his fellow musicians performed Nov. 2 in the new Roger Glass Center for the Arts to kick off the anniversary celebration.
They can thank Linda Hartley.
Now professor emerita of music, Hartley brought to life a music program at UD that has gone on to touch lives across generations.
“New Horizons gives that re-entry place for people who played before and then come back and want to brush up on those skills that they had learned maybe 50 years ago,” Hartley said.
New Horizons started when music professors at Eastman School of Music were interested in learning about the effects of teaching older adults how to play music. In conjunction with research at the University of Rochester on brain function during musical performance as one ages, Eastman’s Roy Ernst realized that older adults both love to learn later in life and love learning music specifically. These observations inspired him to start New Horizons.
The program became an international movement, and there are now more than 200 iterations of New Horizons worldwide. The Eastman School of Music used the program to provide music education students additional teaching experience, which further inspired Hartley.
“We always were looking for practical, hands-on experiences that UD [already] does so well,” Hartley said of UD’s music programs. “It all ties to music education and being able to inspire the passion we have for so many others.”
Hartley was directing both the Pride of Dayton Marching Band and Flyer Pep Band when she received a grant from the provost to start New Horizons — with eight members, including Aaron. The program continued to expand and now has more than 100 members, two concert bands, two jazz bands, 14 small ensembles and 10 instructors.
Hartley said she loves seeing members grow as musicians and as people. While members all have various levels of experience, they all come together to share their love for music.
“I’ve really been inspired by the members’ passion for music and their passion for learning.”
“I’ve really been inspired by the members’ passion for music and their passion for learning,” she said. “They’re here because they really want to be there.”
Hartley refers to their practices as the “anti-aging rehearsal space.” She remarks that the New Horizons musicians often quickly pick up on stylistic elements of music based on their years of experience listening to music, and she loves the fun, educational and non-competitive environment of rehearsals.
Being a part of New Horizons also gets musicians involved with the surrounding community. The organization sponsors band camps and collaborates with local schools.
Aaron plays trombone in numerous ensembles. He has served as president of the board and now chairs the anniversary celebration committee, which scheduled nine concerts for its anniversary year (see schedule below), including on campus at the UD’s Roger Glass Center for the Arts, which connects the group to a University audience.
Describing his favorite experiences with New Horizons, Aaron says, “The best has been performing in the Glass Center, because we feel like we’re more a part of UD now.”
The group aims to enhance community outreach and increase its endowment to fund future endeavors, which is why the anniversary’s theme is “Make Our Garden Grow.”
“We’re planting seeds,” Hartley said. “We want to make this last forever, and we want to make sure adults in the Miami Valley area always have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument through the New Horizons program.”
Rebecca Sutton has played trumpet in the Pride of Dayton Marching Band, University of Dayton Pep Band and numerous bands and ensembles. A senior psychology major, she writes about music regularly for UD Magazine.
[photos courtesy Linda Hartley]