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When you start at community college, your next step could take you anywhere.
Watch as three students road-trip across the country to speak with leaders who used community college to carve a path to higher education, specialized skills—and more importantly, rewarding lives and careers. Along the way, they discover how valuable their own community college experiences can be.
Learn more about this music program for senior musicians whose skills range from novice to seasoned.
New Horizons defies the notion that “retirement means sitting on your sofa all day, watching television, and waiting to die.” That’s how Dr. Roy Ernst, professor emeritus at Eastman School of Music and New Horizons founder, puts it.
Marian found respite during a time of trouble. George found his life partner. Marjorie found something she’d thought she’d lost forever. They all found more than they bargained for when they joined the New Horizons Music Program, a program for senior musicians whose skills range from novice to seasoned. Marian, George, Marjorie and others share how they found a new connection to music and so much more in this hour-long documentary.
Dr. Ernst explains in the documentary, is that anyone can learn to play music at a personal level that will bring a sense of accomplishment. That feeling of accomplishment and being part of something is a basic human need. Like band member David, who took up the trombone at age 82, says “If you don’t have something to occupy your time and your mind, you degenerate health wise.”
“When you play a great piece of music you’re in the presence of something far greater than yourself,” explains RPO Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. And that’s exactly what New Horizons members experience. Whether they have rekindled, or found for the first time, their passion for music and performing – they are part of something bigger than themselves. Along the way, they have discovered new abilities, formed life-long friendships, and proved to us all that life is a journey, not a race.
What started as a 30-member band in Rochester, New York more than 20 years ago has grown to a program that includes 10,000 musicians in 215 New Horizons bandsacross the United States, as well as in Canada, Ireland, Australia, and several other countries.
Watch the Full Documentary On-Demand:
Music for Life: The Story of New Horizons was funded in part by Eastman School of Music, New Horizons, and the Waldron Rise Foundation.
Marian plays the cello in the Eastman New Horizons Orchestra.
Marian shares her love of the cello and her passion to play in Music for Life: The New Horizons, premiering on WXXI-TV Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. The hour-long documentary chronicles the New Horizons International Music Association, founded by Dr. Roy Ernst in 1991 in Rochester, NY. New Horizons Music programs provide entry points to music making for adults, who were active in school music programs but haven’t played in years, as well as those with no musical experience. To learn more about the documentary, click here.
Watch this short clip from Music for Life featuring Marian:
Bud plays the drums in the Eastman New Horizons Band.
Bud was interviewed for WXXI’s newest documentary, Music for Life: The New Horizons, which premieres Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. The hour-long documentary chronicles the New Horizons International Music Association, founded by Dr. Roy Ernst in 1991 in Rochester, NY. New Horizons Music programs provide entry points to music making for adults, who were active in school music programs but haven’t played in years, as well as those with no musical experience. To learn more about the documentary, click here.
Watch this short clip from Music for Life featuring Budd:
Television producer Thomas Dooley talks with Classical 91.5 morning host Brenda Tremblay about his newest production, Music for Life: The Story of New Horizons.
Tom shares with Brenda some of the amazing people he met while filming the documentary, Music for Life: The Story of New Horizons, which premieres on WXXI-TV Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. The film chronicles the New Horizons International Music Association, founded by Dr. Roy Ernst in 1991 in Rochester, NY. New Horizons Music programs provide entry points to music making for adults, who were active in school music programs but haven’t played in years, as well as those with no musical experience.
Eastman New Horizons’ band member Beverly Maville-Letter shares the history of New Horizons Mentor Program.
George Eastman’s philanthropic efforts in Rochester, NY are legendary, but his founding of Eastman School of Music and its sister school, Eastman Community Music School reflected his passion for music by offering training for musicians from childhood on. In 1919, Eastman also provided $15,000 for band and orchestra instruments for Rochester school children.
Fast forward to 1991, when Eastman’s vision expanded with the founding of New Horizons. Eastman could not have known how the legacy he left through Eastman School of Music and Community School would become a global phenomenon through Roy Ernst and New Horizons. At the same time in Rochester, urban schools were struggling to provide any extra instructional enrichment.
Through an unusual set of circumstances a connection was made with Clinton Bell, principal at Rochester School #22, who also dreamed that his school would have a band program. Stephen Georger, a faculty member and general music teacher, recruited a select group of 16 students (good grades required) and by January there were 12 New Horizon mentors who gave an hour a week. After working hard, the fledgling band made its debut at a mini-concert in March, then performed in their Spring Concert with smiling parents, faculty, and mentors proudly looking on in June.
One young musician expressed a desire to audition at Rochester School of the Arts. He had just started studying the sax in January 2014. He worked hard as his mentors helped him prepare an audition piece and two scales. Our young saxophonist passed his audition and has just begun his first year in middle school at the School of the Arts.
In May, Eastman New Horizons welcomed the new band as guests to our annual Spring Concert at Kodak Hall, the beautiful concert hall of Eastman School of Music. The children were treated to a limo ride and dinner before the concert, and were recognized in the concert for their hard work and dedication.
“Playing It Forward” is our mantra, picking up on what was started in 1919 with George Eastman’s gift of band instruments to Rochester children and helping renew the music program in the city, where more musical ideas are beginning district wide. The children and mentors are all thriving in an atmosphere of deep respect and affection. The Band Program in School #22 has grown to almost 40 members and over 20 volunteer mentors. George Eastman would have been pleased.
This blog was written by Eastman New Horizons’ band member Beverly Maville-Letter.
New Horizons is the subject of WXXI’s newest documentary, “Music for Life: The Story of New Horizons,” premiering on WXXI-TV December 4 at 8 p.m. and streaming live at WXXI.org/musicforlife. In the hour-long program you’ll meet New Horizon founder Dr. Ernst, who shares why he felt compelled to start the music program for seniors and many of the New Horizons’ musicians, who rekindled or found, for the first time, their passion for music. You’ll also learn more about the mentor program that Beverly talks about .
Meet three people that got into the precision optics manufacturing through a variety of career pathways.
Training for the Optics Field Through Community College: Jake Thurston likes working with both hand tools and sophisticated equipment in his work in the optics field. He has always liked to design and innovate. He took programs at Monroe Community College that gave him the right skills for a job as an optician, but he thinks people with a variety of job skills in applied sciences, technology or the trades can be good candidates for the optics sector. He works at Optimax Systems as an optician.
On the Job Training to Become An Optician:
Finding a career you love that let’s you learn new skills on the job as a maker was what drew Genny Kingsley to optician training. Genny Kingsley tried a variety of jobs out of high school after getting an art degree. Nothing felt right until she started her optician training at Optimax Systems. She takes joy in being a maker and continuing to learn new things. She has options for apprenticeship, on the job training and higher education. She advises that someone could do well in her job out of high school with on the job training to further her career. She loves being creative and the hands-on nature of making products that have value.
Precision Optics Manufacturing Apprenticeship:
An apprenticeship in precision optics manufacturing can lead to higher education paid for by your employer. Travis Montgomery started working part time at Optimax Systems while going to a BOCES Career and Technical Education program in high school. He didn’t plan on going to college, but when Optimax Systems had a program that would pay for his higher education degree, he decided to take advantage of working and going to school full-time. He is an apprentice in the precision optics manufacturing sector.
Search terms or areas might include: used in manufacturing, optics, photonics, and more.
Learn about how drones (Small Unmanned Aerial Systems) are used in a variety of industries connected to various career pathways and how to acquire these skills and certifications.
Training and career sectors using drones Skyop’s CEO Brian Pitre, describes the field and curriculum for how people train for FAA cerification at places like high schools, community colleges, on-the-job training or private courses such as Skyop’s offers. Drones are used in real-estate, police work, agriculture, construction, surveying, inspections, media and news reporting and other fields. Special thanks to to Oneonta Jobs Corp Academy and Finger Lakes Drone Service, and The Pike Company for providing footage to use in this video.
Drone certification and owning your own business
Finger Lakes Drone Services was started by Luke Didion after he got his drone certification through SkyOp. He gets contracts to do real estate aerial photography. He would like to work in the agricultural area and 3-D mapping. Special thanks to Finger Lakes Drone Service for providing their drone footage to use in this video. Luke Didion is currently CEO of Altavation. Here is how he got started in the drone industry.
Search terms or areas might include: used in real-estate, police or law enforcement, agriculture, construction, surveying, inspections, media and news reporting, journalism, aerial photography, new media and other fields.
YouthBuild Rochester is a training program run by the Urban League of Rochester that allows students to learn about construction through hands-on training and career exploration. YouthBuild Rochester serves young adults ages 18 to 24 to attain workforce skills, education, and gainful employment. Follow one student’s journey to explore their career pathway.
Some of the students continue into the field of construction and others discover new career pathways and skills.
Watch On-Demand VETERANS COMING HOME: CAREERS showcases veterans finding new career paths and adapting to the civilian work world. From Local USA. Many discover that the skills they learned in the military can help them. Stories include the successes and stumbling blocks of a post-military career, and how a former Rear Admiral is using her leadership skills to save her community from rising waters.
Follow along as three young people explore how innovations they see will lead us all into the future.
Whether in agriculture or engineering, software development or aviation, progress and ingenuity are moving out in every direction from the Crossroads of America. Come along for the ride.
Skill Powered: Roadtrip Nation from KQED
Follow along as three young people explore what’s happening in the exciting world of skilled trades and learn about promising jobs where a four-year degree isn’t necessary.
In the culinary arts and sound engineering, woodworking and welding, people are finding purpose and fulfillment. Come along for the ride.
Watch Skill Powered On-Demand
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