Mature musicians find creative outlet
Every Tuesday night, April Muhs drives into Spokane from Kellogg with her friend Ann Curry. They are keeping a New Year’s resolution made five years ago to stay vibrant. Going over Fourth of July Pass on frosty winter nights each week has added excitement to their lives, Muhs admitted with a laugh. But it’s their destination that makes the weekly trip so worthwhile.
Each week they attend the rehearsal of New Horizons Orchestra at Holy Names Music Center located on the Mukogawa Fort Wright Campus. New Horizons is a national program founded to encourage adults to experience the joys of music. The premise is it’s never too late to learn.
And Muhs has embraced that joy. The 63-year-old widow had played piano and accordion, but she was ready for something new. The lure of the double bass called to her. “I’m a dancing person,” she said. “I follow the deep sounds, and the double bass has such a nice sound. It’s a beautiful instrument.”
Fellow orchestra member Lynn Harty found a similar allure in another stringed instrument. She read about New Horizons in a newspaper and thought, “I must go.” She played piano, but it wasn’t offered through this program. She went to a music store to investigate her options. “They had a viola,” she said. “I swear to God it was love at first sight. I signed up to play that.”
Clarinetist Chad Cole heard about the orchestra while purchasing an instrument for his son at Violin Works. The 47 year-old asked, “Is there a place for old, decrepit people like me to play music?”
On a recent Tuesday evening the recital hall at Holy Names bustled with people carrying instruments and positioning music stands. Conductor Jerry Thomas lightly tapped his baton, and all eyes turned toward him. Orchestra members credit Thomas for making New Horizons such an enjoyable experience. “Jerry motivates us, and we come away feeling great,” said violinist Jan Holloway.
Thomas has taught music all his adult life. He currently teaches at McDonald Elementary School. But each Tuesday he leaves the classroom behind to conduct New Horizons Orchestra. “They understand the intent of the music,” Thomas said of the adult group. “They understand its power.” And they also appreciate it. “Often after rehearsals they’ll come up and shake my hand,” he said. “They’ll say ‘Thank you. That was wonderful.’ “
As the 50-member group settled into their places, he said, “Let’s warm up with a little polka, shall we?” Soon the infectious whimsical strains of the polka swelled to fill the room. Feet tapped, heads nodded and brows furrowed as each member worked to get their part just right.
Alice Ehrmantrout smiled as she picked up her bow. She was fulfilling a secret ambition. “I’ve always wanted to play the violin,” she said. “Sometimes we’re very serious and work very hard, and sometimes we have just as much fun as when we were kids.”
The musicians agree the most enjoyable thing about New Horizons is the sense of camaraderie they feel when they are playing together.
Mij Ploger had put her clarinet away after high school. “Periodically, I’d pick it up, but it wasn’t much fun to play by myself.” At age 52, she joined New Horizons and found both a musical outlet and a community. “It’s fun to play without pressure,” she said.
Indeed, pleasure without pressure is what draws many to this program. “When you’re a kid there’s a pressure to perform,” said April Muhs. “As an adult you don’t have to be good, you just get to enjoy the music.”
Enjoyment was apparent as each section from woodwinds to strings worked their way through their next piece of music, the Centennial Overture. Spontaneous applause rang out as each group mastered their part.
From the front Thomas seemed to dance as he conducted. He hummed the parts for each group, emphasizing the rhythm with a bouncy step. “Like this,” he encouraged, “Bah-DA-DA-boom.”
As they played, the musicians alternately smiled and sighed at the sounds they created. “I love music, it’s very fulfilling,” said Jan Holloway. “When I read about New Horizons, I thought, ‘this is something I can do just for me.’ “
For Suzanne Mallard the orchestra is a way for her to connect with her musical heritage. “I grew up playing classical music,” she said. “It was a big part of my family’s life.” She played piano and oboe, but when she joined New Horizons three years ago she chose the violin. “I’ve always wanted to play a stringed instrument,” she said. Her enjoyment proved contagious. “Two years ago my brother joined. Now he’s our only French Horn player.”
With just a few minutes left in their rehearsal, Thomas brought all the parts together. “Let’s play the whole enchilada,” he said.
The adult musicians blended the magic of music with measured maturity. The results spilled over into rich, vibrant tones that rose and fell as each section worked together to produce a glorious sound
“To sit in the middle of an orchestra and hear all the parts around you is wonderful,” said Suzanne Mallard. “It feels like you’re where you’re supposed to be. It feels like home.”