Music Forever, a NHIMA Podcast

Mark Goodrum grew up in Boston and area. His father was a drum player. Mark was introduced to playing music himself during his junior high school years. Mark tells his heartfelt story how he ended up as a music major at Grambling University in Louisiana. After a detour through Florida, he was hired to become a music educator in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he still lives. Mark became a professio...

Michelle Skomars plays clarinet in the New Horizons Orchestra of Spokane, Washington. She was introduced to music at a young age by her parents. She gives us a tour of her music interests throughout life. Michelle had a career as a pilot, joined the US Army and worked for many years in air traffic control for the Federal Government in Spokane. She was introduced to the New Horizons Orchestra of Sp...

Ron Berry is the founder of the NHB of Northern New York. Jim Cubberly is an active member of the Saline NHB in Michigan. Both Ron and Jim will be the NHIMA Band Camp Co-Directors in Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio in August 2024. Ron and Jim had technical careers, Ron as a structural engineer and Jim as an hydraulics specialist. Ron plays tuba and Jim plays trumpet. They share their musical journey, th...

Linda Hartley is a retired Professor of Music at the University of Dayton (UD) where she coordinated the undergraduate and graduate music education degree program for 24 years. She then served the UD School of Education and Health Sciences as Associate Dean for Education. Linda has taught a variety of music education and performance courses, founded several university bands. She received outstandi...

Steve Garone is a trumpet player and original member of the Sudbury Valley New Horizons Band in Massachussetts. He also plays many other instruments including guitar, bass guitar and ukulele.  He shares how music creates a good balance in his life and how his New Horizons group provides many opportunities to socialize and make new friends. Steve’s career has spanned a number of disciplines, i...

Florence Buschke plays bassoon in the New Horizons Band at the Third Street Settlement Music School in Manhattan. Music was in her life from the moment she was born. She shares her family’s musical journey and her love for the bassoon and many moments of serendipity in her life that got her involved in New Horizons Music. We met at the New England Adult Music Camp in Maine in August 2023. To find...

Paula Sousa is a flute and piccolo player in the Eastman-Rochester NHB in Rochester New York. She has been active at an administrative level of her band and joined the Board of Directors of NHIMA in 2022. Paula shares her love for music and her involvement in New Horizons programming, including the ‘Play it Forward’ program that was started by members of the Eastman-Rochester NHB to support young...

Carol and Alex Neubert are retired educators from Northampton, Massachusetts. They became musically active in retirement when they joined the New Horizons Band of Northern New York in Potsdam. After several years they moved to Northampton, Massachusetts where they started the Pioneer Village New Horizons Band at the Northampton Community Music Centre. Carol joined the NHIMA Board of Directors in 2...

Norman Thiel is the Assistant Director for the New Horizons Band of Godfrey, IL. He is also the 2023 and 2024 President of NHIMA. Norm shares his story about his music education, his interest in directing bands and choirs while working as a business man and farmer. He is also known as the 'trumpet farmer'. This interview was done at the Cincinnati New Horizons Music Camp in July 2023.

Russ Rosen is a clarinet player in the Cincinnati New Horizons Band. He is the president of the Board of Directors of that band. Russ is the program director for the Cincinnati New Horizons Music Camps in 2023 and 2024. He currently is an active Director of the Board for the New Horizons International Music Association or NHIMA, assisting new groups to create their own New Horizons Bands or Orches...

Donna Morse is the founder and director of the Monadnock New Horizons Band in Keene, NH. She is also the director for the Nelson New Hampshire Town Band. She plays all genres of music with a specific interest in jazz. Donna describes how music was always part of her life growing up in Florida and eventually moving to New Hampshire. Donna is the current the Events Committee Chair of NHIMA. Together...

Nina Andersen is the founder and music director of the Southern Maine New Horizons Band in the greater Portland region, Maine, USA. She has been the Program and Music Director for the New England Adult Music Camp since 2016. Nina is also an accomplished clarinetist and saxophonist performing in Maine area with a variety of groups and musical genres. In August 2023 Nina shared her story how music m...

Russ Grazier is a composer and saxophonist in his native Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He has taught saxophone, composition and music theory for over 25 years. In 2002, together with his wife Katie, he co-founded the Portsmouth Music and Arts Centre. In recent years Russ' work has often focussed on creative ageing and using music education programs to combat ageism. He is currently writing a book on...