In Sunday’s (12/2) Bonner County Daily Bee (Sandpoint, Idaho), David Gunter writes, “Imagine what could happen if you took a bunch of former band instrument players, lumped them together with a passel of wannabe musicians and got them under the same roof to rehearse every week. Before long, you might have an orchestra on your hands. The Sandpoint New Horizons Orchestra did just that and, for the past three years, the group has continued to welcome complete novices and rusty players alike into this adult beginners’ musical ensemble. Something’s working, because the group now claims 20 regular members who travel from as far away as Troy, Mont., Spirit Lake and Bonners Ferry to make rehearsals. Many of the players had never touched an instrument of any kind before joining the group, according to conductor Beth Weber. … One member had suffered a brain injury from an auto accident and wondered if the memory loss that plagued her recovery would affect her ability to learn to play the violin. Weber talked her into giving it a try. Today, she is one of the stalwarts in the violin section.”
Posted December 3, 2012
