For immediate release: Oct. 4, 2024
Las Cruces community ensembles prepare for the 2024-2025 concert season
LAS CRUCES, NM – Ann Berman grew up playing clarinet throughout her school career in Michigan, switching to oboe when she went to college.
Family, work and life took over the next 20 years, but when her children were just beginning their musical journeys in school in Las Cruces, Berman decided to dust off her instrument cases and start playing again.
“I moved out to Las Cruces in the mid 1970s and none of these groups existed back then. Up until I left Michigan, I was playing a lot, and then I got out here. I brought my instruments, but there were no groups to play with then,” Berman says.
The Mesilla Valley Concert Band will perform five free concerts during the 2024-2025 season. (Photo provided by the Mesilla Valley Concert Band)
The Mesilla Valley Concert Band started in 1987 and Berman joined a few years later. She says her son is the one who got her back into playing her instruments. When he started music in school, she got her instruments out to help him and thought, “Why am I not doing this? This is what I’m good at and it’s what I love.” She has played with the band ever since.
Only a small number of musicians made up the ensemble at first, but the group has grown and now barely fits in the band room at New Mexico State University for rehearsals.
New Horizons Band musicians rehearse for the Nov. 16, 2024 concert. (Photo provided by New Horizons Band)
The New Horizons Band was established in Las Cruces more recently. The ensemble is part of an international program intended to create a space for people with limited musical experience and those who have been inactive in music for a long period of time to come together and make music.
The program was initially targeted at senior members of the community, but the Las Cruces group has evolved to include home schooled students, New Mexico State University music students and people of all ages picking up a secondary instrument.
The New Horizons Symphony came along and expanded the New Horizons programs in Las Cruces to include string musicians. Berman plays in all three ensembles.
“It just gives you an outlet for your creative expression,” she says.
And now that fall is here and school is in full swing, community musicians are working hard to prepare their next free concerts for audiences. All concerts are performed at the Atkinson Recital Hall on the NMSU campus and are free to attend.
However, donations are gladly accepted by each of the nonprofit ensembles to pay for music and rental of the concert venue.
The full concert schedule includes:
New Horizons Concert Band
Nov. 16, 2024 at 3 p.m.
Feb. 15, 2025 at 3 p.m.
May 3, 2025 at 3 p.m.
New Horizons Symphony
Nov. 2, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 15, 2024 at 3 p.m.
April 25, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Mesilla Valley Concert Band
Oct. 13, 2024 at 3 p.m.
Dec. 8, 2024 at 3 p.m.
March 9, 2025 at 3 p.m.
May 11, 2025 at 3 p.m.
July 4, 2025 at 10 a.m.
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Mesilla Valley Concert Band
www.mesillavalleyconcertband.org
www.facebook.com/mesillavalleyconcertband
New Horizons Band
www.nhbandlc.com
www.facebook.com/groups/newhorizonsband
New Horizons Symphony
www.nhsocruces.com
https://www.facebook.com/people/New-Horizons-Symphony/100063707894674/
