Roy Ernst

Welcome to the third New Horizons Music Camp at Interlochen College of Creative Arts. We all look forward to making music with new and old friends from all over the United States and Canada. My hope is that everyone will go home having learned something completely new. It is a special opportunity to be able to choose from the wide variety of classes at this camp.

If you take classes every period, you could be playing your instrument for more than four hours per day. Some people would like to play much more that that, but that is usually not a good idea as it could lead to very sore and tired muscles long before the camp is over. Playing your instrument needs to be balanced with time for rest. You are not required to take a class during all the scheduled periods if you would like to have more free time.

Several changes were made this year in response to good suggestions received after the last camp. There will be a comfortable amount of time between classes. The schedule also leaves more time for touring and taking advantage of the great restaurants in the area. Be sure to have many of your meals in the Stone Center and sit down with some people you do not know so that you can expand your circle of friends. Evenings can be free or used to attend optional events. In addition, to the evening events listed in the schedule, others will be posted on the Stone Center bulletin board.
 
Our directors and teachers are all experienced New Horizons teachers. They know that we want to meet new challenges and do our best, but we want to relax and have fun in the process.  No one will have any pressure to perform, but there will be chances for small groups and classes to perform for all of us if they want to. We will finish the camp with a very informal playing of some of the music we have worked on. If you have friends in the area, they are welcome to attend.   Let us meet new people, enjoy old friends, make music and HAVE FUN! Chordially- Roy Ernst

Department(s): 
College of Creative Arts
Position: 
New Horizons Music Camp Artistic Director and Faculty
Education: 

Roy Ernst is the founder of the New Horizons International Music Association. He began his career in Michigan, where he taught instrumental music in elementary and secondary schools. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Wayne State University and a Ph.D. from The University of Michigan. Roy is a professor emeritus of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, where he taught for 25 years. In 1991, he started the first New Horizons Band at Eastman for the purpose of creating a model program emphasizing entry and re-entry points to music making for senior adults. With funding from the International Music Products Association, he took a 2-year leave of absence from Eastman to work full-time at starting more New Horizons programs. Roy continues his work to support New Horizons programs as the advisor to the Board of Directors of the New Horizons International Music Association. There are now more than 160 New Horizons Bands, Orchestras and Choruses in the United States and Canada. Roy has written articles and books on music education, conducting and performance and has received honors from MENC, Delta Omicron, Wayne State University and The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to teaching at Eastman, he taught at Wayne State University, Georgia State University and the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, Australia.

Office address: 

Interlochen College of Creative Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Post Office Box 199
Interlochen, MI 49643-0199