Friends Supporting Lifelong Learning of Music...
We make music, we build community, and we improve our health with every note we play.
/about us
New Horizons Band of Colorado Springs
...creates vital connections to family, friends, and community. Our adult-only bands (ages 18+) enrich the lives of our 170 band members through the unique and life-enhancing relationship between music, musician and audience.
Music performance fulfills the need for challenging, intellectual activity, the need to be a contributing member of a group, and the need to have exciting events in the future. The band develops healthy habits and provides life-changing rewards.
We model 'love of music' for our youth and they witness the lifelong enjoyment music can bring. We encourage our musicians to collaborate with all 'music lovers' of all ages and cultures.
Alex Marquez, Symphonic Band Conductor
Alex holds Music and Music Education degrees from Miami-Dade Community College and Florida State University where he was also a student conductor. Alex was a two-time finalist for the FSU Symphonic Band’s annual conducting competition, and he was the first undergraduate at FSU to organize and perform a conducting recital as a senior project. He received a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2003, and earned a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction degree from Kansas State University in 2023.
Alex was a Director of Bands at the middle and high school levels, and was a principal of several schools in Florida and Colorado. He plays trumpet and euphonium and guest conducts when possible. Alex moved to Colorado Springs from Florida with his wife, Ruthie, and their four boys in 2006. He loves dating Ruthie, time with family, reading, traveling, playing board games, writing fiction, teaching the Bible and other subjects, providing relationship counseling, going on walks, do-it-yourself projects, copy-editing, graphic design, mentoring teacher candidates, and public speaking. He also enjoys performing with wind ensembles on euphonium, acting in community theater productions, and has a tremendous passion for conducting wind ensembles. Alex is ecstatic to be Conductor of NHBCOS Symphonic Band and looks forward to creating and sharing music as a gift to our members and audiences for many years to come.
Stephen Rumbold, Concert Band Conductor
Stephen is a retired music educator and musician with extensive experience as a performer, conductor, arranger and music educator. During his teaching career in California and Arizona, Stephen taught and directed a wide variety of groups at all levels ranging from elementary classroom music, middle school bands, high school bands, choirs and orchestras. At college level, Stephen was Director of the Windjammers college/community concert band at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA. He was also an Assistant Director of the The North Coast Symphony Orchestra. During those years of teaching and presently Stephen is an active performer on the French Horn.
Tom Fowler, Kicks Jazz Band Conductor
Tom Fowler leads the New Horizons Band of Colorado Springs Kicks Jazz Band. Tom also is an applied saxophone instructor at the Colorado Springs Conservatory and Co-Director of jazz ensembles at Cheyenne Mountain High School. In addition, he serves in the jazz mentor program sponsored by the Pikes Peak Jazz and Swing Society.
Tom retired from the faculty at Wichita State University where he was Associate Director of the School of Music and Director of Jazz Studies. From 1980 to 2008, Tom was Educational Director of Wichita Jazz Festival Inc. During the early 1970’s Tom lived in Colorado Springs as a member of the North American Air Defense Command Jazz Ensemble (Norad Commanders), and has since performed with jazz artists Doc Severinson, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Vince DiMartino, Manhattan Transfer, Michel Le Grand and The Four Freshman. Since moving back to Colorado, Tom has performed with area bands including the Colorado Springs Contemporary Big Band, Swing Connection, Springs City Jazz Band, Bob Montgomery, Little Big Band, Thin Air Big Band, and the Colorado Springs Conservatory Faculty Jazz Quintet.
Amanda Hessel Symphonic Strings Conductor
Amanda Hessel is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and an emphasis in viola. She has taught both in the private studio setting and in a variety of public educational settings.
Amanda is an *almost* native to Colorado, having moved here at the age of 2. She grew up in Westminster and attended Westminster High School.
After graduating from UNC, Amanda taught for two years at a K-8 public charter school in Firestone, CO. She began an after-school band program and a culminating elementary musical to tie together music and the Core Knowledge sequence: A Midsummer Night's Dream. She then moved to Colorado Springs with her husband and taught at Turman Elementary for one year before becoming a stay-at-home mom for two years. Amanda most recently taught 8 years at Palmer High School - directing three orchestras that placed in state finals each year and taking one ensemble to the American String Teacher Association National convention in 2019.
Amanda and Keith have been married for 11 years and have five small children that love attending Mom's concerts. Amanda enjoys cooking (always trying a new recipe!), crocheting, reading, and tackling her never-ending lists of DIY projects. Amanda loves to sing with the choir at her local church and play viola/violin for weddings and other events.
Carla Scott, Concert Strings Conductor
Carla Scott began playing the piano in third grade and oboe in her fourth-grade school band program. She graduated from Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois and Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. She studied oboe post-graduate with David T. Abosch of the Denver Symphony and Liviu Varcol of the Frankfurt Radio Philharmonic. Carla studied at Colorado College and University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She played principal oboe with the Pueblo Symphony for 33 years and is Past-President of the Pueblo Symphony. Currently, Carla is the principal oboist of the Pikes Peak Philharmonic and Past-President of the Executive Board of the Pikes Peak Philharmonic. She has been a member of the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, the principal oboist of the Siemens Orchestra in Erlangen, Germany, a soloist with and member of the Pueblo Symphony, the Mozart Festival Chamber Orchestra, the Pueblo Municipal Band, the Pikes Peak Philharmonic and the Bach Concert Series at First Christian Church. She has also played viola with the New Horizons Orchestral Strings and the Pikes Peak Philharmonic. In addition, Carla is a free-lance musician and private instructor. She retired from the Colorado Springs Harrison School District 2 after 31 years teaching elementary general music and band. Carla taught elementary orchestra in Colorado Springs School District 11 for 14 years, middle school orchestra for Colorado Springs School District 20 and is currently teaching Upper Elementary Strings at the Vanguard School. Music is her love and her passion.
Linda Johnson, Cello Choir Conductor
Linda Johnson is originally from Alton, Illinois and was fortunate to attend a school system that valued music, both vocal and instrumental. Ms. Johnson’s first instrument was the double bass under the private instruction of Harold Eyster. She began performing in the orchestra at age 14. Performing in the Chicago area and recording at the Columbia Studios have been personal highlights in her career.
Ms. Johnson became a teacher in 1972, teaching in Illinois, Michigan, and Colorado. She taught orchestra at five District 11 schools each year before retiring as a full-time teacher in 2006. After retiring, she continued teaching orchestra at Chipeta Elementary School for an additional 15 years. Ms. Johnson has received numerous awards and accolades throughout the years for her work with beginning strings, particularly the double bass and cello, and has been a clinician and speaker at conferences.
Ms. Johnson served as President of the Colorado Chapter of the American String Teachers Association beginning in 2010 and was their webmaster for ten years. She previously worked with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association as their double bass coach and served on the Board of Directors in the 1990’s. Currently she conducts the Wolfgang Orchestra, a group of young players.
Beginning in 2015, Ms. Johnson served two terms on the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild Board. A staunch believer in the strength of music, she also is a member of the Pikes Peak Opera League and supports KCME Classic/Jazz Radio.
Pam Diaz, Purple Mountain Clarinets Conductor
​
Pam Diaz is the Applied Clarinet Instructor, Clarinet Choir Director, and member of the Faculty Woodwind Quintet at Colorado State University-Pueblo. She performs with the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra, Rocky Mountain Wind Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and has also performed at Colorado Clarinet Day and ClarinetFest. Pam had the opportunity to give masterclasses and perform at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu, China. She graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and received her music degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan. Her teachers have included Burt Hara, Fred Ormand, Russell Dagon, Clark Brody, Robert Marcellus and Frank Kowalsky.
​
Board of Directors for Friends of NHBCOS 2023-2024:
Friends of New Horizons Band of Colorado Springs (FNHBCOS) is a non-profit organization that supports the New Horizons Band of Colorado Springs.
Mission Statement:
Friends of New Horizon's Band of Colorado Springs creates opportunities for lifelong learning and appreciation of music in a welcome and wholesome environment, resulting in enhancements to the lives of our musicians, our audiences, and our community.
Harley Ferguson - President
Suellen Hill - Vice President
Nancy Wilson - Treasurer
Barb Bridgmon - Secretary
Val Bardis - Member
Ray Bell - Member
Marcia Lee - Member
Mark Wilbanks- Member
Marie Schrader - Member
​
Our Annual Meeting is held in October of each year. New board members are elected at that time.
Ed & Mary Nuccio, Founders
In 2002, Ed Nuccio and his wife Mary Nuccio founded the New Horizons Band of Colorado Springs, a musical band for adults who wanted to resume their interest in playing music. The Nuccios grew it into four bands, three jazz trios, and chamber groups. September 2017 marked the 16th year for the New Horizons Band of Colorado Springs.
Ed Nuccio came to Colorado Springs in 1958 to play with the Air Force Academy Band. He went on to become the first full-time band director at Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School and taught there for 25 years. He led the Cheyenne Mountain High School bands and marching band for nine years, taught at Douglass Valley Elementary School, Broadmoor Elementary School, and Cheyenne Mountain Elementary School. He also was inducted into the Colorado Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2004.
Ed Nuccio will always be known for nurturing children, teens, and adults in their pursuit of music. Our longtime band director, educator, and founder passed away April of 2016.
