Director, teacher, mentor
Paul Barrett has enjoyed an amazing musical journey
e Nova New Horizons Bands program presented their third annual Truro Christmas Cabaret at the Best Western Glengarry recently.
Four levels of the program were presented under the direction of Nova New Horizons founder, administrator and teacher Paul Barrett.
“ e past Christmas concert marked a decade of New Horizons,” said Barrett, 58, who has resided in Brook eld for 43 years. “In the fall of 2009 we had 40 involved in Truro, about 25 in Stellarton and then in January of 2010, 75 people became involved in Dartmouth.”
Since the program began, Barrett has started 52 beginner bands.
“It’s very gratifying for sure. It is a whole lot of work but I don’t mind because I love to be busy. New Horizons is about giving seniors an opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. We get a lot of people who once played music, perhaps back in their school days. After the passing of some time, they have an interest in playing music again.”
It was during 2000-01 Barrett took a sabbatical from Acadia University. He recalled that while receiving his Master of Education degree at Acadia, something interesting happened.
“I was approached by the director of the school of music for Acadia. He asked me to start the New Horizons band. I had no idea what the New Horizons band was but I said yes. It became one of my courses.”
Barrett’s incredible musical journey has included many highlights. Also around jazz, he has a big band based in Halifax and Dartmouth.
“It’s called the Back Alley Big Band,” he said. “We have some of the best jazz musicians on the east coast. It’s a relatively small band compared to New Horizons.”
Barrett has fond memories of experiences with CEC bands and jazz choir. And, he is especially pleased when a piece of music he has arranged or composed, is performed live. Barrett was also noticeably happy when we discussed his playing with professional musicians. He shared that for him to organize events and have them turn out well, was also very satisfying.
A number of people are familiar with Barrett performing once a month at Roadside Willies in Bible Hill.
“It’s been going on for about 12 years. John Henry is a great guy, he’s a huge supporter of live music. It’s been so much fun to play at Roadside Willies, it has given me a reason to get my trombone out.”
It’s estimated Barrett has taught more than 1,000 people during his career.
“I enjoy running into former students. I feel happy when I’ve had a positive in uence in someone’s life. I also run into a lot of parents of students I have taught in the public school system – many are now New Horizons band members.”
Growing up in Truro, Barrett attended Alice Street School, Truro Junior High and Colchester County Academy. An early experience with playing band music was organized by the Truro Concert Band and Charlotte Macquarrie, in particular. Attending a session at age 14, Barrett arrived late. ere was one instrument left, a trombone. e rest is history.
“Chalmers Doane was my first band director, for one year. en, my band director was Ron Mackay. We became very close through my junior and senior high school days; Ron was my musical mentor. Ron was highly motivating, he motivated people to excel. Ron inspired a lot of future professional musicians.
“Ron had a huge in uence on my life – he was like a second father to me. After I got my college education, Ron and I became associates.”
To interview Barrett, is like talking to musical royalty or a jazz giant. A very down to earth individual, Barrett, the director, teacher and mentor, is a trombone player rst. Amazingly, he also plays piano, tuba, clarinet and trumpet.
“I also play alto saxophone, drums and some guitar,” said Barrett. “I learned to play quite a few instruments in my work with public school students and for the last 10 years with New Horizons students.”
A graduate of Nova Scotia Teacher’s College, Barrett later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, a music school where he took arrangement and composition. Receiving his bachelor of education at St. Francis Xavier University, next came the master of education degree from Acadia University.