When Steve Hendricks retired in 2018 from music education, after teaching in Davis County high schools for 30 years, composer Benjamin Taylor was commissioned to create a piece to play at Hendricks’ retirement party. Nearly 100 of Hendricks’ former students showed up to perform the composition.

Scott Newman was one of those students who joined the reunion band for Hendricks. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made because I had such a good time. It was a reunion for a lot of us and getting to sit with Mr. Hendricks again was so much fun. I started asking around about starting a community band.”

He kept hoping someone would get the band organized but nothing happened. So, Newman decided to do it himself. The Harmonic Winds met for the first time in the Kaysville Library in February 2022 and it’s only grown from there. 

Newman said he’s learned to run a nonprofit, raise money, find rehearsal space, gather people together and write grants. He spent the last year working to get people to believe in the vision of a community band, and he asked Hendricks to be the music director. 

“Hopefully we can grow it and develop a community presence,” Hendricks said. “It’s something that all those people who played in high school or college, who don’t have an avenue for their instrument, now have a place to go. And I think we’ve discovered a lot of people who want to play.

“It provides an outlet. I’ve had people come up after rehearsal and thank me, almost every week. One of them said, ‘This is so wonderful, I get to go to rehearsal and my husband gets to watch the kids.’ They’re just having a great time.”

Harmonic Winds meets for rehearsals every Wednesday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Bridge Community Church in Centerville (1284 W. 75 North). Interested musicians over the age of 18 are invited to attend to get a feel for the group. 

Currently, the ensemble has lots of flute players but is looking for other instruments including tuba, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone and bassoon. Musicians are asked to commit to attending several rehearsals to see if the group is a good fit. 

“We want everybody to know about us and we want everyone to feel they can come and play,” Newman said. “If anything, if you’re not sure, just come hang out with us at rehearsal. It doesn’t hurt to spend one night and reconnect to something that could bring you joy.”

Hendricks, who was awarded the “Superior Accomplishment” award and the “Outstanding High School Music Educator” award from the Utah Music Educators Association, and who was inducted into the Utah Music Educators Association in 2021, wants to expand the focus of Harmonic Winds to include musicians from across Davis County. 

The ensemble’s first performance, a President’s Day concert, will be held Friday, Feb. 17 at Davis High School (325 S. Main St.) in Kaysville. Visit HarmonicWindsofUtah.org for information on the concert and rehearsals. 

“That moment when we had our first rehearsal it finally felt real, after a year’s work of work,” Newman said. “It’s like the saying, if you build it, it will come. Everything fell into place. It’s been exciting for us.”