It is more than music in the New Horizons Band of Woodbridge.

"It gives me a sense of purpose … and also it gives me something to do," said Matthew Mostowski of Avenel. "The people here are very warm."

Mostowski is one of 30 band members who will hold a free concert tonight at the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home. at 7 pm.

The New Horizons Band is formed of township residents and non-residents ranging in age from 30 to 88. Membership in the band has grown since its inception in 2008.

The band, according to its web site, is open to adults who love music and want to be part of a musical ensemble. Lessons and rehearsals are held at the Dillon Music Woodwind Store on New St. and the Barron Arts Center on Rahway Ave..

Steve Dillon and his wife Lynn, who own the Dillon Music stores, founded the New Horizons group in Woodbridge in early 2008. They named Leslie Godfrey, who had earned her bachelor's and master's degree in oboe performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, as director of the band.

"Everyone is welcome, some of the members bring their children who also sometimes play with the band," said Godfrey.

New Horizons is a nationwide program that provides musical training and opportunities for adults. It was founded in Rochester, NY, in the early 1990s by Roy Ernst. Since then, the program has spread to almost every state in the United States.

"I joined in March and play the trumpet," said Mostowski, who also is a member of the New Horizons Choral Group. "I have been playing the trumpet ever since fifth grade, then took a ten year break, and now here I am."

"One of my members suggested it to us and we thought it was a good way to give back to veterans," said Godfrey of tonight's performance at the Vets Home..

The band already had their second annual holiday concert at the Woodbridge Center Mall on Dec. 2, which Godfrey said "went very well."

Neighbors Sandy Moore and Louis Norton started talking through music and now play in the band together.

"I was just humming my high school's fight song in my back yard one day when Sandy looked over the fence and asked me how I knew that song," said Norton.

It turned out that Norton and Moore went to the same high school, South Side High School in Newark, but at different times. Moore and Norton are 17 years apart.

"We found out that we had a lot in common," said Norton. "We were in chorus and on the swim team. We are both left handed."

Moore said it had been years since he had touched his saxophone and clarinet.

"I had saw it in the paper about the band and I was thinking to myself I should try it out, but wasn't so sure," he said. "I hadn't played since I was 17 or 18-years-old, which was 53 years ago. I had gone into the Navy after high school in 1950 and just never thought I would play again. The instruments were in my basement and I would only take them out once and a while."

Around the same time Norton and his wife Nickie found out about the band through an advertisement that was left at the Fresh Taco restaurant on Rahway Ave.. The Nortons recruited Moore; they are all from Port Reading.

"We actually didn't know each other well at the time, but we recruited Sandy," said Nickie.

The Nortons joined the band both playing the alto saxophone; however, now Louis plays the baritone saxophone and Nickie plays the soprano saxophone.

"I love [the band]," said Nickie. "It's my stress relief after a full day as director of professional services of a rehabilitation center. I even wanted to quit the band because my job is so stressful, but Leslie has kept me going."

Moore alternates between the clarinet and saxophone each holiday season.

"This way I get a chance to play each instrument," he said.

Vincent Giordano, who has avidly played the trumpet for 59 years, joined the band six months ago.

"I wanted to do some charity work such as play at nursing homes and thought this was a perfect way," he said.

Giordano said the group is in the beginning stages of forming a dance/concert band for the more seasoned and advanced musicians.

The New Horizons group also oversees the township's choral group under the direction of Phillip Steffani, a jazz band with the help of Phil Rinaldi and Joseph D'Auguste.

The New Horizons Choral Group is holding their holiday sing-along on Dec. 18 at 8 pm at the First Presbyterian Church. The concert is free.

The next New Horizons Band concert will be in March. For more information about the New Horizons group email Leslie Godfrey at Leslie@dillonmusic.com or visit http://nhbow.webs.com.