From Patron to Board Member - A Lifelong Appreciation

As a kid growing up in the 90s, my initial exposure to orchestral music was largely related to some of the more famous composers: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach. And largely that was either related to a music class or a school trip, or even as a way to ease my way into slumber. 

As I got older, I was exposed to more "popular" expressions of orchestral music mainly in the form of movie scores - John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones) or James Horner (Braveheart, Titanic) or even Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Interstellar). While those soundtracks and that music is incredible and helped develop my interest in orchestral pieces (a particularly memorable performance of John Williams at the Kennedy Center comes to mind), a part of me knew that there was far more available in the world, that these famous luminaries were just the tip of the iceberg.

When I first heard about the concept of ACCO, I was immediately drawn to the idea that the orchestral music that I have appreciated over the years, could be made more accessible, digestible and absolutely stunning, but also wasn't created 200+ years ago, nor produced to evoke emotions related to film. Indeed there are many contemporary composers who are creating incredible works of art that just are not being performed, and there was a void in the performing arts space for that type of work. 

Accessibility is also important to me, as a member of a minority class, and finding orchestral music that is both easy to consume, and relatively inexpensive to attend is like finding a pink unicorn in the wild. I'm glad to say that I am extremely delighted and proud to be associated with ACCO, and really look to lend my efforts to help grow this community so that more folks who look like me, can enjoy music that often historically has not been available.

Benjamin Horton
Board Member