CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — There’s a place for everyone in Corpus Christi’s growing music scene, whether you want to showcase your talent or simply enjoy a live performance. Coastal Winds and Harmonie, a local musical ensemble, offers opportunities for both seasoned musicians and newcomers alike.
Ryan Sanders, the Executive Director and Conductor of Coastal Winds and Harmonie, founded the group in 2021 with the goal of using music to inspire, connect, and uplift the community.
“We want to provide musical outlets for them so we can become lifelong lovers of music,” Sanders said.
A former band director, Sanders was committed to creating a new ensemble that could contribute to the local music scene and provide outreach to other music programs.
“I had the passion to start a new ensemble in the community and spread the gift of music, as well as provide other outreach opportunities for other music programs,” he said.
Currently, the group is made up of about three dozen talented musicians. Sanders credits much of the ensemble’s success to the support it has received from the community and Del Mar College, where the group rehearses and holds concerts.
One of the ensemble's goals is to expand even further, providing more performance opportunities for musicians like trumpet player Samantha Hernandez. For Hernandez, being part of Coastal Winds and Harmonie is an escape from daily life and a chance to reconnect with her love of music.
“Being a part of this group is really important for me because once a week I can just leave reality behind and join my friends and make beautiful music together,” Hernandez said. “It’s just kind of an escape from reality.”
The group welcomes people of all backgrounds and skill levels. Whether you are a seasoned player or, like Hernandez, dusting off your instrument after a few years, Coastal Winds and Harmonie offers a place for everyone.
“It’s just something that I was lacking in my life up until this point. And now I have that and I have that community and outlet for music,” Hernandez added.
Sanders noted that many people who stop playing after high school often wish they could return to music. Coastal Winds and Harmonie gives them the chance to do just that.
“A lot of times, people leave high school, and when I tell them I’m a musician, the first thing they’ll tell me is, ‘Man, I miss being a musician, and I want to play my instrument again.’ So here’s that opportunity to dust that instrument off from under the bed and play it again,” Sanders said.
For those who aren’t musicians but still crave great music, Coastal Winds and Harmonie also offers a variety of performances. Their next concert, titled "From Mozart to Mackey: Dancing Through Time," will take place on Saturday, March 29, at 4 p.m. at the Richardson Performance Hall at Del Mar College.
“We’ll be playing a movement of Mozart’s Gran Partita from 1782, and then we’ll be premiering our brand new piece, Teeth of the Mechanism, which was written just a few months ago. So, we have a little bit of everything in between, and you’ll get a music history lesson,” Sanders said.
While the concert is free, donations are encouraged to help support Coastal Winds and Harmonie’s community concerts, workshops, and educational outreach programs.
For more information about the concert or to make a donation, click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1N5tPSi5gB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
