ABOUT US
As President and one of the founders of the Sidney E. Austin Academy Cadets Junior Drum and Bugle Corps, Inc. two of the members of the New Yorkers Senior Drum Corps
Alfred Gilman-Bey, Ralph Tribble
and Daniel D. Wright are founders and sit on the board of directors with me.
Our organization’s purpose is to help young people to learn how to read and play a musical instrument.
We also help to give children and opportunity to learn how to work together as a team and improve their self-esteem.
We work with the staff of the New York City District 23 School located in Brooklyn, NY in the area of Brownsville and Ocean Hill Brownsville for more than ten years. We also have run a program at St. John’s Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.
Some of these seniors have the advantage of many years of life experiences and have been parents and grandparents themselves. We are dedicated to share with children the great experiences we once gained as children in varies drum corps’ programs.
HARRY E. JOHNSON
Director, Composer,
Arranger in Brass & Percussion
Harry Ellwood Johnson is a product of the New York City Public Education System. Harry attended P.S 44, P.S 91 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of nine years old he began learning how to play the soprano bugle at Saint Paul’s Church. During these years while he was playing in the Drum and Bugle Corps at Saint
Paul’s Church, he attended Winthrop Junior High School and Metropolitan Vocational High School where he majored in radio and television. From the age of fourteen through High School during the summer and after school Harry worked for the Brownsville Community Council Corporation and anti-poverty program. In his last year of high school he joined the New York Warriors of New York City Drum and Bugle Corps. He played Solo Soprano Bugle for the Long Island Sunrisers of Hempstead,
Long Island for two years and competed against other senior drum and bugle corps. Harry has played for the Skyliners Senior Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps during the 2009 – 2010 seasons. Harry’s first full-time job was at the Main United States Post Office in Brooklyn.
Harry has been the leader of his Drum and Bugle Corps Gospel group, the Harry E. Johnson Brass Ensemble, where he plays the snare drum and is the brass and percussion musical arranger. He has performed as a trumpet player in his church group, One Word, at St. John’s Church. In 1970 Harry founded a drum and bugle corps for the Brownsville Community Council Corporation called the Brownsville Counsellors Junior Drum and Bugle Corps. He directed this group for the next eight years and also served as the brass arranger and the horn instructor. After taking a break from college he returned to Hunter College and received in 1984 a Bachelors of Arts degree in Music Performance. He has studied the trumpet privately with Joe Wilder, a professional Broadway and studio musician, Professor Robert Montesi, a professional musician and former head of the Hunter College Music Department, Jonathan Rosenberg, a professional musician and former teacher at Mannes School of Music. Harry was also blessed with the opportunity to study Jazz Guitar with the late Sal Salvador for six years, during which he gained great experience in arranging music.
Harry has played bass marching drums for the Wynn Center Topper Senior Drum and Bugle Corps and has been the brass arranger and horn instructor for their horn line
for two years. Harry started working in the Hunter College Library in 1984. He has been the Circulation Manager and City University of New York Open Access Coordinator there from 1994 to 2013 when he retired from the job. As the Circulation Manager he was responsible for the daily operations of the Library Circulation Desk and the circulation applications of the Library’s Aleph integrated system.
As the CUNY Open Access Coordinator, he participates in the LACUNY (Library Association of The City University of New York) Circulation Roundtable Meetings to
set uniform CUNY policy and to improve services to CUNY Library users. Harry is a Brooklyn Borough Appointee and is currently serving as the President of the Community Education Council in District 23, and is former President and present Director of the Sidney E. Austin Academy Cadets Junior Drum and Bugle Corps.
Harry is a member and has served as a trustee of St. John the Evangelist Lutheran Church Council from 2004 to 2006.
St. John’s Church is located at 195 Maujer Street, Brooklyn, New York 11206. Harry is one of the original founders of the Association of New York City Education Councils. He served as the Steering Committee Membership Chair. This organization was formed for the purpose of bringing the 34 New York City Citywide and Community Education Councils together to share information, to learn from each other and to seek professional people to help train
the Education Councils member.
While serving as the President of the Community Education Council on June 22, 2006 Harry E. Johnson received a New York Assembly Certificate of Merit from Assemblyman Roger Green and a New York State Assembly Citation on that same day from Assemblyman William F. Boyland, Jr. On March 13, 2008 Harry received a 2008 Hunter College Higher Education Officer Award for Service to Hunter College from President Jennifer J. Raab. On June 12, 2008 Harry received The Assembly State of New York Proclamation from Assemblyman William F. Boyland.
Harry Ellwood Johnson is currently the Music Director for The New Yorkers Senior Drum Corps and this drum corps is a member of the Great Alliance of Seniors.
For more information about The Great Alliance of Seniors logon to: www.greatallianceofseniors.com
