In June 1955, a young Max Neuhaus organized and led a musical performance for the Washington Irving Council of the Boy Scouts of America in White Plains, New York.
June 1955
The Boy Scouts of America headquarters for the Washington Irving Council, located on Woodbrook Road in White Plains.
The Group: Maxie's Blue Note Orchestra, a "June Fiesta" ensemble composed of high school boys organized and led by Neuhaus.
Program: The performance was titled "Blue Note" and took place on a Saturday in June.
Context of the Period
Early Leadership: At age 15, this event demonstrated Neuhaus's early initiative as both a performer and an organizer. It occurred the same year he participated in the production of The Gypsy Baron at Pleasantville High School.
The Council: The Washington Irving Council had been formed just five years prior, in December 1950, through the consolidation of the Fenimore Cooper and Hendrick Hudson Councils.
Artistic Roots: These early community-based jazz and pop performances preceded his transition into the rigorous avant-garde percussion studies at the Manhattan School of Music, which he began in 1957.