Category: Horn

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Fix Your Focus, Improve Your Playing

Focus, especially when playing a piece with many challenging sections, can often make the difference between a successful performance and a not-quite-successful performance. However according to a recent study on golf, where you should focus matters just as much as if you focus. The Golf Study According to this blog post on the Bulletproof Musician, a study…
Erik Ralske Interview: Playing in the Met and the Dangers of Over-Hydration

The International Horn Society website has just posted an interview with Erik Ralske, former 3rd horn and then Associate Principal with the New York Philharmonic, and now principal horn with the Met Opera Orchestra. In addition to playing with the NY Phil and the Met, Mr. Ralske has also played with Houston (Associate Principal), Vancouver,…
New Metronome Practice Idea: No Instrument Necessary!

“Have you practiced this with a metronome?” Just about every music student has heard this from their teacher at least once. There’s a very good reason for this – being able to maintain a steady tempo is very important. If you can’t stay in time, you won’t play well with others! Protip: If your teacher…
Kendall Betts, Former Principal Horn of MSO, Dies

Some sad news in the horn world today, as it was just announced the Kendall Betts – former principal horn of the Minnesota Orchestra (1979-2004), founder and director the Kendall Betts Horn Camp, and the current owner of Lawson horns – passed away on August 16 at the age of 68. In addition to a…
Quick Feedback From Teachers May Slow Progress

As a horn teacher, I often say to my students that my ultimate goal is to put myself out of a job. That is, I want them to have a strong knowledge of their own strengths and weaknesses so they are able to practice and improve without my constant nagging…err..feedback. My Method… One of my favorite ways to try…
The Beginnings of a New Chamber Ensemble

These days, chamber music comes in all sorts of ensemble sizes and instrumentation, but here’s one that I haven’t seen before. Bonus: Finally, the horn is freed from the inanity of playing the upbeats in a waltz! Now if someone would go ahead and make a Sousa chair. I hope composers (and instrument makers) are paying…
Timothy Jones & LSO Section Horn Hangout

This Horn Hangout was recorded the day after the Tony Halstead video, again at Paxman’s horn shop in London. This video features the members of the London Symphony Orchestra horn section: Timothy Jones – Principal horn Angela Barnes – 2nd horn Alexander Edmundson – Co-principal/3rd Jonathan Lipton – 4th Hugh Seenan – Former principal horn,…
Tony Halstead Horn Hangout

Sarah Willis’ most recent Horn Hangout video to be archived is her discussion with acclaimed natural hornist Anthony Halstead. As someone who has done very little with the natural horn, this was a very interesting chat, and makes me wish I had some spare change to put toward a real valveless instrument! Anthony Halstead –…
VerMeulen Video: Six Quick Fixes to Horn Playing

This year the International Horn Society (yes, that’s a real thing!) is holding their International Horn Symposium at Ithica College in Ithica, New York from June 13-18. Horn workshops happen around the world. There are at least four regional workshops that happen every year in the US: the Northeast, Southest, Mid-South and Mid-North horn workshops…
Horn Nerd: Bumper Material Edition

A recent post over at Hornmatters.com about different types of bumper material was both very informative and a great reminder that I’m not the only horn player that tends to the analytical side. The Hornmatters.com post, which you can read here, links over to Siegfriend’s Call, where you can read about the ten different types…