The High School Hornist

Other Blogs and Websites There are plenty of other sites and blogs for horn people out there, but not all of them are high quality. A lot of them, like this one, were created as projects for degree requirements and then become left unattended. That being said, there are some truly great blogs that are frequently updated by leaders in the horn world. Here are a few of my favorites: www.jamesboldin.com - James Boldin’s Horn World James’ site is an all around resources for the horn world. He has a blog that is frequently updated and personal information about his life as a teacher and performer. He also has a job listings page that has a current list of professional ensemble auditions and teaching jobs that are open. www.hornmatters.com - Horn Matters, by John Ericson and Bruce Hembd This blog is a HUGE resource for horn players. These guys have arranged their blog by topic and they create new posts all the time. This blog is one of the most user friendly music blogs that

Degree Options One of the biggest things I wish I would have known before starting my undergrad were all of the possible options for majors. I only really knew about the music education route and had no idea that there were so many other options. It is important when exploring majors to keep an open mind and really think about which major would be something that could create a future you would want. It is also ok to change your mind and choose a different major along the way. The options in the music world are a wide range of exciting fields that each have their own unique rewards. Music Education - this is created for students who want to be music educators. This could be anything from teaching elementary school music to being a high school music teacher. It could also be a first degree for those who want to pursue graduate degrees to be college level music teachers. Music Performance - this degree is for those who want to be performers within the music world. It also works

Selecting  a Horn When it comes to choosing your equipment, I am a fan of the go-with-your-gut theory. If you pick something up and after a few minutes do not like it, it is probably not the best choice for you. In a world where there are just so many types of horns that exist and new builders entering the scene on a regular basis, it can be hard to know what you like and what will work for you. A good place to start is just to try everything you can get your hands on. See what your school owns, what your friends own, and get a sense of what you do and do not like. It can be useful to make a list to keep handy, but at the same time, two horns that should be exactly the same can play very different. Also check out local music stores in your area to see what they keep in stock regularly and if they would be willing to get a few things in for you to try. The best way to try the most variety is horn workshops/conferences/symposiums. The horn society website is the best place to

Selecting a Teacher When you start looking for college to attend, make a list of all of your options. Figure out if you are applying to schools just within your state or throughout the whole country/world and make a list of your options. Find the horn teacher’s profile on each school’s website and you should be able to get a sense of what kind of teacher and performer the teacher is. If possible, travel to each teacher and have a lesson when you are trying to choose where you are applying. At the least, have some email correspondence with the teacher so that a dialogue has been started and they know you are interested. Through lessons and communications, you can get the sense of whether you and the teacher would work well together. It is always ok if you do not feel like you would like to study with a particular teacher, just as it is ok that a teacher may not want to take you on as a student. It is all about finding the right fit. My suggestions are finding out what their stron

Creating Your Brand : A Guide to Building a Successful Freelance Career By Tracy Bass University of Missouri - Kansas City Dissertation Points Credit Spring 2019 Introduction So you wanna freelance but... where do you even begin? The freelance life can be extremely rewarding, but requires more work than most people realize and is rarely an instant success. You need an attack plan and a promise of commitment to yourself. The obvious issues of location and socioeconomic level will be contributing factors to the outcome, but if you push yourself and be patient, you will be surprised at what is possible. The Essentials First and foremost, buy a planner. There are countless studies that have proven you remember more when you write things down. Plus, making lists and marking items off is more satisfying than deleting a note on your phone when you take a look back at what you have accomplished. Find a planner with plenty of space for you to jot things down q

Women Writing Chamber Music For my Chamber Music Literature class, I created a presentation on chamber music works that have been written by women that include the horn. I wanted to write about works by women because they are so seldom heard. My goal was to find a video performance of each work so that the audience would have an audio and visual representation of the piece. This project was more difficult than expected in some ways. While there are a few resources that highlight chamber music by female composers, they are typically outdated and include pieces that I was not able to find any information on the composer, let alone the piece itself. The project was enjoyable to work on and I hope to be adding more pieces in the future. The current list highlights selections from 1849 to 2018. If you have any suggestions on pieces to add, please comment below! https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MMmnOz8YykQakaPRcjYDzzHg0uwH97ch5ClT6KJjK8U

Section Playing Each member of the horn section plays a different role. From the perspective of a work that is written for four different horn parts, composers tend to follow a standard model to get the sound that they want. It is important to know where you fall within this model and how to be your best self in the role you have been given. The first horn: also known as the principal horn, this position is the leader of the pack. This part is normally written the highest and sometimes requires the use of an assistant. This is your go to reference point for articulations, dynamics, and overall musicality. They usually have the most featured parts and should also help lead the section with breathing and entrances. If you have questions about your music, this is your first point of contact. If the principal does not know the answer, they will usually ask the conductor or have you speak to him after rehearsal or during a break. This person will hopefully lead by example and set the