Solicited and Introduced by Mike Harcrow
This is assuredly one of the most bizarre seasons any of us has experienced. As one who is far closer to 60 than to 30 and who has performed in over forty countries on five continents—including a long stint in Seoul in the Korean Symphony Orchestra—I recall nothing like this since my career began four decades ago. Perhaps not since World War II has performing around the world been thrown into such turmoil. Having lost well over US$10,000.00 from performance cancellations since March of this year myself, I at least have a university teaching job that pays our bills; but I realize perfectly—and with genuine empathy—that many others have suffered far greater losses because of the global pandemic. What is so encouraging through all of this, however, is the resourcefulness of friends and colleagues in stretching themselves to remain creative, to learn new skills to facilitate their creativity, and to proudly and expertly display these newly-acquired skills in inspiring projects (performed on balconies, in front yards, on YouTube, in social media outlets, etc.) while negotiating cancelled seasons, taking on other full- or part-time jobs, home-schooling children, watching savings disappear, and enduring a great host of other challenges.
While I know there are so many of you doing this very thing, I asked a few of our wonderful colleagues who are in some way reinventing themselves to share their thoughts and experiences by responding to any or all of the following prompts:
• How are you diversifying or bolstering your musical skill sets for the future due to current orchestra closures and performance cancellations?
• What secondary skills are you honing or exploiting?
• Have you taken on another job to maintain an income? If so, what?
• What hobbies or new interests—music-related or not—are generating income for you?
I am grateful to each of our contributors for giving us a little insight into their personal struggles and victories. Let us continue to learn from, inspire, and encourage one another.
Peace and health to you all, dear friends!
Linnie Hostetler
Linnie Hostetler grew up on a family farm in the dairy lands of rural western Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Messiah University and the University of Nevada—Las Vegas, and she is currently Principal Horn in the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra in Lviv, Ukraine.
Bradley Tatum
Dr. Bradley Tatum is a natural and Baroque horn specialist and educator active around the Washington, DC area. Among other ensembles, he is Principal Baroque Hornist with the Washington Bach Consort.
Ellie Jenkins
Since the pandemic shut down almost all live music performances in March, I eventually found myself struggling with reasons to pick up the horn each day. Fortunately, just as I was starting to lose momentum, Anneke Scott offered an opportunity to study natural horn with her for ten weeks. I’d had a natural horn hanging on my wall, largely gathering dust, for several years, and this seemed the perfect opportunity to really learn to play it. “If not now, when?” I said to myself. It has turned out to be a wonderful experience. I’ve learned a tremendous amount, and on many days it has been a much-needed distraction from the real world. There’s no autopilot for me when playing (attempting to play) natural horn. I’m forced to stay focused on exactly what I’m trying to do, and that means I can’t worry about ramifications of the pandemic or anything else. I just have to play horn. It’s difficult, but it’s also very Zen.
My husband and I also started a farm this spring, Hissing Possum Farm, using organic methods and as little petroleum as possible. The farm was already in the works, but the shutdowns meant that we both had more time available to get things rolling. We started making contact-free deliveries in April, and joined a small farmers’ market a few weeks later. We’ve had great response, and it’s very rewarding to hear from customers how much they’ve appreciated the deliveries of fresh vegetables at a time when most don’t want to spend much time in grocery stores. With all credit to my husband Eric, who has planned every step of this, our first season has been a great success, and we’re looking forward to many more.
While I would never have wished for this year, I’ll forever be thankful for the things I’ve been able to do because I suddenly had more unstructured time than ever before.
Ellie Jenkins is Associate Professor of Music, Dalton State College; Artist Affiliate, Berry College; and Principal horn, Carroll Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Jöstlein
I am Thomas Jöstlein, associate Principal Horn of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). When the pandemic started in mid-March, cutting the SLSO season during the Berlioz "Faust" week, I was determined to keep playing.
Starting with alphorn calls each night, gradually adding our sons on cello and violin, and of course my wife Tricia (frequent SLSO sub) on horn, keep playing we did.
With that first show on March 18, and ending on Monday, Oct. 5, our family presented 173 free concerts for our neighbors and friends, unrehearsed (mostly), unpaid (except for tips for the folk/jazz/bluegrass nights), but always with the highest artistry in mind.
We performed the Mozart Horn Quintet, Siegfried Idyll, Schönberg Verklärte Nacht, Beethoven Septet, the Moonlight music from Strauss' Capriccio (in my own arrangement for string septet and horn), and countless other masterworks.
I was proud of many things besides our persistence and excellence.
Variety: we had around 35-40 shows using SLSO musicians, about twice that using folk, bluegrass, jazz, and Irish musicians from The Focal Point (a local non profit venue), about 25 concerts using area students, 15 using my horn choir, and a few storytelling and Beatles nights to round it out.
Our series inspired others to host shows, notably SLSO chorus director Amy Kaiser (a friend of the MO History director), a few other SLSO players and many across the USA.
I was proud of our wide appeal: the series was featured both on STL Public Radio's Sarah Fenske show ("St Louis on the Air"), and several articles in the Post-Dispatch, as well as on the NY Times website.
I was equally proud of our safety record. Early on, based on calls to virologists, we realized that outdoor transmission of the virus when (mostly) masked and distanced is near impossible. Not a single Covid case was linked to our series.
Above all, we kept the fragile nature of music alive in this desperate time, providing solace and joy for neighbors from near and far.
I encourage all horn players to start such regular series in their neighborhoods in the Spring. You'll be amazed at what you gain in return!
