When I was asked to write about the recent horn activity in Alabama, I thought, “Sure! Absolutely!” Then I paused for a moment and thought some more: “What am I going to write about?! Literally nothing has happened or is happening!” Then this little streamer in my mind started taking off, scrolling nonstop, with many of my to-do list reminders for the upcoming week, “this student needs to record Mozart, that one needs to send in their competition video, she needs a letter of recommendation, oh - midterms are coming up, oops - I need to make sure I remembered to upload that pdf for theory, contact this person about coming to studio next month, don’t forget to listen to those recordings, and you need to make your handout for your presentation Tuesday…”

It quickly dawned on me that even though most performances aren’t happening yet, a lot of activity WAS still happening. I began to think about how my teaching has changed during the year, and all of the creative ways teachers everywhere have been handling the pandemic…in whatever virtual, hybrid, or bell-covered reality we are currently in.

Deciding to focus this segment on teaching seemed obvious when I thought about the past year. Reflecting back to exactly one year ago this week, one of the things I am most grateful for is the generosity and collaborative effort of so many wonderful people. As schools shut down, concerts and trips were cancelled, the panic that some of us initially felt about the looming pandemic in general suddenly multiplied. It shifted to overwhelming chaos as we realized that we would need to QUICKLY (within a week) figure out a way to adapt, plunging head first into the virtual world…not just for one class, but with everything.

Many companies quickly began to offer free subscriptions for students and teachers to their virtual content for history, theory and aural skills courses. Groups were quickly popping up on social media where educators would brainstorm and everyone would generously create and share resources with each other.

Horn Hangouts with Sarah Willis became a part of many of our daily schedules (thank you, Sarah!!).  These were not only just a fun addition to our afternoons, many of them were incredibly informative and gave us so many ideas and topics to discuss in our Zoom lessons. My students don’t know this (shh!), but seeing their interactions in the live chat was also a great way for me to check up on them since I was no longer seeing them at school every day!

Another thing I have been reflecting on is the heightened creative spirit that has been truly inspiring.  As I’ve been connecting with university professors around not only the state, but the country, I have seen so many innovative solutions to our current reality.

One of the great benefits we have here in Alabama is that during the school year, the weather is beautiful (with the exception of an occasional hurricane day). On most days, students can practice outside, lessons can be taught outside, and ensembles can rehearse outside. We have all been taking advantage of our beautiful weather. (Having grown up in Wisconsin, the concept of going outside for a lesson in December is still fascinating to me!)

At Auburn University in Auburn, AL, the faculty have recorded two showcase concerts for students that were streamed online. Bill Schaffer and the Auburn brass faculty are currently preparing to host a virtual solo clinic for students where high school students can register, work with the professors, and receive feedback on their solo performances.

Due to indoor rehearsal restrictions, the AU horn ensemble has had outdoor rehearsals and socially distanced outdoor gatherings. The Auburn community orchestra has also had outdoor performances during the year. Recently the AU horn ensemble has been giving back to the community by performing for the Empty Bowls charity event held at Kiesel Park, which benefits the Food Bank of East Alabama.

At the University of South Alabama in Mobile, the campus was in hybrid mode for the fall semester. Jason Rinehart’s horn students would meet for lessons in-person once a month, and then the other three weeks over Zoom. So far this spring, lessons have been in-person. During the fall, the bands studied full wind band literature, but rehearsed in sectionals, with occasional outdoor full-band rehearsals. Their concert was recorded outside in front of the music building on campus and live-streamed. This spring, large ensembles have been broken into chamber ensembles who performed a concert on March 4. Horn choir has started to meet again, indoors and as safely as possible – meaning 6-foot spacing between players, bell covers on the horns, and with a time limit of 40-minutes in the room.

At the University of North Alabama in Florence, David McCullough reported that the pandemic hit his studio particularly hard. The student horn quartet was set to attend and compete at the 2020 Southeast Horn Workshop. After the workshop was cancelled, more cancellations followed, including a performance of the Hübler Konzertstück for Horn Quartet.

Currently, a younger quartet is now rehearsing for a performance at an upcoming brass ensemble concert. Last semester students who play in the Shoals Symphony Orchestra (the UNA orchestra), performed chamber works by Karen Gorton, Alexander Artunian, and Gwyneth Walker. The faculty woodwind quintet performed Malcolm Arnold’s Sea Chanties and the brass quintet performed Scott Joplin: Portrait in Brass.

Another large even that is currently underway is the annual live movie concert with the Shoals Symphony Orchestra performing Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie concerts have been a highly anticipated annual event since 2016, and they are very motivating for the UNA horn students!

In my studio at Alabama State University in Montgomery, we were entirely online during the fall semester and mostly online (some classes hybrid) this spring. The music faculty presented a virtual showcase concert, including my performance of Margaret Brouwer’s SCHerZOid. We have been hosting guests on Zoom for studio classes, and having a wonderful time learning about everything from natural horn playing to didgeridoos, and everything in between! The students have also had a virtual guest lecture series in their performance class, focusing on diversity and equity in the arts with a variety of speakers, ranging from alumni, faculty, and artists from Lincoln Center Jazz, the Longy School of Music, Indiana University, and the Pershing’s Own Army Chorus.

Two of the ASU horn students, Wanja Ng’ang’a and Vitalis Wagome, are international students from Nairobi, Kenya. Since they could not travel home last summer or during the holidays, they have been living in the campus dorms since August 2019. They have made the most out of their situation, attending many of the virtual events that have been held, including the live Horn Hangouts, IHS 52, the online Kendall Betts Horn Camp, the Florida French Horn Festival, and the upcoming Southeast Horn Workshop. Being isolated in the dorms had its advantages though, in terms of being able to practice in their rooms early in the morning and late at night! They have also met for virtual lessons twice a week during school breaks. In addition, they have been participating in a variety of virtual ensemble recordings with K-NYO, the National Youth Orchestra of Kenya.

The students at Huntingdon College, also in Montgomery, meet for in-person lessons outside under a large tent, which was strategically placed under a giant pecan tree! The students had outdoor rehearsals in the fall using bell covers and masks, and performed an outdoor band concert which was live-streamed. This spring the concert band is meeting indoors, while maintaining social distancing and using bell covers. They join the ASU horns for horn studio via Zoom, and are also planning to attend the Southeast Horn Workshop.

Skip Snead and the University of Alabama horns in Tuscaloosa have also had many positive experiences during the past year. Over the summer they instituted a weekly horn studio meeting where they invited distinguished guests from around the world to address the horn studio about a variety of topics. It was highly beneficial, a lot of fun, and it was great to engage with one another at least once a week and learn from great presenters.

Beginning in the fall semester 2020, they have held applied lessons in a face-to-face format in larger spaces with significant distancing. The lessons were limited to 30 minutes, but afforded the studio the opportunity to remain engaged and continue to encourage and realize a substantial amount of student improvement. As a result of the timing, each student took a minimum of two lessons per week.

They also instituted horn studio class every weekday morning at 7:00am. This was enthusiastically received by the horn students and it was set up in a format where all freshmen would attend one morning, all sophomores on another morning, all juniors on another morning, and seniors on another, and the entire studio would come together on the remaining day. The graduate students floated amongst the various sessions. As the meeting pattern evolved, more and more students were attending multiple sessions every week (beyond their own scheduled times) because they were getting so much out of the masterclass opportunities each morning.

In the spring semester, the UA horn studio has also resumed horn ensemble rehearsals with groups currently limited to eight players. Their quartets are also functioning and each group is rehearsing once or twice a week for a maximum of 30 minutes each time. Horn History class is another new addition to the spring semester, where a variety of topics including history, design, and pedagogy are discussed.

The UA students have continued to work hard and be successful, winning many virtual competitions. These include Alex Franck and Joan Warner, 1^st and 2^nd place winners of the virtual solo competition at the 2020 Midsouth Horn Workshop, and Matt Meadows winning 1^st prize in the national brass division of the MTNA Collegiate Artist Competition. Many UA horn students are currently preparing recordings and submissions for virtual workshop competitions for both the 2021 Northeast and Southeast Horn Workshops.

Skip Snead perfectly summed up what I think we all feel here in Alabama: “We look forward to returning to normal next year, but have learned from many successes experienced during the pandemic. We will undoubtedly carry many of these new approaches forward even when we return to a normalized environment.”

Hello to the members of the International Horn Society! My name is Emma Gregan – I’m 27 years old and I play Tutti Horn with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in South Australia.

I grew up in Brisbane and was very fortunate to have access to fantastic horn and brass teachers from a young age, both through private lessons with my teacher Ysolt Clark, and through the public school system. I joined the International Horn Society in 2010 when the Symposium came to the Queensland Conservatorium, where I was in my first year of my undergraduate degree at the time. I completed my bachelor’s degree with honours and spent several years freelancing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and touring shows (most notably The Lion King), as well as in Perth with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. I also started writing and recording my own compositions around that time, which has led to a number of them being performed, particularly across the USA, and several commissions and awards.

I won my job with the ASO at the end of 2015 and have been here ever since. We are the largest arts organisation in South Australia with a strength of 75 players, and I feel very privileged to work in a first-class horn section in such a beautiful part of the world. I love the variety of music we play in the orchestra and enjoy playing just about anything they throw at us: from early music, Strauss and Bruckner, and modern opera, through to disco and other contemporary things. I must admit that I try my best to get out of anything by Bizet, though. If I ever get fired from my job it will almost definitely be for misbehaving during one of his operas.

I never thought I would be a low horn player: my low register as a student was subpar and I always preferred being picked for the high flashy parts. These days I find it a very rewarding experience to sit in the second and fourth chairs. I like playing the ‘mind-reading game’ with my section, because you start to develop a sixth sense for what they’re about to do before they’ve done it. Sometimes I even know what they’ll feel like getting for lunch, so I think my psychic powers are really sharpening up. For me, the two most important things to bring with me to work every day (other than my horn… yes, it’s happened) are a good sense of humour and a willingness to be open-minded to new or different ways of doing things. That’s my personal formula for keeping you and your section happy and giving yourself the opportunity to keep learning throughout your career.

Settling in Adelaide has given me the chance to establish a little teaching studio and get involved in local community music groups: both deeply rewarding aspects of my musical life. One of my great joys is in my role as the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Horn Jam, our local community horn ensemble. We are the only incorporated horn ensemble in Australian history and have enjoyed a wonderful five years of bringing just about every horn player in town together to make music –hopefully we have many more years to come!

I played Alexander horns for about fifteen years, until 2018 when I switched to a Paxman 20L. I must admit I’m not fanatical about gear, or particular brands – I’m pretty content just playing something that works and feels good. I also have a Paxman natural horn and a Woodhead baroque horn – I love them both, so I think they’ll stay with me for life. One day I’d like to commission an Australian-made horn. I think it would be an amazing experience as a performer to collaborate with a craftsman in that way. Fortuitously we have a fabulous repairman and instrument maker in Adelaide, so I’m thinking he might be the person for the job.

In 2019 I commenced my PhD at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium. I’m researching the history of horn ensembles in Australia and our national repertoire, with the aim of developing recommendations towards building and sustaining local horn communities here. Australia has a very vibrant population of horn players so I hope that my work will go some way towards celebrating the Australian voice in horn playing.

I am very grateful for all the things I already have in my life as a horn player, but I do still have some goals to tick off. As a performer I’d love to get involved in more chamber music. There are also many international horn players I would love to meet, learn from, and work with, especially in the early music scene. I definitely want to make sure composing remains a big part of my life too, despite it being put on hold the last year or two because of my studies. Locally, I’d like to help put a real dent in the enormous task of improving the quality and administration of school-aged instrumental music education in South Australia, particularly for children in the public education system. And one day I’d like to take our community horn ensemble to the Symposium, or maybe even host it here in Adelaide. But before all that, my most immediate plan is to finish my thesis and spend a month swimming at the beach!

Winners, left to right: Fabio Forgiarini, Cinzia Posega, Simon Poirier

Simon Poirier (Canada)

Tell us a little about your natural horn career before IHS51.

I had just finished my master at the Amsterdam Conservatorium when I entered the competition. That means I had been in Europe for about two years. In those two years I had the opportunity to play with different orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and Europa Galante. I was starting to have a taste of what it is like to be a free-lancer!

What motivated you to enter the competition?

I was feeling pretty much at the top of my form in that period. Having just finished studying, I was seeking new challenges. I don't like the competition atmosphere very much, but I knew most of the participants and so the whole thing felt more like a reunion than a competition. I also have to say that I thought it was an opportunity not to be missed. Indeed, who knows when the next natural horn competition will take place!

What are your memories of participating in the festival other than the competition?

I remember being in love with the city (Ghent), and especially the old town in which the conservatory was located. Also, we were a bunch of Québécois there and it was a good feeling to meet again with them, especially in this context where there was such a high energy! I remember being frustrated not to be able to taste all the amazing Belgian beers! The competition was not over until the very last day of the festival and I had to wait until then to taste my first beer...

What have you been up to since then?

From summer 2019 to March 2020, I've been playing in many different orchestras, in Europe but also in my hometown Montreal. I've travelled a lot and encountered a lot of amazing musicians. In the meantime, my growing interest toward all the ecological issues of our time, combined with the pandemic, led me back to studying. I'm now doing a year certificate in science fundamentals, and I'm planning to enter the agricultural sciences program in the fall. BUT! I am still diligently practicing and there is no question that horn playing will remain an important part of my life. I still have projects and I am looking forward to them!

• What would be your top tip for students wanting to get into natural horn playing?

I would say that, whether or not you want natural horn to be your main focus, you should try to find a period entirely devoted to it. Meaning at least a month or two where you play only this instrument. Of course, the longer the better! In my case, the modern horn stayed in the case pretty long... But no matter the place natural horn is to take in your professional practice, this period of "exclusivity" is really beneficial. That way you develop a feel, a "taste" for the instrument, and the significant progress you will make during this period will most likely motivate you to pursue it.

Cinzia Posega (Australia)

Tell us a little about your natural horn career before IHS51

I was introduced to the natural horn in the latter years of my Bachelor degree. I took an early music elective, and, from memory, attempted to teach myself the instrument on a diet of questionable repertoire choices - for the most part, virtuosic baroque music for violin. An inauspicious start to a career, perhaps, but my ear and imagination were captivated. I loved the rich, incredibly varied sounds I could produce and manipulate.

At some point, my teacher, Spiros Kessaris, introduced me to the piece, Elegia für Naturhorn, by Hermann Baumann (composed for the Bad Harzburg natural horn competition in 1984), for which I am very thankful. His interpretation of the piece (as always, conveyed through almost operatic singing) has stayed with me, and I find myself coming back to this piece again and again for its arresting use of contrasting stopped and open notes for expressive effect.

Throughout my horn student journey, I maintained my love of natural horn. A couple of years later, I discovered a CD from Anneke Scott, who happened to be visiting Brisbane, where I was studying at the time. Feeling inspired, I successfully applied for a scholarship to study intensively with her for 5 weeks in London, which really blew my mind and overhauled my technique on the instrument.

Shortly after, I relocated to Germany to pursue Master’s study on natural horn with Uli Hübner in Frankfurt, thanks to a DAAD scholarship. Those almost-three years in Europe were a very special time. Some highlights were playing in various period orchestra projects in France; the often six or seven-hour ‘Baroque Music Marathons’ hosted by the close-knit early music school at the university for music in Frankfurt; and of course all of my lessons with Uli, which were incredibly detailed and inspiring. (Alas, I can’t help but mention the time that he brought a horn which doubled as a beer mug to my lesson.)

What motivated you to enter the competition?

At the time of the competition preparation, I was about three quarters of the way through my Master’s, and it seemed a good way to put some pressure on myself over the summer.

What are your memories of participating in the festival other than the competition?

My memories are of bright, warm, early mornings spent wending my way through cobbled medieval backstreets, on my way to the castle-like Ghent Conservatorium. I really savoured the way we natural horn folk could exist in our parallel IHS universe, attending concerts in a cathedral, lecture-recitals, and simply mingling in a way that we don’t always get to do.

What have you been up to since then?

After IHS, I finished up my Master’s degree in Frankfurt, which involved playing my recital, a harpsichord exam, and a 45-week (or was it minute?) German oral exam about the history of baroque music. It was with sadness and also a sense of achievement that I boarded the plane back to Australia at the end of February, 2020… little did we know what that year had in store. For now, I’m teaching, playing, and about to start a research project into the area of natural horn and improvisation.

What would be your top tip for students wanting to get into natural horn playing?

I would suggest listening to the many amazing recordings on offer, to develop a clear concept of the sonic possibilities available on the instrument. Once you’re confident, playing duets is an invaluable way to practice hearing intervals and adapting quickly. This doesn’t even have to be with another natural horn player - cello or bassoon can also work well. Incorporating even a small natural horn feature into a ‘regular’ horn recital can really effectively alter the atmosphere of a concert, and give much-needed performance experience. Embrace how different it feels to play this instrument - it can teach us so much.

Fabio Forgiarini (Italy)

Tell us a little about your natural horn career before IHS51

I started to have an interest in the natural horn during my studies of modern horn in 2008 in the Conservatory of Udine, in Italy. I was studying with Dileno Baldin. Sometimes he would bring a strange horn without valves, but I was hypnotised by its sound. I asked him for some lessons on this instrument, and the adventure began. After the diploma I specialised in modern horn, but I was playing on natural horn few times per year, in orchestras or ensembles on period instruments. While playing on natural horn in these groups, I felt something really intense, as if all the beauty and joy of playing together grew much greater than when I was playing in modern ensembles. At the same time it was also very simple and natural. So after a few years I decided to dedicate more time to go deeper with the natural horn, starting to study again with Baldin (this time in the Conservatory of Vicenza). After 2 years I decided to do an exchange period (Erasmus program), which started in 2017/18, in Leipzig with Stephan Katte first and then in Amsterdam with Teunis van der Zwart. After some lessons with him I discovered that he was the right person for me in that moment, so I applied for the master in natural horn with him in 2018/19.

What motivated you to enter the competition?

Unfortunately it’s quite difficult finding competitions just for natural horn, so when I saw this opportunity I decided to apply for it. What pushed me to participate was, in particular, the possibility of being heard by great natural horn players and getting their feedback, their comments, and their suggestions to keep on improving. Also very important was the possibility to meet other young natural horn players, learning their own way on approaching the instrument and the way they were interpreting the same musical works that we were called to play.

What are your memories of participating in the festival other than the competition?

It was really an intense week: lots of events, concerts, masterclasses. It was not easy to decide what to follow or not. Particularly interesting to me were all the lectures given on the subject of natural horn, lots of information and ideas, which gave me new points to deepen. Furthermore, I found the horn exhibition extremely interesting. It was incredible seeing such a huge number of horns from the past all in one place, like a walk through history.

What have you been up to since then?

I am continuing to study and deepen my knowledge on natural horn with renewed passion and intensity. I had the good fortune to play with orchestras and ensembles on period instruments and travel quite a lot. I graduated in Amsterdam in June 2020, guided by Teunis van der Zwart, and so far I am keeping ready for the moment in which we will be able to spread emotions through music again. I’m developing future projects and enjoying life despite the current situation.

What would be your top tip for students wanting to get into natural horn playing?

One of the key words I have heard a lot during the past years is flexibility. And when I talk about that I don’t mean just from a technical point of view. In my experience I learned that there should be flexibility while searching for the right sound, the right colour of a note, flexibility while switching between different instruments and trying to benefit from their defects, rather than resigning ourselves to them; flexibility when we consider the tempo of a piece rather than keeping the same speed. This word keeps on appearing in different aspects of playing and thinking about music. I think all of these necessary aspects of playing on natural horn can be very useful also when playing on modern horn, and can help to find much variety and colour in the music we play.