The Joy of Teaching Horn
by Ysolt Clark
As part of a teaching team in Brisbane, Australia, I experience the joy of teaching horn almost every day. Along with Peter Luff, I teach students at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. I’m also lucky enough to combine a performance career and a private teaching studio, providing me a varied and rewarding way to spend my time.
Over the last twenty years or so, the style of educational delivery has developed and transformed in Australia, in both the general and music-specific communities. There is a far greater expectation of a co-learning experience. Gradually there has been the lessening of a master/pupil structure and a growing sense of collaborative work, both in one-to-one teaching and in a group situation. For the most part I really enjoy and relish this, and it is exciting to see the empowerment that occurs with the students who take advantage of all that is offered. Our particular teaching school has also had a significant and ongoing success rate. We have had some very exciting and inspirational guests, something that we are open to and take advantage of regularly.
Teaching is always learning. I’m of the view that we all need to be functional horn players and expressive musicians, and this is what we work towards in university. The path that each student takes in order to become a working professional in music varies, however. That is part of what I enjoy: finding solutions so that each horn student can develop their skills so that their music making career is confident and enjoyable.
At the Queensland Conservatorium we do group work two or three times a week. It’s a positive approach to creating a foundation and an opportunity for everyone to stretch their abilities and do things that they might not have been able to do before.
From the Audio Archives
The first president of the International Horn Society was an Australian. Perhaps you’ve heard the name “Barry Tuckwell” somewhere before? His contribution to modern horn history is vast and profound. Whether as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, conductor, teacher, or author, it is nearly impossible to exaggerate the debt we owe him and his artistry. This recording of the Danzi Sonata in E-flat is from the IHS archives, featuring his live performance at the 1973 Symposium at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Sir Barry’s facile technique and effortless elegance shine throughout.
Recollections of Richard Merewether
By Willi Watson
I was delighted to hear the news from Tim Jones, principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra, that Richard Merewether's book "The Horn, The Horn..." is to be republished in 2018. I was involved with the original publication in 1978 as Sales Manager of Paxman Horns. Dick (as he was always known) was, of course, the brilliant and innovative designer for the London-based company. Fluent writer that he was, my main task was to mop his brow occasionally! In my ten years with Paxman (during which they went from a relatively obscure company to one of the top horn makers in the world), I worked increasingly closely with him and was privileged to form a friendship with him, which I value to this day.
Dick's forebears founded the town of Merewether, which is part of Newcastle, a town famed for coal production north of Sydney. He started playing the horn at school with an Italian teacher on an instrument made by Rampone & Cazzani, which was "not too bad...", according to Dick. He was being urged to go into the family business as he approached his mid-teens, but rebelled quite forcibly, eventually persuading his parents that he wished to pursue music as a career. Subsequently he was accepted to study at the "Con", later to become the Sydney Conservatoire. The instrumentalists there became the founders of the modern Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as there was an acute shortage of experienced musicians in Australia after WW2. As a result, in 1946, at just 19 years of age, Dick found himself as 2nd horn to Englishman Charles Gregory, former principal horn of Sir Thomas Beecham’s London Philharmonic Orchestra, which had been disbanded for the duration of WW2.
Whilst at the "Con", Dick became great friends with a violinist from Melbourne called Patricia Tuckwell. Her younger brother Barry, encouraged to play the horn aged 13, became 3rd horn of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at 15 and then 5th in the Sydney Symphony. Both Dick and Barry were influenced by Charlie Gregory's lovely playing and by his and his wife Beatrice's tales of the opportunities for performing in London and the UK. When the Gregorys returned to England in 1950, Dick went with them to a new and exciting life,Tuckwell following a year later.
Interview of the Month: Emma Gregan
Kristina Mascher-Turner: Would you say that there is any characteristic sound or style of horn playing that is quintessentially Australian?
Emma Gregan:That’s a tough one - it’s like how it’s really hard to hear your own accent! I don’t know if Australia has an internationally recognisable sound in the same way as places like Germany or the UK. I would hazard a guess that it’s a consequence of never having any national horn brands that have caught on nationwide like Alexander or Paxman, and of course our very different cultural history from the rest of the Western world. However, if you’ve ever eaten in Australia you’ll know that we are truly a great adopter and adapter of culture; you can get great food of any cuisine here, and we have a wonderful multicultural society to thank for that! I think in the same way, our horn players travel the world having lessons, drawing knowledge from many different schools and finding ways to create great sounds using a huge range of instruments, before bringing these skills back home. The diversity of sound concepts and the adaptability of our musicians to each other is something I truly love about working here!
KMT: What is it like for young players and students in Australia who hope to make a career out of playing?
EG:It’s certainly not easy! As we all know, a music degree doesn’t include any guarantee of work, and many students graduating here at the age of 20 or 21 find this an ominous prospect. There are eight professional orchestras in Australia, and I believe 41 full-time horn positions between them, many filled by long-serving players. Considering the healthy number of conservatory students studying at any time, one can sympathise with those doing the math on their chances of an orchestral job! There are some academy and fellowship positions coveted as ideal ‘next step’ scenarios, but certainly not enough to cater for all graduates, and sadly not even enough for all those who show great promise. Some of the larger cities support a handful of full-time freelancers working as orchestral casuals or show musicians, but not all our state capital cities can. All of these factors combine to create a difficult transition period for many students between graduation and a sustainable playing career.
Second Mt. Etna Horn Festival
The second International Horn Festival of Etna Volcano was held August 21-25. It was an unforgettable event with nearly 40 participants from all over Italy. Masterclass and concerts for five days with the participation of great horn masters. See the video here.
Prague Spring
Dear fellow horn players!
In my experience as a participant in numerous international horn competitions, I have met with dozens of young horn players, I have tied links with some of today’s best professional players from all over the world and I have listened to so much great horn playing!!! Every new competition was a challenge and an opportunity to learn something, new repertoire, different players, wonderful horn sounds, and to meet with all kinds of human beings, ranging from the narrow-minded competitive asshole to the sweetest beer/wine drinking horn playing people around! These competitions also helped me to bring my playing to the best it could be at the time, made me a much stronger and better player and a more open and curious artist. I really wish I could do it again!
I am very pleased to present you with a new program the IHS has put together through its International Competition Funds. It will reward the winners of international horn competitions, with an additional US$1,000 prize, an IHS membership as well as a Featured Artist spot to a subsequent International Horn Symposium. These measures are put together to encourage younger horn players to join into these competitions, to meet and hear other hornists and to give the best out of their horn!
From October 30th to November 4th will be held the International « Città di Porcia » Competition in Italy, stay tuned for the stories and news!
Also, applications are now open for the Prague Spring Competition, which will take place from May 7th to 15th, 2018, in Prague, Czech Republic. You have until December 1st, 2017 to send your application. All informations are available at http://competition.festival.cz/en/news or through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PragueSpringCompetition/
I sincerely hope all the horn competitions participants will get some fun and some learning experiences out of it, and eventually will bring the horn world to a higher level!!!
Louis-Philippe Marsolais
IHS Advisory Council
Timely Technology
The TE Tuner - The Totally Emotional Tuner!
by Jeff Nelsen
During my intonation work, I’m often reminded of a well-known golf saying.
I hate my tuner. I hate my tuner. Hey! Nice note! I love my tuner.
Often our tuner work can become emotional. That’s where the Totally Emotional Tuner app comes in!
Ok, no, that’s not what the TE stands for. But you do get an awesome smile on your screen when you’re in tune. We can always use a little smile in the practice room from time to time, eh?!
There are tons of great apps out there. Here’s another one that has become my go-to app for my daily tuner, metronome, and recording myself work.
