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Workshops, Festivals, Summer Camps and More

In the United States of America

Compiled by Inman Hebert

This listing includes postings for 2024 relevant to the horn as of the middle of January 2024, whose deadlines will have yet to pass by the end of January; however, the postings will inevitably include omissions. While the International Horn Society is worldwide, the limitations of my experience have confined the scope of this listing to the United States. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the International Horn Society.

Table of Contents: Sections

International Horn Society Symposium

56th International Horn Symposium in collaboration with the International Horn Competition of America.

  • July 29, 2024-August 2, 2024
  • Hosted by Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
  • Registration Ends: July 18, 2024
  • https://hornsonthehorizon.com

Regional Workshops

Regional workshops include featured artists, special presenters, concerts, competitions, masterclasses, exhibits, and presentations. 

Horn Days

While googling horn days may bring up entries related to hunting, campgrounds, or Spouting Horn in Hawaii, these days may include group warmups, offer workshops, host masterclasses, and feature students, faculty, and guest artists. 

  • Florida 
    • Florida Horn Festival, Orlando, FL
      • Saturday, March 16, 2024
      • Hosted on the campus of the University of Central Florida
      • Designed for high school, college, and community horn players.
      • Registration Deadline: March 8, 2024
      • https://www.floridahornfest.com/
  • Iowa
    • Iowa Horn Festival, Iowa City, IA
    • University of Northern Iowa Horn Day, Cedar Falls, IA
  • Kansas
    • University of Kansas Prairie Winds Festival, Lawrence, KS
      • Friday and Saturday, February 2, 2024-February 3, 2024
      • Hosted by the University of Kansas
      • High School student-musicians
      • Registration Deadline: Not Listed
      • https://music.ku.edu/band/prairiewinds
  • Louisiana
    • Louisiana Horn Day, Natchitoches, LA
      • Sunday, March 3, 2024
      • Hosted by Northwestern State University
      • All horn players are welcome regardless of skill level or state origin
      • Registration Deadline: Not Listed
      • https://www.lahornday.org
  • Missouri

• Recently Hosted Horn Days

  • Michigan, Western Michigan University Horn Day (January 2024)
  • New York, Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association Day of Horn (January 2024)
  • Ohio, University of Akron Horn Day (January 2024)  
  • Ohio University High School Horn Day (November 2023)
  • Pennsylvania, Susquehanna University Horn Day (November 2023) 
  • Texas, Blinn College Horn Day (November 2023)

Festivals, Camps, and Workshops that Include College Students and, Sometimes, Adults

These entries list opportunities that include college student horn players and sometimes adult horn players and have been divided by region according to designations by the National Geographic Society. The listing is limited to those for 2024 posted by the middle of January, with a deadline that will have yet to pass by the end of January; however, exclusions will be inevitable. Orchestras sometimes have fellowships and other opportunities for college students; however, the majority of those deadlines have passed. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the International Horn Society.

 

University, College, and Conservatory Music Camps for Middle and High School Students 

These entries organized by state include summer camps, institutes, and clinics that include the horn and are held at universities, colleges, and conservatories and oriented for middle and high school students. The listing is limited to those for 2024 posted by the middle of January, with a deadline that will have yet to pass by the end of January; however, exclusions will be inevitable. 

Please note that composition camps are not listed. In addition, orchestra camps and chamber music programs targeted for middle and high school students often include only strings and must be examined closely, so some postings may have been missed.

Some camps are open until filled to all who apply and only require registration and payment. Others will mandate an audition for acceptance. The term registration deadline has been used for consistency but sometimes means application deadline. Some offer early bird pricing. Most institutions will have the student perform for appropriate placement in ensembles. 

These camps introduce students to an institution’s music program and provide opportunities to play in ensembles, receive instruction, take private lessons, and perform. Most offer overnight and commuter options. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the International Horn Society.

Independent Summer Music Camps for Middle and High School Students

These camps do not seem to be affiliated with a university, college, or conservatory but offer opportunities for middle and high school horn players. They are divided by region according to designations by the National Geographic Society. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the International Horn Society.

  • Northeast
    • Bristol Hills Music Camp, Canandaigua, NY
      • August 11-17, 2024
      • Symphony Orchestra, Senior High Concert Band, and Junior High Concert Band
      • Senior high band and junior high band students
      • Registration Deadline: Not listed  
      • https://www.bristolhillsmusiccamp.com/
    • Csehy Summer School of Music, Langhorne Manor, PA
      • Middle School Camp, June 30-July 5, 2024
        • Middle school students
      • High School
        • July 7-13, 2024
        • July 14-20, 2024
        • July 21-27, 2024
        • High school students
      • Registration Deadline: Not listed
      • https://csehy.org/dates-and-rates
    • Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras, Fairfield, CT
      •  GCTYO Summer Music Festival, July 22-August 2, 2024
      • All ages 5th grade and up with at least one year experience on instrument
      • Registration Deadline: Not listed
      • https://gctyo.org/summer-music/
    • Philadelphia International Music Festival, Philadelphia, PA
      • PIMF Orchestra Senior Division
        • June 15-28, 2024
        • July 13-26, 2024
        • Ages 14-19
      • Young Artists’ Division
        • July 13-26, 2024
        • July 13-19, 2024
        • Ages 11-13
      • PIMF Orchestra Junior Symphony Division
        • July 13-26, 2024
        • July 13-19, 2024
        • Ages 8-10
      • Solo Performance Preparation Program
        • June 15-28, 2024
        • June 15-21, 2024
        • June 22-28, 2024
        • July 13-26, 2024
        • Ages 13-19
      • Registration Deadline: Early registration recommended
      • https://philadelphiamusicfestival.org/programs/
  • Southeast
    • Franklin Band & Orchestra Camp, Chantilly, VA
    • Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville, TN
      • Summer Music Camp Concert Winds, June 10-14, 2024
        • Minimum of at least one year of ensemble experience and/or private lessons
      • Summer Music Camp Symphonic Winds, June 10-14, 2024
        • Students with large ensemble experience and/or private instrument for three-plus years
      • Registration Deadline: Not listed
      • https://knoxvillesymphony.com/education-community/summer-music-camp/
    • Stephen Collins Foster Music Camps, Richmond, KY
      • Middle School Band Camp, June 9-14, 2024
        • Grades 5-8
      • High School Band Camp Two Week Option, June 16-28, 2024
        • Grades 9-12
      • High School Band Camp One Week Option, Either week of June 16-28, 2024
        • Grades 9-12
      • Registration Deadline: Not listed
      • https://fostercamp.org/resident-camper
  • Midwest
    • Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Egg Harbor, WI
      • Symphony Academy Session, June 30-July 13, 2024
      • Students entering grade seven through graduating grade 12
      • Registration Deadline: Not listed
      • https://www.birchcreek.org/symphony
    • Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
  •  Horn Intensive, June 15-June 21, 2024
  • Orchestra & Wind Ensemble 3-Week Summer Program, June 23, 2024-July 13, 2024; July 14, 2024-August 4, 2024
  • Orchestra & Wind Ensemble 6-Week Summer Program, June 23, 2024-August 4, 2024
  • International Music Camp, Dunseith, ND
    • Middle School Band Camp, June 16-22, 2024
      • Grades 5-8
    • Band Camp, June 23-29, 2024
      • Grades 6-12
    • Band Camp, June 30-July 6, 2024
      • Grades 6-12
    • Band Camp, July 14-20, Grades 7-12
      • Grades 7-12
    • Band Camp, July 21-27, 2024
      • Grades 9-12
    • Registration Deadline: May 1, 2024 early deadline
    • https://internationalmusiccamp.com/programs-and-sessions/music/band/
  • Southwest Community Concert Band, Lockport, IL
    • Summer Band Camp, June 10-14, 2024
    • Junior high/middle school students from incoming 6th grade through incoming freshmen with at least one full year of performance experience in their school band
    • Registration Deadline: June 3, 2024
    • https://swcommunityband.com/bandcamp.html
  • Southwest
    • Hummingbird Music Camp, Jemez Spring, NM
      • June 2-9, 2024
      • June 9-16, 2024
      • June 16-23, 2024
      • June 23-30, 2024
      • June 30-July 7, 2024
      • July 7-14, 2024
      • July 14-21, 2024
      • July 21-28, 2024
    • Youth 8-14 years old
    • Registration Deadline: Not listed
    • https://www.hummingbirdmusiccamp.com/
  • West
    • California Coast Music Camp, Foresthill, CA
    • California State Summer School for the Arts, Sacramento, CA
    • Community Music Center, San Francisco, CA
      • CMC Ensemble Camp, June 10-14, 2024
        • Ages 9-14
      • CMC Chamber Music Camp
        • June 17-21, 2024
        • June 24-28, 2024
        • Ages 12-18
      • Registration Deadline: May 6, 2024, but early application recommended
      • https://sfcmc.org/play/summer-music-camps/
    • Flathead Lake Music Camp, Rollin, MT
    • Hayward La Honda Music Camp, La Honda, CA
  • July 13-20, 2024
  • Senior Symphonic Band
    • Senior wind and percussion players
  • Senior Wind Ensemble
    • Open to all senior wind and percussion players by audition
  • Junior Symphonic Band
    • Open to all junior wind and percussion players
  • Idyllwild Arts Academy, Idyllwild, CA
  • Northwest Band Camp, Twin Rock, OR
  • Santa Monica Music Camp, Santa Monica, CA
    • June 10-14, 2024
    • June 17-21, 2024
    • June 24-28, 2024
    • July 1-5, 2024
    • July 8-12, 2024
    • July 15-19, 2024
    • July 22-26, 2024
    • July 29-August 2, 2024
    • August 5-9, 2024
    • August 12-16, 2024
    • Ages 5 to 14 years old
    • Registration Deadline: Not listed 
    • https://www.santamonicamusiccamp.com/about-music-camp
  • Silver Lake Band Camp, South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Wallowa Lake Music Camps, Joseph, OR
    • Brass Camp at Wallowa Lake, June 23-29, 2024
    • Middle or high school students
    • Registration Deadline: Not listed 
    • https://wlmusiccamps.org/

The Ambitious Amateur

by Marty Schlenker

Dear Fellow Amateurs,

schlenkerWhen we left off in the previous column, I’d had my first lesson in over two decades and experienced several revelations:

  1. The playing benefits begin when you make the commitment to return to being a student, before your lessons actually resume;
  2. You may not sound like you think you sound, and the things you do to produce the sound you’re shooting for may not have the intended effects;
  3. As a result, you may expect one kind of direction in your lesson but receive another.

In my first lesson back, it was tonguing…too much, and too far forward. Great, I thought…something to work on! 

If I was in high school or college again, it would be easier to take the guidance and run with it. Zip from lesson straight back into practice room and start adjusting. Instead, I got on a plane…not immediately, but within a day or two, because my job requires me to spend about half my time in Los Angeles, even though home and lessons are in Pennsylvania. And so began horn hopscotch. 

My primary horn is a pre-letter Conn 28D, medium fixed bell, unlacquered, with a 17.75 mm Houghton 101 mouthpiece. With the fixed bell, I’m not inclined to fly with it. Luckily, I’d let Dennis Houghton talk me into a new flare for my century-old Alexander 103 a couple of years ago. It was a great decision both acoustically and practically. With the bell cut, I chose an MB9 case. The flare case unzips from the main case, making it very easy to fly with, even in a smaller regional jet that forces everyone to gate check their rollaboard luggage. So, the Alex became my California horn. I use a Holton Farkas DC mouthpiece that I’ve had since high school with it. It’s a great combination for thickening the light, zingy Alex, but the inside rim diameter is noticeably narrower than my H-101. More on that contrast later.

My California practice space is the office lunchroom. The fun part is that it’s very cathedral-like, with high ceilings, hard surfaces (glass, block, concrete) and lots of right angles. The not-so-great part is that to avoid impeding the company’s work, I have to finish by about 6:45 a.m. Pacific time. I aspire to “stay on Eastern time” when I’m out there, and being forced into this very early practice window helps, but aspirations always outpace execution, so California practice is a bit spotty—but full of flattering reverb when it happens! If you ever find yourself saying, “Tell me again…why’d I ever choose this treacherous instrument??” find a place to practice that answers you back with every note.

Back to tonguing. Not just in music but throughout life, I tend to overcompensate when I get redirected, and my tonguing change was no exception. I went searching for the highest-up, farthest-back point on my palate that my tongue could reach. Interesting. I kind of liked what I heard, with the percussive strike that I had put on the front of most notes replaced at first with a kind of squish. But I could no longer find notes that were once secure, and felt as if I had to reset frequently as I went up and down scales. I was going in the wrong direction from the increased flexibility I sought.

I eventually got things under control with a happy medium around the first ridge on my palate, and I started paying a lot more attention (per lesson advice) to what part of my tongue, and how much, was actually touching the palate. Less touch and a more vertical orientation of the front of my tongue definitely helped me get some control back. Travel and other distractions turned this into about a five-month process. 

Unexpectedly and fascinatingly (to me at least), adjusting how my tongue addressed my palate changed the shape of my oral cavity and the trajectory of my air, and worked muscles toward the front of my cheeks that I’d obviously not engaged enough before. I’ll talk more about that soon and leave you with this: making a significant change to one aspect of your playing will likely change other aspects also. 

I was pleased to hear from Richard Davis of Franklin, TN after the previous column. Like me, he’s a business professional and committed amateur hornist. You’ll get to know him more in an upcoming column. Be like Richard—get in touch and tell me and the world about your playing!

See you next time,

Marty Schlenker, Amateur Hornist

Meet the People—Jonathan Luxton

by Jonathan Luxton, 2022 Punto Award Recipient

j luxton 190I have just returned to Portugal after having been in Ireland for the last 4.5 years. Prior to this, I was first horn in the Gulbenkian Symphony Orchestra, a job I held for 30 years. I moved to Portugal in 1984 from England and delighted in having a permanent job, enjoying the sights, smells, sounds, and warm weather of this beautiful country. As a 24-year-old, I was relieved to have a reliable source of income after the insecurity of freelancing prior to that.

I began life in rural Dorset in Southwest England, surrounded by dairy farms and attending a school of only 30 pupils. When I started with music at the age of 8, I could never have dreamed that I would end up working for an international orchestra and teaching at universities in Portugal. My journey started with my supportive parents who took me to every horn lesson without fail, and encouraged me to play in all the local orchestras. Access to professional music was rare in rural settings, and I was lucky that 30 miles away, we had two wonderful professional orchestras, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Bournemouth Sinfonietta. I had the good fortune of studying with teachers from both orchestras, Richard Thomas and Peter Kane, both of whom influenced me greatly, and managed to encourage someone who was unpolished and had very little musical education to develop the skill and confidence needed to win an audition at the Royal Academy of Music in London (RAM).

I was 18 when I started at the RAM studying with James Brown. I spent a lot of time teaching and working odd random jobs—waiter, removal company laborer, van driver, gardener, barman, etc. I would do practically anything available to make ends meet.

During my last year at the RAM, I was part of the European Youth Orchestra where I was fortunate to be tutored by two of the USA’s most renowned teachers, Myron Bloom and Dale Clevenger, both of whom really broadened my awareness of what is beyond the European style of playing.

When I think back to the incredible tutors I had in my formative years as a young musician, I remember one teacher in particular who influenced my playing enormously. When I was 22, I had finished at the RAM and had done trials with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Opera North, and the Royal Ballet, but I had still not landed a job. I went for a lesson with Jeff Bryant as I had heard excellent things about him and felt that I needed to get someone else’s perspective on my playing. Jeff changed my method of practice and made me realize that I had rarely practiced the parts of my technique that I had difficulty with. I am sure other teachers had told me the same, and to some it might sound completely obvious. But I don’t think I had the maturity at the time to take in the message. However, this time, the message went in loud and clear. It is certainly easier and more pleasurable to practice the things we are good at it. It was a real eye-opener for me and changed my approach to playing and teaching.

The Gulbenkian in Portugal was an incredible orchestra of which to be part. As a result of private funding, we had the opportunity to perform with some of the most renowned soloists such as Itzhak Perlman, Nigel Kennedy, and Daniel Barenboim, among others. In addition, I was surprised to be given the chance to perform concertos with the orchestra, an opportunity that in my experience was rarely awarded to in-house players. One performance that really stayed with me was playing the Penderecki Horn Concerto Winterreise, with the composer conducting. It was an amazing and humbling experience.

The orchestra toured Japan, India, China, Thailand, the USA, and all over Europe. With them, I saw the world, and I developed my career further as a teacher, leading masterclasses in Brazil, China, Spain, and Portugal.

I left the Gulbenkian in 2014, and for four years did not touch the horn, due in part to burnout. When I moved to Ireland in 2019, I was encouraged to start playing again by my wife who could see how much I missed it. I subsequently contacted Cormac O’hAodáin from the RTE Concert Orchestra. I realized when I went into rehearsal, chatted with other musicians, performed, and did recordings with them, that I really had missed being in a musical environment. In order to be more proactive in music and work on furthering awareness within schools and through musical projects, I joined the IHS. In 2022, I was humbled to receive the Punto Award in recognition of contribution to the art of horn playing.

For the last three years of my time in Ireland, I continued to play with the RTE and had the opportunity to freelance with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast and other groups throughout Ireland. I was invited to be the horn tutor for two summer courses with the Ulster Youth Orchestra, a tremendously uplifting and inspiring time of music-making with some wonderful young musicians.

I never reached the playing levels that I had before retirement, but I loved being back in an orchestra and teaching again. A particular highlight was performing the Schumann Konzertstück, this time playing second part. I owe a debt of gratitude to Cormac O’hAodáin and Paul Klein for inviting and welcoming me into their horn sections.

I think it took the 4-year pause for me to realize how much music is part of me and my identity. This is why an organization like the IHS is so important to me, a supportive network of like-minded individuals who are passionate about this wonderful instrument. For the future, I am very much looking forward to attending upcoming IHS events and being active again in the horn world in Portugal.

http://www.jonathanluxtonmusic.com

Call for Submissions: Frøydis Biography

Frøydis

Hello horn players! My name is Erin Futterer, and I need your assistance! I am a horn player myself, and I am working to finish the biography of Frøydis Ree Wekre. In order to provide the multifaceted perspective required to accurately portray the vital space she has occupied in the horn community, I am dividing the biography into 3 parts:

  1. her life story, told in her own words;
  2. her story told through the musical works she has either commissioned or which have been written for her, and by the composers of these works and their interactions with her. These first two sections are nearly complete.
  3. her story told through the voices of those who have interacted with her, who studied and learned from her, and whose lives she has touched. It is this last piece of this ethnographically-minded biography that I need your help to tell. I am seeking to deliver a comprehensive, chronological account, so you need not have had a long or in-depth relationship with her in order to contribute (although these are certainly in demand). A simple meeting or masterclass, one lesson or several, even instances of inspiration provided “from afar” are all important and welcome!

Written submissions can be sent to frwbiography@gmail.com, and/or I am very happy to schedule phone calls, Facetime/Zoom meetings etc. at your earliest convenience. Please email to schedule. This book has been a long time in the works. Many thanks to those who have already shared their insights, and gratitude in advance to all willing to take the time to help me tell the story of Frøydis’s place in history as accurately and as holistically as possible…at least so far!

Composer Spotlight—Edith Borroff

by Caiti Beth McKinney

Hello everyone!

borroffThis month, I would like to share an amazing work by musicologist and composer Edith Borroff. She wrote music for a wide variety of settings and ensembles, including chamber works for saxophone quartet, string quartet, and wind quintet, as well as larger scale works for orchestra and stage productions. The focus of this article, however, is her Sonata for Horn and Piano. Written in 1953, this piece is finally experiencing a well-deserved resurgence in popularity. The work is divided into four movements which represent different eras in music history including elements from Baroque, Medieval, Classical, and Romantic styles. No doubt her extensive knowledge of music history aided in the composition of the Sonata. The first movement, “Rhapsody,” is a lyrical, melodic ode to Romantic musical tastes, with upwards arpeggiated motion in the piano which keep the music flowing. The drama of the first movement is in sharp contrast to the second—a quick scherzo that recalls the hunting horn calls of Classical horn writing. The third movement is inspired by the Baroque sarabande, a slow dance form used by many composers in the 18th century, such as we find in the famous cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach. The fourth movement is also in the style of a musical dance, this time the Medieval estampie, which carries energy through its lilting 6/8 meter. I particularly enjoy that this movement begins with solo horn, allowing the player a chance to really shine before the piano joins in after the first statement. All in all, Edith Borroff’s Sonata is an enjoyable and approachable work suitable for any recital. Give it a listen!

Interview—Ben Goldscheider

by Austris Apenis

AA: Welcome Ben! It’s a pleasure to interview you, and there is so much I would like to ask you. You have built quite a portfolio, having performed in many of the worlds famous concert halls with top orchestras as a soloist and chamber musician. Congratulations! Of all the great things you have done, one spoke to me particularly: premiering new pieces for horn. I personally find that very important for our community and the future generations. How did you convince so many composers to write for you?

goldscheider 190BG: Thank you for showing such an interest! My biggest passion is to contribute to the development of the repertoire, and so working with the composers of today is something that I both spend a lot of time doing but also greatly enjoy. To convince them, however, is a very personal thing! A few of my closest collaborations, for example with Mark Simpson and Huw Watkins, came about because I also perform with them on their respective instruments. This, of course, gives you a very deep musical relationship, and they really know you’re playing from the inside out. In other cases, I simply write to composers and express my admiration for their music. It’s not always a straight “yes,” but I can be persuasive! It also helps if you have the possibility to program the work—this is very attractive to a lot of composers at a time when getting performances is becoming increasingly difficult.

Some of these pieces you are performing on natural horn. Are there particular challenges in performing new works on the natural horn?

Again, it really depends. The latest work that I commissioned for the natural horn requires the horn to be tuned to a quarter tone higher than D. So, making sure that this can work with the intonation of the midi keyboard (which is fixed) and then also jumping back to equal temperament for the rest of the program is a challenge for the ears. In terms of horn playing, the challenges are, frankly, easier than having to travel with more than one instrument!

I can relate to that! How would it compare to performing new commissions on the modern horn?

Well, the material is obviously less complex simply because you don’t have so many options for notes. So, in that respect, my experience has often been less frantic than learning millions of notes on a modern horn when the piece is inevitably delivered later than expected. Composers seem to love the more raucous and brassy sound of the natural horn in comparison to the darker sound of the modern horn. One has to be sensitive to their desires and try and really make a strong difference between the two different instruments.

Do you also play period repertoire on the natural horn?

I don’t, actually. There are wonderful musicians who I admire hugely that can do a much better job than I can. My passion is for that which is new.

Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you choose the horn?

Actually, I started on the cello when I was six years old. At the same time, however, I was diagnosed with a lung condition called bronchiectasis which, to cut a long story short, meant that my lung function was only 50%. The doctors knew that I loved music and suggested that I should take up a wind instrument to help strengthen my lungs. My parents are professional string players, and they loved the sound of the horn…they chose it for me!

It is amazing that you can play like you do even with your condition! Has playing the horn helped a lot with your lung capacity?

In combination with lots of sport, I think it definitely has. Aside from anything else, it made me much more conscious of the need to make sure that my cardiovascular health was in the best possible condition.

You mentioned that your parents are professional string players. As a musician who doesn’t come from a musician’s family, I am always curious how it is to grow up in one. How was your dynamic at home with your parents concerning practicing? Did you learn a lot from them?

Actually, they never pushed me to practice! I think that’s maybe one of the things I’m most grateful for; they let the desire come naturally from myself over time. I had the best possible education from them in that I went to countless concerts throughout my childhood.

You were the finalist in the BBC Young Musician concert in 2016. How was the experience performing there?

This was a life changing experience! Not only was it exhilarating to be part of the process—which is nine months long—it really acted as a catalyst to help move my career along. It’s also where I got a taste for contemporary music. In the Brass Final, I performed Salonen’s Concert Etude and was really pleased that people enjoyed hearing what the horn can do.

Amazing! It is a fantastic piece! Wasn’t it a bit intense to perform in front of so many cameras?

At the time, it was all so new that you didn’t really have so much time to think about these things. In hindsight, I think I was much cooler than I might have been had I done it a few years later. At that age and in such conditions, you don’t have anything to prove or lose—I really just tried to focus on the music.

You have also studied at the Barenboim-Said academy with Radek Baborák. How is he as a teacher? What did you learn while studying with him?

Radek is my horn idol! To study with him was a dream. He really stressed the importance of putting musical wishes at the forefront of what we do. So often, we get so bogged down with questions of technique, and actually, if we focus on musical objectives, a lot can be fixed by itself.

Interesting! Why do you think that happens?

Well, I think the embouchure is so personal and sensitive that we often immediately jump to the conclusion that it must be wrong if we are unable to achieve something in our playing. What I think is needed is a more fundamental understanding of the function of the embouchure, in other words to realize that providing a few essential things are in place, it really is just the steering wheel of the car. So much can be achieved with a relaxed breathing technique and the true intention in musical terms. It is not taught enough to really commit to one’s playing with all of our energy and a strong air stream; we are always too worried about cracking notes!

Those are wise words! If you think about it, we play a wind instrument. Air is the basis of everything. Thank you for sharing your story! It was great to have you with us for Horn and More!

My pleasure, thank you.

Learn more about Ben at https://www.bengoldscheider.com.

Chamber Music Corner—Robert Spittal’s Prelude and Scherzo

by Layne Anspach

Hello musicians!

robert spittal 190This month’s Chamber Music Corner features Prelude and Scherzo (1996) by Robert Spittal (b. 1963). Spittal is a composer, conductor, and teacher residing in Spokane, Washington. He is a Professor of Music at Gonzaga University where he teaches conducting and music theory in addition to directing the Wind Symphony and Chamber Wind Ensemble. He also serves as the conductor for the professional brass ensemble, Clarion. Spittal received his DMA in conducting from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, his MM from Baylor University, and his BME from The Ohio State University. His compositions range from band and orchestra to many permutations of chamber music to musical theater. 

Prelude and Scherzo was written for the Mosaic Chamber Ensemble (Spokane, Washington). The instrumentation is for standard wind quintet plus cello and bass. As the title indicates, the work is divided into two movements which are, as the composer indicates in the program notes, “a slow, plaintive prelude followed by a whimsical scherzo…indicative of the structural and stylistic contrasts which exist throughout the piece.”

The opening of the Prelude passes a sixteenth-note motif between the voices, culminating in a unison statement in m. 12. The oboe and cello begin the melodic material at m. 17 where the other members of the ensemble support with slow moving chordal material. The flute takes over the melody leading into a cadence played by all members. The ensemble continues the plaintive mood, building to a more articulate section in mm. 41-43 which are followed by a quasi-cadenza from flute and cello. The final few measures harken back to the section at m. 17 which then leads attacca to the Scherzo.

The Scherzo begins with string pizzicato followed by the quintet cascading in new, lighter material. The opening section starts and stops as the strings interrupt with the pizzicato material, and the movement finally moves on after the third interruption. The strings continue with eighth-note pizzicato building with wind support until the flute introduces a new melody in m. 42. The clarinet assumes the melody with all players adding to the jovial mood. The section continues in a similar fashion between the winds but moves through several tonal centers which adds a new dimension. The mood switches again with a supportive 3-note rhythmic motif passed between clarinet and horn followed by syncopated repetition among the upper winds. This section culminates with the motif passing through each voice. The movement slows to Meno mosso then to Adagio to conclude in a serious-yet-bright mood, contrasting the whimsical nature of the rest of the Scherzo.

Research to Resonance: Want to become a better musician this year?

by Katy Carnaggio

Okay, I’ll be the one to concede this: People always say that becoming a great musician requires discipline, but no one really talks about what exactly discipline entails. So, please pay attention and take notes…yes, with a pen and paper! Here is your success formula: Stress + Rest = Growth

Following are 4 steps to apply to get THE WORK done…like your favorite great athlete does!

#1—Align practice sessions with your peak learning cycles. 
Your body operates in ultradian rhythms of approximately 90-minute cycles throughout the day. These rhythms determine when your brain is in a prime state for learning—that is, its most neuroplastic phase.

If you’ve ever stayed up late cramming for an exam, you know exactly what it’s like to work against these cycles: it’s strenuous. Capture those sweet spots of heightened neuroplasticity instead. You’ll be able to do deeper work with greater flow.

Note when you're most alert after waking up; that's your first ultradian cycle. You typically experience one more phase of high alertness in the mid-to-late afternoon. Together, these provide two optimal learning periods daily.

#2—Prioritize tasks according to intensity and meaning.
To be clear, each day, you normally have two opportunities to significantly deepen your knowledge, refine your skill sets, or improve your athleticism…or not. You get this time, but you get only this time.

You can’t grow in every direction at once, and you can’t choose when these optimal learning cycles occur. But rather than serving as limitations, these constraints provide opportunities to cultivate something of deep, intrinsic value. They ask you to decide what matters most, and they shape who you choose to become as a result. 

Support your choices by using deep learning sessions to work on meaningful activities which can benefit from high levels of focus and concentration. Save the less-intense or less-important tasks for later. 

Best Practices: 

Instead of: using your optimal learning cycle to practice a routine you know like the back of your hand,
Try: compiling/creating/varying a routine to refine skills needed for upcoming performances.

Instead of: practicing after you’ve spent all your energy at your 9-5 job,
Try: waking up at 5:30 a.m. to leverage a ~7 a.m. learning cycle. 

#3—Commit to focusing (and refocusing) during your deep work session.
Honor your practice sessions with total engagement and deep, unremitting focus. This is the time to introduce the stress part of the Stress + Rest = Growth equation. 

If you aren’t pushing yourself to develop your skills, interpret your music thoughtfully, or to offer something qualitatively more beautiful to your audience, you will not grow. 

Monofocus. Go “full throttle” on your musical development. It’s totally fine if it’s hard to do this at first. In fact, you will not be able to focus at peak levels for 90 minutes. Like any skill, your abilities to focus intensely, resist temptation, and to think deeply will strengthen with practice. 

#4—Incorporate 10-30 minutes of deliberate recovery throughout your day.
Hard work is vital for thoughtful, compelling, and skilled performances. But hard work is often mistaken for relentless work. 

Without adequate rest, we can’t recover well enough to work hard in the first place. We become stuck in an unfulfilling grind of doing “pretty good” work, never truly stressing ourselves to reach our full learning potential but never really resting either. 

Incorporating recovery throughout your day not only expands your capacity to complete more than one deep learning session in a day, it also brings all your work to fruition as your brain rewires and consolidates learning during sleep or non-sleep deep rest.

Best Practices:

Instead of: bringing your attention into a tight focus by scrolling through videos on your phone during breaks,
Try: letting your mental states idle by staring out a window or looking around the room.

Instead of: traveling a familiar or mundane route,
Try: putting yourself in the way of beauty: reroute your commute or breaks, preferably through nature. 

Tomorrow’s agenda? Listen to the rhythm of your body and mind. Aligning the rhythm of stress and rest with your biological rhythms is a powerful tool for sustainable excellence that will carry you through the year. 

  1. Justforhorns—Interview with Dan Turcanu
  2. Chamber Music Corner—Emma Lou Diemer’s Quartet for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, and Piano
  3. Horn Playing in Sri Lanka
  4. Meet the People—COR Values Columnist Ellie Jenkins

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