Audition advice: Denise Tryon (Philadelphia Orchestra) and Karl Pituch (Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
Interview by Kristina Mascher

Q: In Europe, horn students have traditionally chosen to focus on "high" or "low" horn and have prepared to take auditions exclusively for corresponding orchestra vacancies. Do you think this is a valid approach in today's job market? Or should young players try to do it all? What are the advantages/disadvantages in specializing?

Denise: I think it's wise to be as well rounded a player as possible, and therefore you are able to take both high and low auditions. This opens up so many more opportunities and you never know what might happen!

Karl: Also, most auditions now have both high and low register excerpts that we all have to learn – Shostakovich 5 is on almost every list, Till has the low register for a high horn and Beethoven 7 is pretty high for both. So you really need to learn the entire range of the horn. I started as a 4th horn and slowly moved my way through the section.

Q: When given the option of sending an audition recording for the preliminary round or making the journey to play live, is there an advantage to showing up personally?

Denise: I think playing live is the best option, if you are able to do it. In my experience, on both sides of the recording device and screen, it is much more challenging to advance with a recording.

Karl: Playing live is the best option. You can’t control where or how your recording will be heard. In the live audition, everyone will be listened to in an equal setting.

Q: How did you develop the concept of your workshop, Audition Mode?

Denise: When Karl and I would talk about our students and auditions, we realized there was no dedicated seminar/workshop to discuss the audition process and we wanted to change that. We made sure to have a dedicated high and low list. We also wanted to have everyone work on both lists and take both mock auditions at the end of the seminar (to refer back to your first question!). We wanted to incorporate some section playing as well, since most times you will need to play in the section in order. We also discuss preparation, performance anxiety and what to expect the day of the audition!

by Tom Varner

Hello to all IHS friends. As some of you know, I’ve been working at learning and growing as a jazz improviser on our noble instrument for about 40 years now, ever since I heard Julius Watkins solo with Thelonious Monk and realized that “it can be done.”

I am going to gather some thoughts in this piece that might differ in emphasis from what I might have thought was most important, say, 25 or 30 years ago. (Haha, in other words, now that I am an “old guy!”)

For today, I will put some serious emphasis on what I feel is most important, and what has at times been skimmed over or at least not talked about as much as other elements in a jazz improviser’s skill set—and that is having a solid TIME FEEL. That means the ability to “internalize” the time feel, and to play with rhythmic authority (no matter what the style), and with a rhythmic authority that “locks in” with the drummer or with the bassist or with the general ensemble, no matter what the instrumentation. That “locking in” then allows the player the freedom to push a little bit, pull back a little bit (or a lot), or play right in the “middle of the beat” in order to create an individual rhythmic approach that the player chooses. (Not the conductor!) But this wonderful expression tool can only happen if the overall time feel is solid and “internalized.” For experienced jazz improvisers, this kind of “goes without saying, or is at a kindergarten level” and is a very important part of musical expression (if not the MOST important part), but for classical players, smoothness of the tone, the line, and evenness of the rhythmic pattern being expressed is often the number one priority. What we need to be able to do as good jazz players often is very different from what we need to do as good classical players, mainly in the area of rhythmic attack and providing a steady stream of constant variety in articulation. A series of steady eighth notes in Beethoven, for example should (usually) be smooth and uniform. But a series of eight notes in a “straight-ahead swing” jazz solo might have a huge variety of attacks and articulations to be effective. But again, that jazz solo (even if it is just one repeated pitch!) will only be effective if it is also solid with the overall time feel or “groove.”

So—to begin, we now need an important very advanced technological device …………….. ………….a metronome. We can talk about other technology devices later, but for me, a metronome, pencil and paper, your instrument—well, that is it.

Are you ready for some absolutely beginner (or advanced, depending on how you see it) jazz improvising basic exercises? Here goes.

by Lydia Van Dreel, Associate Professor, Unversity of Oregon

Most young horn players, while loving the tradition of western music, also love popular music. Therefore, encouraging them to experiment with non-traditional idioms is a logical step in helping them to use the horn creatively. Interesting things can happen when students are given non-traditional performance parameters. Some students flourish at the opportunity to be expressive in a non-traditional genre, and they can bring that freedom and versatility back to their more traditional performance genres. Technological tools can help a student better understand musical structures and form in application, and can help them gain versatility in musical expression.

There are innumerable technologies currently being developed for music making. To experiment with non-traditional idioms, you can explore the technologies of sound manipulation and recording. Hardware technology uses tools like a mic, a mouthpiece pick-up, or a silent brass mute (with a mini plug) as a source signal sent into devices that process and change the signal. The mics or pick-ups then go directly into a variety of stomp boxes, pedals, or mixers that are designed to create effects like reverb, delay, and distortion. A more modern device such as an iRig guitar interface can take the horn signal into a smartphone, tablet or computer, and from there, you can use all sorts of software (apps, computer programs) to create the sounds you want. The stomp box effects that electric guitarists use can be found in apps such as Amplitube. A variety of settings can manipulate reverb, delay, distortion, etc.

Nouveau Internationaux de Cor Compétition Prix

La société internationale de cor à le plaisir d'annoncer qu'elle va créer un prix qui sera destiné aux premiers prix de cor dans les compétitions reconnues par la Fédération Mondiales des Concours Internationaux de Musique. La société va offrir:

• la somme de 1000$ US
• une opportunité de jouer lors d'un IHS congrès mondial
• carte de membre IHS durant trios ans

La première compétition concernée par ce prix sera en Corée du sud en été 2015 lors du festival et concours de Jeju. http://www.jiwef.org/

La IHS est heureuse de soutenir grâce à ce nouveau prix les jeunes cornistes talentueux!

Nuevo Premio de Competicion Internacional de Trompa

La Sociedad Internacional de Trompistas esta de enhorabuena por anunciar un nuevo premio.
La- IHS International Competion Award-, esta dirigida a trompistas que compiten en concursos en todo el mundo. El premio especial es para los primeros premios en la categoria de trompa de qualquier concurso internacional de la Federacion Mundial de Concursos Mundiales, el premio especial consiste en:

• $1000 USD
• oportunidad para actuar en un futuro symposium
• abono de 3 temporadas como miembro de la ihs

La primera oportunidad donde este nuevo premio podria ser entregado es el concurso de Jeju en Corea del Sur en agosto de 2015. http://www.jiwef.org/

Estaremos encantados de poder ofrecer este nuevo premio a talentosos y jovenes trompistas de todo el mundo!

Neuer Preis – Internationaler-Hornwettbewerb

 Die Internationale Horngesellschaft freut sich über einen neuen Preis! Die IHS-Internationale-Musikwettbewerb-Auszeichnung bietet Unterstützung an allen  Hornisten, die sich für Wettbewerben rund um die Welt bewerben. Dieser Preis wird an den/die 1. Preisträger/in jegliches Wettbewerbs assoziiert mit dem “World Federation of International Music Competitions” (Fach Horn)

Der Preis trägt:

• 1000 USD
• Die Konzertgelegenheit bei dem kommenden IHS-Symposium, aufzutreten
• Eine 3-jährige Mitgliedschaft in der Internationalen-Horngesellschaft

Der erste Wettbewerb bei dem dieser Preis verliehen werden darf ist das “International Jeju Wind Ensemble Festival,” im Jeju, Südkorea, August 2015.

Wir sind begeistert, diese Unterstzützung jungen, begabten Hornisten aus aller Welt, anzubieten!

신 국제 호른 경연대회 상

국제 호른 협회는 새로운 상을 소개하게 되어 매우 기쁩니다. 국제 호른 협회의 International Music Competition Award는 전세계의 음악경연대회에 참가하는 호른연주자들을 지원하고자 합니다.
이 특별한 상은 World Federation of International Music Competitions에서 주최하는 모든 경연대회의 호른 부문 우승자에게 주어지게 됩니다.  수상내용은 다음과 같습니다.

• 미 달러 1000불
• 다가오는 IHS 심포지엄에서 공연할 수 있는 기회
• IHS 멤버쉽 3년

이 특별상을 받을 수 있는 첫 경연대회는 2015년 8월 제주도에서 주최되는 국제 제주 윈드앙상블 페스티벌의 제주 국제 금관악기 경연대회 입니다.
 
저희는 전세계의 젊고 재능있는 호르니스트들을 지원할 수 있게 되어 기쁩니다

新しい国際ホルンコンクール賞

国際ホルン協会は、新しい賞についてご案内することに、わくわくしています！IHS国際音楽コンクール賞は、ホルン奏者が世界中の音楽コンクールに参加するためのサポートをする意図があります。この特別賞は、世界各地で開催される国際音楽コンクールのホルン部門の優勝者に、授与されます。
賞の内容は、

• 1000 USドル
• 次のIHSシンポジウムにおける演奏の機会
• IHSの３年間のメンバー資格

このIMCA賞が授与される最初のコンクールは、２０１５年８月に、韓国のチェジュ島で行われる、国際チェジュ管楽アンサンブルフェスティバルです。
http://www.jiwef.org/
 
私たちは、世界中の若くて才能あるホルン奏者を支援することに、興奮しています。