by Dennis and Karen Houghton
 |
| Igor Stravinsky |
Imagine answering a knock on your front door to find Igor Stravinsky standing there, and he's got a question for you…about stopped horn!
You're a kid from Venice, California, growing up in the Great Depression, and you have a chronic stutter. But Southern California has opportunities: there's a big navy base in Long Beach, oil refineries in Torrance, and factory production all over the LA Basin. General Motors is building hundreds of cars per day at the South Gate factory, and Howard Hughes is building airplanes in Burbank. There is radio technology, and the movie industry is beginning to boom. There is public transportation—you can take the Pacific Electric "Red Line" from Venice to Long Beach in about 30 minutes, or Long Beach to Hollywood in about the same time.
 |
| P&E Line - about 1940 |
There had been lots happening in the Los Angeles music scene for years: there were the silent films produced by a number of movie studios, each having their own theaters, and each theater had its own "house orchestra." These attracted musicians from Boston and New York, Germany and even Russia. The Los Angeles Philharmonic had been founded in 1919 by millionaire William Andrews Clark (whose family fortune was made in the Montana copper mines). The Philharmonic had naturally become a hub for the LA Society elite, and they began recruiting talent and soloists from major European orchestras. Sergei Rachmaninov thrilled audiences with his piano concerti and symphonies. Although he didn't move to LA until 1942, he was a regular guest soloist. Korngold is writing the biggest movie scores, and Schoenberg emigrated in 1934 and is now teaching at UCLA. Many of these greats have escaped the rising facism in Europe, and for many there is no option to return home...and now Igor Stravinsky has come to stay!
LOS ANGELES TIMES, FEB. 21, 1935
L.A. Goes Mad for Stravinsky
“[Stravinsky] has been in Los Angeles four days and the town is agog. Only the visit of Einstein…has created as much interest. The orchestra…has literally slaved to prepare his program of suites from the Apollon Musagète, Petrouchka, Petite, and The Fire Bird precisely as he would have them.”
Stravinsky, who eventually settled in Los Angeles in 1940, continued to guest-conduct the orchestra, on occasion, at the Hollywood Bowl.
Your name is James Decker, and your parents, Ben Decker and Margaret Hapgood, had a musical variety show in which Maggie sang and performed the "glass harp," playing tunes on pitched wine glasses. There is a longer thread of musical talent too: your grandfather Hapgood was a brass band leader in England who had been presented with a silver cornet by Queen Victoria. This silver cornet was passed down and became your first instrument. Grandfather Hapgood led the "Firehouse Band" in McPherson, Kansas, after immigrating to the USA. (There's still a band shell at the park in McPherson, but the small town can no longer support a community band.) In your early teens, you played that cornet, accompanying your mom on radio broadcasts.
James “Jim” Decker switched from cornet to the horn at the age of 16 at the request of his school orchestra director. About this time, Jim had the good fortune to meet and study under James Stagliano, the new principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic who had arrived from the St. Louis Symphony in 1935. At 17, Jim played in one of FDR's depression era work programs, the "National Youth Administration Orchestra" under the direction of Leopold Stokowski. Jim was also a member of the Long Beach Community Orchestra and the Peter Meremblum Youth Orchestra.
Jim performed Oberon at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles when he was 19. Afterward, when the other musicians raved about his finesse in the delicate opening bars, Jim replied wryly, "I tried to start that note three times before it spoke!"
 |
| The Wilshire Ebell Theater |
When the US entered WWII, Jim wanted to serve in the military, but due to a perforated right eardrum he couldn't pass the army physical. However, his "draft deferment" presented other unique musical opportunities: he played in the National Symphony in Washington DC in 1942-43, then back to Los Angeles for a stint with the LA Phil in 1943-44. These were still the days when the "audition" would have consisted of playing for the conductor in his dressing room—or possibly even receiving an offer without an audition, simply based on reputation or referral by a teacher or colleague. There was a downside to this system too: many conductors were tyrannical, and a player could be fired on the spot.
Jim and others, including Vince De Rosa, Gale Robinson, and Richard Perisi recorded newsreel, movie, and radio broadcasts as their contribution to the war effort. With so much recording going on, Jim played on soundtracks for wartime pictures starring Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Stewart, and Humphrey Bogart. Due to the nature of the contracts with the various studios, Jim likely wouldn't have known the movie title or the actors involved. He would say, "In those days, you just showed up to the call and played what was on the stand." Jim played the post-war 1946-47 season with the Kansas City Symphony, but moved back to LA for good after that year. He "auditioned" for the principal horn chair at Columbia Studios by recording a sound track. His former teacher, James Stagliano, didn't want to play a concert and asked Jim to play principal horn. This was his introduction to Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky, conducting Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and The Firebird Suite, respectively.
 |
| The Tryon Road home as it looks today. |
The 1950s brought a post-war recession as the country was flooded with returning service members. But as these folks bought homes and started families, the economy boomed and so did the birth rates...Baby Boom! By now, Jim had become a first call hornist under contract with Columbia, Fox, Paramount, and CBS television, and later Disney studios. He was playing as many as three or four sessions per day, and was able to buy a home in the Hollywood hills. The elaborate Mediterranean revival home on Tryon road became known as "The Castle."
In 1962 Jim got the invitation to record Firebird under Igor Stravinsky on the Columbia Masterworks label. "The highlight of my career," according to Jim, "was playing principal under Stravinsky in many of his most famous works." According to Stravinsky’s assistant Robert Craft, Jim was one of three orchestra musicians most favored and requested by Stravinsky. It was at this Tryon Road house where Mr. Stravinsky knocked on the door: his respect for Jim's judgement and musicianship was absolute.
 |
| James Decker with "the Maestro" circa 1963 |
So, the "knock at the door" didn't happen by chance. There was certainly talent, a bit of luck, and being in the right place at the right time.
What Karen and I (and, certainly, all of Jim's colleagues and students) remember best was his passion for teaching, his emotional connection to the music, and his congeniality. He was blessed with both talent and opportunity. He wanted to pass along his knowledge and wisdom, and to encourage all who followed him. Our friend Milton Kicklighter, now retired from the Buffalo Philharmonic, said it best: "Jim was a very famous hornist that made the rest of us horn players feel his equal."
by Jeff Nelsen and Katy Webb
There’s been quite the reckoning lately with regard to what we know to be true. Do we believe what we see on media screens? Do we believe what we read? How can we be sure?
Some people remain sure. They have their systems, and what gets through is filtered by tests and checkpoints which remain in play. They continue to dance with those facts, figures, feelings, and fantasies. Oh wait, we ALL do that…we let in what we let in, and we keep what we keep. We just have varying degrees of being sure. Some of us need a greater sense of being sure, and we wait until the, “I’ll believe it when I see it” condition has been satisfied. Others watch and can take a chance with the, “I’ll see it when I believe it” approach, believing in something not yet proven by visible results.
Both approaches harvest much from life. All we want to shine a light on is how each guides your ability to walk onstage with belief in something that will help you play your best.
Belief. It’s what drives us to move in this direction or that. Do you believe you could do the work to win your upcoming audition? If you really do believe it, and you really want the job, you will find the ways to do the work that enables you to be a finalist, the winner, or not advancing but knowing a LOT of what it will take for next time! That’s how this works. Unfortunately, if you just believe you might have a shot, you’ll practice that way: you will do the work that satisfies your belief of what you should do to continue having a shot, but never win.
One of the first times I (Jeff) let my manic belief-system protection-walls go down, I was speaking with a faculty member at a summer festival. I’d played the Neilsen wind quintet, and the other horn students played the Strauss Serenade for Thirteen Winds. After the concert, the faculty member, amazing trombonist and human Dick Erb (Louisiana Philharmonic) walked up to me and said, “Nice job.” I said thanks, and he kept walking. I remember thinking, “That was nice…and now, yes, go talk to the real horn players who nailed the Strauss!” He talked to them too, but then he came back to me and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute?” I followed him to a corner of the room, and what followed was a moment like any other…just some nice things being said after a concert, right? He looked at me with his huge, Santa-white beard, and gruffly said, “Hey man, you really touched me tonight. I was moved by the way you went out there and told us how you think this goes. My wife’s an oboist, and I’ve heard that piece a hundred times, but you really said some new things. Way to go.”
I stood there stunned, and I thanked him deeply for his kind words. It could have ended there. “That was so nice…so anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I gotta not miss notes….” But I kept that moment a moment for me. As I write about this now, I still remember that summer-of-1992 moment as a massive watershed moment.
I mattered. It might not have been just another swing at the piñata, hoping to get enough of it right. It might be true, what that sweet man just said to me. It might not be what I always think, that just because I thought of this or that, I’m sure everyone else thought of it too. I don’t matter. I’m just a fake, scared to death of being found out, regurgitating the notes and hoping to not screw it up too much.
But it might be true. I should ask him if he meant it. NOPE! You don’t need that. That’s you trying to be sure, choosing to need to be sure. Just believe. What would happen if you just shut up and believed what he said? Believe that your next note can matter. Keep doing the work so your next note can sound how you want, and the rest is up to the listener. You can’t make it matter, but you can make it beautiful in your opinion, simple but obvious phrasing in your opinion, colors and climaxes that reveal a story you think is compelling.
Keep doing that. Work and share as well as you can, and then you’ll find out what others think. If they’re listening and they agree with your concepts, they’ll like it too. Or maybe not…you can’t be sure. Either way, collect some feedback, do some more work, and share that new version. That’s about all we can do, right?
What you believe now and what you wait for proof to believe is all shaping who walks into the practice room and onstage. All we can say is that Jeff’s believing that one man’s 15 seconds of words, telling him he mattered, just that one time, sure has worked for him! Sure, there’s what you believe now. But you’re not stuck with that. Keep what works. But what you WILL believe, going forward, will determine the quality of your next performance and everything that goes with it.
What will you believe?
There are people cheering you on, believe it or not.
Jeff and Katy
(two of those cheering people)
If you want to learn more about making the most of your performance training, check out Jeff Nelsen and Dr. Katy Webb’s unique courses and online performance community at https://www.fearless-performance.com.
by Gabriel Betancur
Many horn players are unaware of the use of the body at the exact moment of playing the instrument. Awareness of what happens inside our bodies during playing (specifically, the function of the respiratory system, the muscles that form the embouchure, and the different possibilities for using the tongue) is a factor of great importance necessary to optimize articulation. We, as horn players, do not have the ability to directly visualize the activity of the elements which influence the production of articulation and sound (while a pianist, for example, can see in the position of the hands, posture, and other body movements and physical actions that may interfere with articulation).
We have, in general, two types of articulation: tonguing and slurring. To tongue, as required for performance, refers to the action of the tongue to separate individual notes; we can use the tongue to start or even stop the flow of air. To slur means to connect two or more notes wherein the first note is the only one which is tongued, and the remainder of notes in the slurred grouping are played with a continuous airflow without the interruption of the tongue.
The tongue is responsible for controlling the airflow (or output), whether fast or slow. Tongue position is an individual case, because different placements of the tongue generate different types of attacks, and tonguing has a great variety of effects. When we use a thick (wide) tongue, the sound is warmer; if we use a thin (narrow) tongue, the sound is brighter.
Among the various ways we use the tongue, one of the most common faults is the method of tonguing between the lips. As the tongue draws back, it moves in the opposite direction of the airflow, and this use of the tongue prevents the most natural passage of air, thus losing sound projection, potentially creating strange noises in the sound, and resulting in unclear articulation. In such cases, the reaction of the tongue in a quick staccato is slow because it requires a long movement inside the mouth. To simulate this, say several times quickly the syllable "la;" then say quickly the syllable "thoo." We quickly realize the clumsiness of the syllable "la" and the lightness of the syllable "thoo."
The use of syllables depends on the interpreter and his language. Philip Farkas, in his book The Art of French Horn Playing, page 49, refers to the attack using the syllables "too" for a more marked attack and "doo" for a softer attack. David Bushouse in his book Practical Hints on Playing the French Horn, page 9, uses the syllables "toe" and "doe." In Collected Thoughts on Teaching and Learning, Creativity, and Horn Performance, Douglas Hill says that, in general, brass players ought to use the most common consonants "t" and "d" to the beginning of the note but after the air is released we include the vowel quality of the tone such as "tah" or "dah," "toh" or "doh."
There is further discussion between some composers and horn players about what syllables should be used for attacks. John Humphries mentioned this in his book: “Punto recommends “daon” on a strongly tongued note, “ta” for staccato and “da” softly tongued notes in Adagios. Dauprat agrees with this in theory, but then points out that in practice the issue is irrelevant as tonguing and speaking are mutually exclusive. Domnich suggests “tou” or “dou,” but Gallay disagrees, saying Duvernoy’s “tu” is the only acceptable syllable."[1]
To identify the position of the tongue, we take the two simple types of articulation, that of the soft attack where we use the letter "D," then "T" for a more pronounced attack. In the attacks with "D" and "T," the tongue maintains almost the same contact with the palate, the only difference being that the attack with "T" creates tension as the tongue touches the palate while "D" does not.
Analyzing the attack during music of a more leisurely tempo, we can see that it occurs when we remove the tongue from the palate, pulling it in a downward direction to allow the air to flow between the lips, using the tongue as a valve. To develop the attack as fast as possible, it is necessary to use a legato “doe” syllable which requires less time for each new attack.
Another important aspect to consider in articulation is double- and triple-tonguing. Players develop multiple tonguing normally for groups of notes in fast tempos. This consists of using the normal “T” attack alternating with the pronunciation of the consonant “K” from the middle of the tongue. The principal reason for multiple tonguing is to allow the air to pulsate rapidly. The syllables we use for multiple tonguing are "tu-ku tu-ku," but for more fluency and better connections between each articulation, we can use the syllables "tug-gut tug-gut." However, this type of attack creates difficulty with the clarity of sound and, if not properly executed, also in executing the articulation. Douglas Hill contributes to this topic asserting, “The tongue going back and forth, rather than up and down, causes the k syllable to be too far back in the throat, while the t strikes [too] far in the front. This slows down the action and separates the articulations, which causes an uneven air pulsation at the aperture with the guttural k sound usually much less precise than the t.”[2]
For a more specific discussion of the use of the tongue for articulation and control of dynamics while taking into account the correct management of air, we will briefly review nine common techniques regularly utilized in performance.
1 Staccato
We relate the attack of the note to the syllable "tuh," with the "h" used to create the resonance of the note. To articulate a consecutive group of notes, we use the top of the tip of the tongue to touch between the root of the teeth and palate, repeating this action only for the next note. The air flow is not stopped abruptly; it is only interrupted by the movement of the tongue upward and downward.
2 Staccatissimo
The action of the tongue is the same as in staccato, but we use the syllable "tu" and stop the air pressure immediately after a short puff of air, almost at the moment the note begins to sound, thus obtaining a dry sound. It is important not to use the syllable "tut" to get a good staccatissimo attack, since the "t" at the end closes the lips with the tongue, and results in an unclear sound and weakened projection.
3 Slur
The first note played after breathing is always articulated by the tongue. This is necessary to start the lips vibrating. The following slurred notes are controlled by the air and the continuity of the vibration of the lips. If air flow is stopped, the vibration of the lips also stops, causing a break in the legato. The lips are vibrated by the air column, and a good legato requires that the air flow never stops between notes. There is a very common problem associated with slurred intervals: as we make the jump to get to the next note, we push the air causing an accentuation of the second note. This problem is created by inconsistency of the air flow. For a good legato, we need a continuous air flow and consistent air compression to reach each note.
4 Legato tonguing
Here, the tongue is used in conjunction with the lips. When the slur is upward, the tongue should be in the bottom of the mouth for the initial pitch, forming the vowel "o;" and for the second note, the tongue moves to the position of the vowel "e," with this last position creating a smaller passage for easier air compression. For the downward slur, we employ the opposite order: the vowel "e" for the first note and "o" for the second. The air works just like in the slur, as explained above. Depending on the range or the distance of the interval, the vowels "o" and "e" vary in their position. For the higher notes, the tongue should be more arched and upward than in the mid-range.
5 Pianissimo
To develop a good pianissimo, it is important to understand that a smaller amount of air travels through the lips. The player should not breathe too deeply (as for a long phrase). But, of course, a constant air speed must be maintained, and the pressure against the mouthpiece should be controlled in order not to inhibit the sensitivity of the lips’ vibrations.
6 Fortissimo
The diaphragm must be supported with full intensity to give the necessary force to the air stream while embouchure tension contributes only a little to the process. A big fortissimo depends largely on the air capacity of each performer. If we try to exceed our lung capacity, pitch will be affected, and we lose projection and the center of the tone.
7 Sforzando
The sforzando attack is made by completely sealing the air column, with the tongue placed very near the aperture, maybe even touching the lips (but not protruding between them), and the diaphragm “shoves” the air while the tongue releases sharply.
8 Diminuendo
The most important aspect of making a gradual diminuendo is the correct use of air. The speed is maintained so that the pitch does not drop, but the quantity of air should decrease. When we want to create a pianissimo decrescendo, we must avoid increasing the pressure of the mouthpiece against the lips so that the vibrations do not stop.
9 Crescendo
The player must increase air speed with the aid of diaphragm support to arrive easily at the volume desired. Embouchure control also contributes to the stability of the sound.
[1] HUMPHRIES, John: "The Early Horn: A Practical Guide," page 66.
[2] HILL, Douglas: “Collected Thoughts on Teaching and Learning, Creativity, and Horn Performance,” p. 2001.
What better way to start the new year than by announcing six more featured artists for IHS 55! All are well-known players and teachers from all over the world, and we are looking forward to meeting them, sharing with them, and, of course, listening to them play.
The BBC Music Magazine says of Ursula Paludan Monberg: “The Danish horn player..., thoroughly in command of her instrument, produces a miraculously smooth and agile line with secure tuning.”
Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Andrew Bain has held positions and soloed around the world, including across Australasia, Europe, and the United States where he settled as principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2011.
Since receiving degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and SUNY Stony Brook, Jeff Scott has enjoyed a career as a studio, chamber, and orchestral musician, performing in Broadway shows and with ballet companies, touring with various commercial artists, and recording for film, classical, pop, and jazz genres.
At the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019, Yun Zeng, at the age of 19, became the first ever gold medalist in the brass category and the first Chinese gold medalist in the instrumental categories. In 2022, he became principal horn of Staatskapelle Berlin.
Since 2017, Jean-Christophe Vervoitte has initiated with musician friends—members of Les Arts Florissants, the Orchestre de Paris, and the Ensemble Intercontemporain—a collaboration of chamber music in the framework of the programming of the Philharmonie de Paris. Since their creation, these chamber music concerts have considerably enriched the range of themes offered, and the public has given these concerts an enthusiastic welcome.
A native of Vancouver, B.C., and our first Canadian featured artist so far, Allene Hackleman has been principal horn of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2004. Allene is a member of the Canadian National Brass Project and has performed with this group at the Festival de Lanaudière and at the Toronto Summer Music Festival. In 2015, Allene was invited to teach masterclasses at the Musikacademy in Belgrade, Serbia. She currently teaches at the University of Alberta.
You can read more about all the featured artists at www.ihs55.org/artists.
To register for IHS 55—and to take advantage of our early-bird offers—visit www.ihs55.org/rates-registration.
by Jeff Scott, IHS 55 Featured Artist
In my playing and teaching career, I’ve thought a lot about embouchures. It’s a fancy word for a simple thing: you put the mouthpiece on your lips, and you play. How could such a simple thing be so complicated?
I went through college and graduate school questioning my mouthpiece placement and mouthpiece size. I am African American, with fleshy lips, particularly my lower lip. I tried to position my mouthpiece the way my teachers suggested, but it never felt good. It just seemed impossible to get enough of my lower lip inside the rim of the mouthpiece. I have this distinct memory of my mouthpiece sliding down my upper lip as I tried to play and reposition to two-thirds upper, one-third lower.
Finally in my doctoral study, a saint entered my life: the late Jerome Ashby, Associate Principal Horn of the New York Philharmonic from 1979-2007. Mr. Ashby did two things for me that changed my life as a horn player.
First, he found a mouthpiece that worked for me. Mr. Ashby gave me a mouthpiece with a much larger interior dimension which allowed for more of my lower lip to fit. Most importantly, this extra space allowed the “sweet spot” of the embouchure, the aperture, to resonate (buzz) freely. I played a note, and it was like the heavens opened and revealed themselves to me! The right mouthpiece and rim made an enormous—and immediate—improvement in my horn playing.
Mr. Ashby also validated my technique. My setup is unconventional. To that point, in all the books on horn playing I’d read, I saw nothing on this topic. Mr. Ashby was the missing chapter that gave me confidence in my horn playing; he encouraged me to play like me.
My cardinal rule of embouchure now is this: be comfortable. Of course, some students come to me with a setup that is destined to cause problems. A typical scenario: a student has the mouthpiece too high (almost entirely on the upper lip) or too low (almost entirely on the lower lip). Such a student will typically have a discernably stronger and weaker range, combined with limited flexibility. A very slight adjustment to bring the mouthpiece higher or lower can work wonders in this situation. But it must be slight. Big changes create discomfort, and discomfort is the enemy of good horn playing.
I used to look at Philip Farkas’ book A Photographic Study of 40 Virtuoso Horn Players’ Embouchures and think, “None of these embouchures looks like mine.” But we all have different sized lips, different mouth shapes, different teeth settings. So, I have some advice for young horn players: find comfort. You may not set up the same way as your teacher (I certainly tell my students not to try to look like me when they play), and that is ok. If the comfortable spot for your embouchure is somewhat off center, that’s probably all right; some of the best brass players I know play a little off center. Also, what you see in the mirror when you play, and what your teacher observes when you play, does not tell the whole story. Things may look very different inside the mouthpiece than they look on the outside.
If you have a huge struggle to play low or high, you may need to make a change, but it should probably be a small change. Don’t be radical since that will take you away from comfort. If you do need to move the mouthpiece to a new position, you may have a temporary setback in accuracy, range, or endurance, or maybe all three. Work slowly to build back your comfort.
Talk with your teacher about mouthpieces. There are very few mouthpieces out there that feel comfortable to me, and you may have the same experience. I’m working with a mouthpiece maker right now, developing a prototype of a mouthpiece that feels perfect for me. But we’re all different. One thing is for sure, though: a mouthpiece that doesn’t fit your mouth will give you constant grief.
If you feel bad when you play the horn, you probably won’t sound very good. Work with your teacher to find comfort. Your lips should fit against the mouthpiece in a way that makes the instrument feel like it is a part of you, the way your head feels when it hits the pillow!
Once you have that all set, get practicing!
by Ian Zook
Volume 4—Milan Yancich
With more votes cast on the Horn on Record website for this month's topic, we will visit a pedagogical recording from noted orchestral performer and teacher, Milan Yancich. Yancich is joined by Edwin McArthur on piano, and together they perform the complete collection of solo works he arranged and published for Wind Music, Inc. titled 15 Solos for French Horn.
This recording, from 1978 and produced by Helden Records, provides interpretative recordings of each selection from his volume of arrangements. These songs are derived from opera arias, and repertoire for both violin and piano, as well as one original composition for horn. In the preface of the printed edition (and also on the reverse album jacket), Yancich explains:
"The Mastersong solos found in this book represent some of the great composers in the world. Each bears the hallmark of genius and originality. Our goal is to stir the audience with emotion, and to do this the player must enter into the spirit of the text of the song or musical composition. He must understand the correct tempo and the constant modifications of tempo, dynamics, and special accents which are the life of the music."
Milan Yancich (1921-2007) was born in Whiting, Indiana and he studied at the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. During his early career from 1946-1952, he played with Columbus Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra. He began teaching at the Eastman School of Music in 1957 while performing with the Rochester Philharmonic.
He owned a publishing business, Wind Music Inc., for which he both composed pieces and wrote pedagogical methods. Many of these are still in use today, including his Practical Guide to French Horn Playing, Method for French Horn Volumes I & II, and his arrangement of Bach’s 6 Suites for Cello. His book, An Orchestral Musician’s Odyssey: A View from the Rear is an account of his life and that of many notable musicians of that era including George Szell, Erich Leinsdorf, and Howard Hanson, as well as a matter-of-fact exposé of a musician’s life in the orchestra.
Yancich was on the IHS advisory council for two separate terms (’81-’84, ’98-’01) and was honored with the Punto Award in 1997 at the annual symposium hosted by the Eastman School of Music. Yancich also collaborated with Alexander horns to create the “Heldenhorn” Geyer-wrap model, which was recently re-introduced in 2017 as the Model 1106. As if more proof of his musical influence was needed, look no further than his children who also became professional musicians: Mark is timpanist of the Atlanta Symphony, and Paul is timpanist of the Cleveland Orchestra!
Yancich’s 15 Solos was made as a companion recording for his collection of arrangements. The first ten songs are easily approachable for early performers, as the tempos, key signatures, meters, ranges, and brevity allow for one to concentrate on sound, phrase, and expression. As Yancich emphasizes in the preface, “All successful performance results in the power to stir an audience with emotion.”
The remaining five solos increase in difficulty considerably, incorporating lip trills, high tessitura lines, rapid technical passagework, and many opportunities for bravura interpretations.
Now, let's enjoy some samples of the music on this album!
The melancholy melody in Edvard Grieg’s Solveig’s Song is played with pensive mystery:
Another somber tune from Jules Massenet’s Elegy pairs Yancich’s round tone with his yearning interpretation:
Yancich also played with humor in his arrangement of the Cavatina from Rossini’s Barber of Seville:
To conclude the album, Yancich dazzles with his rendition of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumble Bee!
Happy New Year to all, near and far, from Horn on Record!
by Frøydis Ree Wekre
When asked to give a lecture during the Lieksa Brass Week, I admit that I suggested this theme myself. However, the reason was not that I consider myself an expert—rather, the opposite.
However, I did want to take a closer look at this subject and find out more about it, and thus maybe find new ways for continuing progress as a musician (and brass player).
I am sorry to report that I found more questions than answers in my ‘research.’ Nevertheless, I think some of these questions are important and well worth sharing.
The world of performing musicians is a very sensitive one, and the general level of tension is rather high. In chamber music, the rehearsals usually include comments, feedback, and discussions; the more gracefully the members of the group can give and receive such messages, the better the progress and the musical result. Without having made any obvious ‘mistakes,’ a musician can also expect messages and critique from colleagues with different tastes and opinions.
In an orchestra, the individual member will receive feedback mostly from the conductor and from the principal player in his/her section—feedback based on their particular tastes. Comments from other colleagues may occur, but less frequently, unless you ask for them yourself.
But first, let me try to make the meaning of the word feedback in this context more precise. In Norwegian, this word is tilbakemelding, which would translate directly as “message back.” The first question then is: what kind of message, and back after what?
The message could be words or body-language signals from other people about a musical task that you just performed, or more generally about your playing, not in reference to a specific musical event. In other words, a response from the society around you as to how they respond to your music-making, whether they like what you are doing, or whether they like some parts of what you are doing more or less than other parts, not to mention the possibility that they actively dislike what they are hearing….
Sometimes, it will be YOU who gives these messages to the other musicians, for various reasons. For example, if you are a conductor or a teacher, it is your job to send out various messages to improve the musical result coming from your group or a singular student. But also, just as a colleague, it might be a natural thing to do occasionally.
Hence, I will start by discussing the GIVING of feedback.
WHO can give musical feedback to others?
Since the teacher and the conductor are both professional feedback-givers I chose not to discuss their jobs here; that is a huge subject, though, for another discussion, another time.
WHY would you give feedback to others? (What is your motivation?)
WHERE and WHEN could feedback be given?
HOW could feedback be given?
Good teachers (and some conductors) know to find the right balance between [1] the positive and encouraging feedback, so necessary for self-confidence and bravery, and [2] the constructive critique, comments, or suggestions so necessary for progress and development.
While only dealing with good teachers, we live in a protected world. Out there, in the real world, the feedback does not always appear in a gentle ‘wrapping.’
When you yourself are the one who gives the feedback, you are in control—at least theoretically—as to the way the message is delivered, with what words, tone of voice, timing, etc.
RECEIVING feedback, especially, the kind that contains some suggestions to improve or to change the way you just performed, can sometimes be hard to deal with.
One example from orchestral life: a principal wind player performed a small cadenza in his part during a rehearsal. (It is necessary to know that this musician’s father happened to be a professional musician as well, playing the same instrument in one of the major US orchestras, and this father was also known to be considered a personal enemy by the son’s conductor.) The conductor stopped, looked at him very negatively and said with an arrogant voice, “WHO taught you to play it LIKE THAT?” After a few seconds of silence, the wind player replied calmly, “How would you like me to play this solo?” This musician chose to ignore the immature, childish part of the conductor’s personality, and just to listen to that part of the message which concerned the music; the conductor wanted to hear the solo played differently, and thus the musician’s job was to find out how.
It takes a true ‘adult’ person to control the reactions to feedback presented in such a negative way.
On the other hand, I have also seen extremely emotional and/or angry reactions to very careful and mild instructions or suggestions. Some people look calm and collected on the outside, while the inside is like a time bomb of nerves and insecurity.
Looking into the REASONS for such immediate, emotional reactions, there are many interesting possibilities:
Also, some musicians with a very high level of inner stress feel that any kind of feedback might be devastating to their performance. Therefore, they choose to argue back, walk away, or ignore the message somehow in order to protect themselves.
And, of course there are times when it is really necessary for most of us to protect ourselves against difficult suggestions that occur at the last minute, or that demand skills that we simply do not have at that moment, due to fatigue or whatever.
Nevertheless, I think that the ability to react calmly and with dignity can be trained.
Nobody is perfect, neither the one who delivers the feedback, nor the one who receives it. We all make mistakes, whether in the actual performing of music, or in the way we deal with our colleagues/friends/students/teachers/conductors/family. Interesting and important is how we handle our mistakes.
A proverb says that the fool always makes the same mistakes; the smart always makes new ones.
When being told of a possible mistake, there is a choice on how to react: allow some time for cooling down, and then ask yourself, “Is there in this feedback a possibility to learn something?” To find out for sure, it might be wise to seek a second opinion from somebody else whom you trust.
If the answer to the question is NO, you will probably need to defend yourself mentally by ignoring the given feedback.
However, if the question can be answered with YES, do consider the comment! It might help your progress, maybe not right there and then, but hopefully some time down the road.
The art of receiving feedback—whether we asked for it or not, and whether the words, the timing, and the person delivering it were all wrong or right: by considering the content of the given feedback, you might be able to eliminate some old mistakes and start looking for new ones. And after all, it is boring to keep repeating the old mistakes…maybe being the only one around who is not even aware of them!
Lieksa, July 21, 1990
Frøydis Ree Wekre
| Organizational Resources | |||
|
International Horn Society
|
| Network |
| Members Only (log in first) |
