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Sabbatical Extra: Comparisons of the finished horns, and a video
During and immediately following my sabbatical semester from ASU I completed four major horn rebuilding projects, documented in this series of articles on Horn Matters. All of them are nominally single...
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On the topic of phrasing
As we come back from over a year of spotty, Covid era practice, one thing I have observed is a lack of dynamics and phrasing. Of my own students, I’m seeing great improvement after only a couple...
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Pro tips as you get back into ensemble rehearsals
With the beginning of ensemble rehearsals after the long break for COVID, it is great time to revisit some of the challenges for horn players. [NOTE: Episode 48 of the Horn Notes Podcast expands on the...
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Could the Kruspe style horn come back?
At one time Kruspe style double horns (especially the Conn 8D) were a dominant horn type among professional hornists in the USA. That market has dramatically shifted in recent years to Geyer style...
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A correct approach to Till, from Farkas
Till is one of those essential excerpts we all learn, and it has a correct interpretation. One person who got the correct interpretation directly from a source that knew how it was meant to be played...
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When “more air” is too much air — and causes problems
Standard issue brass playing advice – for practically any problem! – is to use “more air.” For some brass teachers (especially low brass), breathing is practically a religion, and “more air” the...
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Commentary: The missing articulations
A topic I think about every year when I hear college auditions is that of the “missing articulations.” Often it is a function of what things your teachers emphasized and what you are able to do. To be...
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Brief Review: International Horn Society: The First 50 Years
A very big book that came out in late 2021, International Horn Society: The First 50 Years contains an amazingly complete look at the first 50 years of the IHS. While largely authored by Jeffrey...
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Vintage Mellophone Bells — and Natural Horns?
My big idea project over winter break was to build the natural horn seen below, using a 1930 Conn mellophone bell I had found on eBay. It was my second horn build of this type. My original mellophone...
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Brief Review: Corno da Capo: The Life and Adventures of an 18th Century Horn...
Let me get straight to the point: If you like books, you should read this book. Corno da Capo by Richard Seraphinoff is certainly the most interesting and significant horn publication to come out in...
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On Mentorship, Believing in Yourself, and Recovery from Abuse
This photo and the memories associated with it are among my most prized possessions. This is Milan Yancich, the man who saved my creative soul. There is a bit of a story to tell, but it has a valuable...
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Music-Making and Personal Identity
In a previous article, I told the story of how I came to study with my mentor, Milan Yancich. At the time I felt broken, both as a musician and human being. Worth exploring further is an overview of...
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Cruel Teacher, or Demanding Teacher?
Following up on the recent posts from Bruce Hembd, the topic of the CT (Cruel Teacher) is one that has resonated with many horn players and has brought some thoughts to greater clarity for myself. I...
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The Enduring Enigma of Dale Clevenger
I have to confess something. I have mixed feelings about Dale Clevenger and his legacy. When I say this, please realize that this opinion comes from a limited perspective. It comes with a caveat. At...
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Response to “Clevenger Enigma”
In response to posting on Reddit my most recent article on Dale Clevenger, an anonymous Reddit user gave this response. It is worth repeating and sharing here at Horn Matters: People are many things....
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Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing – A Cautionary Tale on Predators & the Cult...
Long ago at a close relative’s wedding, a pastor raised his hand to speak. He took out a letter from his pocket. It was from a critic. He read aloud a few passages from the letter and then rebuked...
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Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing – A Cautionary Tale on Predators & the Cult...
* Part I is here. In a previous article, “On Mentorship, Believing in Yourself, and Recovery from Abuse,” I wrote about my private lesson experiences with Milan Yancich, and how therapeutic and...
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Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing – A Cautionary Tale on Predators & the Cult...
* Part II is here. * Part I is here. In this series, the subject of ethical behavior in the lesson studio is explored and examined. I use examples from my own life to illustrate topics such as: the...
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A Curious Anomaly from Verdi’s “Don Carlo”
Recently on our Horn Matters’ social media accounts, we uploaded a meme related to the perils of horn transposition. It features characters from an old American television show called “The Time...
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The most popular horn solo?
Recently I was looking at a Google stats report for Horn Matters and something jumped out at me. One horn solo in our collection of PDF solos (HERE) had many more downloads than the rest. Care to...
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