The Horn Call Podcast

Episode 33: Panel Discussion at IHS1

In Episode 33 we have more archival audio from the First Annual French Horn Workshop held at Florida State University in 1969. This is a panel discussion with Philip Farkas, Barry Tuckwell, James Chambers, Anton Horner, Wendell Hoss, and Max Pottag. The panel (which appears to be moderated by James Chambers) took written questions, and questions from the floor.

Episode Highlights

• Schools of playing 
• Solo playing developments
• Transposition
• Intonation
• Difficult openings
• Max Pottag and Anton Horner
• Playing in bands

Episode 32: John Barrows at IHS1

In the first of this multi-part series featuring audio from past IHS symposia, John Barrows (1913-1974) gave what sounds like a masterclass at The First Annual French Horn Workshop, held at Florida State University in 1969. At some point during the session he took questions from the floor. 

Episode Highlights

• mouthpieces, Conn 8Ds, and Verne Reynolds
• mouthpieces, his own playing, and Geyer horns
• bore and playing styles
• Bruno Jaenicke (1887-1946) and famous recordings of the time
• playing style, hand stopping 

 

Episode 31: Allison DeMeulle

Join me in Episode 31 for a conversation with IHS Advisory Council Member and Secretary Allison DeMeulle!

Episode Highlights

• Working for an arts non-profit in marketing
• Double-majoring in music performance and a self-designed major in publishing and editing at Chapman University
• Being an orchestra manager while in college
• Being on the IHS Advisory Council
• How graphic design training can help you be a better musician
• Why the marketing side of the arts is very important
• Starting a business: http://themusicalnotes.com/
• Getting excited about IHS55

 

 

Episode 30: Louis-Philippe Marsolais

Join me for a conversation with the host of IHS55, Louis-Philippe Marsolais!

Episode Highlights

• Planning for IHS55, July 24-29
• Involvement with the IHS
• Guest artists so far
• Montreal in the summer, weather, etc.
• University of Montreal
• Reasons to attend IHS55
• Unique features of Montreal, getting there, lodging, travel in the city, etc.
• Check out Louis-Philippe’s article in the February 2023 issue of The Horn Call

Episode 29: Brett Hodge

Join us in Episode 29 for a conversation with the amazing Brett Hodge, Principal Horn of the Omaha Symphony and 3rd Horn of the Grant Park Festival Orchestra.

Episode Highlights

• Musical path on the horn
• Preparing for orchestral auditions
• Growing up in St. Louis, hearing the St. Louis Symphony
• Lightbulb moments
• Differences between music performance and music education
• Studying with Martin Hackleman
• Shoutout to Ryan Gruber!
• Musical heroes
• “When I need to fix something in my playing, I ask someone else.”
• “Even professionals have to work on things.”
• Wind Quintet playing
• Programming, pops repertoire
• “Having an orchestral job is not the only career out there.”
• Shoutout to Chris Castellanos!
• Career development
• “There’s more to life than just practicing…”
• “I’m not what you would call a traditional soloist…”
• Preparing for solo competitions
• Playing with the Grant Park Orchestra
• I don’t feel the need to compete with other people anymore.”
• Inspirations, musical and otherwise
• Shoutout to Josh Johnson!
• “There’s no reason to be afraid to play.”

2022 Holiday Bonus Episode: Alan Civil

I'm excited to share another Holiday Bonus Episode of The Horn Call Podcast! This one features a lecture given by IHS Honorary Member Alan Civil at the 4th International Horn Symposium in 1972 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. A few editorial notes about this archival audio:

• Thanks to Dan Phillips for providing the audio file!
• This recording is 50 years old, and while adequate, the quality is spotty in a few places. I've done what I can to clean it up, and it is pretty clear overall. Mr. Civil's personality and playing come through nicely, which is what matters.
• The title of the lecture is "Are Conductors Afraid of Horn Players?"
• The duets at the end were composed by Alan Civil, and performed by Alan Civil and Shirley Hopkins Civil.

Episode 28: Nancy Joy

My fantastic guest for Episode 28 is Nancy Joy, horn professor at New Mexico State University, and International Symposiums Coordinator for the IHS.

Episode Highlights

• Her very first Horn Symposium in 1980
• Musical journey, impact of Miller's Blackhawks Musical Corps
• Studying with Richard Chenoweth
• Growing up on a (wal)nut farm!
• Falling in love with New Mexico
• Working at a music store
• Moving from Ohio to New Mexico
• Service to the IHS, being International Symposium Coordinator
• Planning for an IHS Symposium
• A sense of family in the IHS
• Memories from past symposiums
• Full chronology of IHS Symposiums: https://www.hornsociety.org/about-the-ihs/symposiums 

Episode 27: Anneke Scott

My amazing guest for Episode 27 is Anneke Scott!

Anneke is at the forefront of the historically informed performance field, and recently performed as a Featured Artist at IHS54 in Kingsville, TX.

Episode Highlights

• Working in Australia, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra
• IHS54 in Kingsville, TX
• Prince Regents Band
• Dealing with jet lag, traveling, etc: “You are just where you are…you are right here right now.  Be rigorous about establishing that you are in that time zone. Eat at the usual times in your current time zone, even if you aren’t hungry. Get outside.”
• Switching between instruments: “Don’t think about what you did yesterday and what you have to do tomorrow, just focus on what you are doing right now.”
• Getting into historically informed performance: “I like the variety of it, and the sense of exploration.”
• Growing up in Birmingham, UK, musical education
• Music Programs at Universities, Conservatories in the UK
• Studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London
• “We have a remarkable history of different kinds of horns…”
• Further study in France, Holland
• Most bizarre instrument you’ve ever played: alto ophicleide with the Prince Regents Band; Corno da tirarsi
• Video project: “Corno not Corona”
• Sense of community with the IHS
• Royal Philharmonic Society
• “We have such wonderful repertoire as horn players.”
• More on switching instruments: “It does get easier.” “I find it useful to play the mouthpieces that go with the instruments.”
• Learning Portuguese!
• Book: Historical Horn Handbook: Volume I: Natural Horn, An Introduction https://www.annekescott.com/the-historic-horn-handbooks
• Jeffrey Snedeker’s Book: Horn Teaching at the Paris Conservatoire, 1792 to 1903 The Transition from Natural Horn to Valved Horn https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003093237/horn-teaching-paris-conservatoire-1792-1903-jeffrey-snedeker 

Episode 26: Isaac Shieh

My guest for Episode 26 is Isaac Shieh, a brilliant hornist based in the UK, by way of Australia. Be sure to follow Isaac on Instagram for some amazing natural horn playing!

Episode Highlights

• PhD Music Programs in the UK
• Moving from Australia to the UK
• The Associate in Music, Australia (AMusA)
• Annemarie Federle
• Musical life in London
• Working with Don Greene, studying performance psychology
• Discrimination
• Getting interested in historical performance, natural horn
• Studying with Anneke Scott, Roger Montgomery
• Gallay Caprices
• Switching back and forth between period and modern instruments
• Video Projects
• Viennese Rotary Horn
• “Breathe-in, breathe-out”
• Auditioning for period orchestras
• Where to find instruments
• New music for natural horn
• Composing

Episode 25: Gabriella Ibarra

Join us in Episode 25 for a conversation with Gabriella Ibarra. Gabriella is an active performer, teacher, and musicologist, and serves on the editorial board of Horn and More, the IHS E-newsletter.

Episode Highlights

• Connecting horn players around the world
• El Sistema
• University system in Venezuela
• Musicological research, history of the horn in Venezuela
• Musical inspirations and role models
• Venezuelan composer for horn: Inocente Carreño
• Latin American Compositions for the Horn: Composition Contest