The Horn Call Podcast

Episode 24: American Horn Quartet at the 2021 Northeast Horn Workshop

Join us for a rebroadcast of a live podcast on March 27, 2021 from the Northeast Horn Workshop hosted by Jonas Thoms and Albert Houde from West Virginia University. American Horn Quartet members joined from the Philharmonie Luxembourg: Kerry Turner, Geoffrey Winter, Kristina Mascher-Turner, and Guest Frank Lloyd https://www.hornquartet.com/ 

Episode Highlights

• The origin of the AHQ
• How each of the members came to live/study/work in Europe
• Anecdotes from tours over the past few decades
• The equipment they play
• How they developed a group sound
• How do they approach learning/rehearsing new repertoire in the quartet
• Suggestions for those who want to start a chamber group
• Things they know now that they wish they had known when they were in school and/or just starting out
• The relationship of the AHQ to the IHS - how important the IHS has been to them as a quartet and as individuals.

Episode 23: Randall Faust and the IHS Composition Contest

Join me for in Episode 23 for a conversation with Randall Faust about the IHS Composition Contest.

Episode Highlights

• Brief history of the composition contest: https://www.hornsociety.org/about-the-ihs/composition-projects/composition-contest 
• How things have changed.
• Structure/Divisions
• Reasons why composers should participate.
• Advice for composers, and what makes a good composition for horn.
• Who can participate?
• What are the awards?
• For even more details about the history of the competition, get the IHS 50th Anniversary Book: https://www.hornsociety.org/257-uncategorised/1665-the-international-horn-society-the-first-50-years 

Hornist, composer, author, and professor, Randall Faust has contributed to the horn community both regionally, in Western Illinois, and internationally, through the IHS and other organizations. Randy has participated in many IHS symposiums and was host of the 2009 International Horn Symposium in Macomb IL.

Faust is a retired professor of music at Western Illinois University, and performed as hornist of the Camerata Woodwind Quintet and LaMoine Brass Quintet. He has hosted the annual Western Illinois Horn Festival—bringing a variety of outstanding hornists and clinicians to the WIU Campus—and in 2009, he hosted the 41st International Horn Symposium of the International Horn Society. He has participated in regional and international symposiums. His compositions, including Quartet for Four Horns in memory of Philip Farkas, are often heard on concerts and in recordings. He has produced an instructional DVD, How to Stop a Horn. He performs and records, including works of contemporary composers. Performance credits include broadcasts over Peach State Public Radio during 12 years as principal horn of the Columbus (Georgia) Symphony Orchestra and recording as a member of the Clarion Wind Symphony.

Randy was born in 1947 in Vermillion, South Dakota, into a musical family. He studied at Interlochen, Eastern Michigan University (BS 1972), Minnesota State University Mankato (MM 1973), and the University of Iowa (DMA 1980). His horn teachers have included Marvin Howe, John Berg, Marvin McCoy, Don Haddad, Eugene Wade, Orrin Olson, Paul Anderson, Michael Hatfield, Arnold Jacobs, and Helen Kotas Hirsch; his composition teachers were Rolf Scheurer, Warren Benson, Anthony Iannaccone, Peter Tod Lewis, and Donald Martin Jenni. He has taught at Shenandoah University (1973-1982) and Auburn University (1982-1997), and has been on the faculty of the Interlochen Center for the Arts for over two decades. In 2006 he recorded Fantasies on American Themes, a CD of compositions by William Presser.

Randy’s articles and reviews have appeared in The Horn Call since 1980. He chronicled the work of his teacher, IHS Honorary Member Marvin Howe, in a 1996 Horn Call article “Marvin Howe, Singer of Smooth Melodies,” in his edition of Marvin Howe's The Singing Hornist (2001), an ongoing series of instructional videos, and in a lecture/performance involving many former Howe students at the 2016 International Horn Symposium.

Randy’s compositions have been performed at the International Trumpet Guild, the International Trombone Association, the National Gallery of Art, and the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall and have been the subject of several doctoral dissertations. His music has been recorded on Albany Records, MSR Classics, Crystal Records, Summit Records, and ACA Digital Recordings by artists such as The Palisades Virtuosi, Andrew Pelletier, David Griffin, Ralph Lockwood, Steven Gross, Michael Hatfield, Randy Gardner, David Krehbiel, and Douglas Hill. He and his wife, Sharon, have been publishing his compositions through Faust Music since 1974.

In addition to his activities with the IHS, Randy has been president of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (1992-1994) and has served as Interim Chair of the Western Illinois Department of Music. He has been honored by the Western Illinois University Chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi as its Outstanding Artist for 2004 and in 2006 and 2010 by the College of Fine Arts and Communication with its Creative Activity Award. He has received the ASCAP Award in annually since 1990 and the Orpheus Award from The Auburn University Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity in 1987.
Randy has served on the IHS Advisory Council (1984-1990), as Secretary-Treasurer (1986-1987), President (1987–1990), Music Review Editor for The Horn Call (1981-1990), and Composition Contest Coordinator since 2013. He received the Punto Award in 2009 and was elected an IHS Honorary Member in 2016.

Summer 2022 Bonus Episode: Equipment Talk with John Ericson

With https://ihs54.com/ coming up, I thought it would be a great time to talk about equipment! Join Arizona State University's Professor of Horn, John Ericson, and me for a deep dive into mouthpieces and more!

• Check out the Horn Notes Podcast: https://hornnotes.libsyn.com/ 
• Inner Diameter can make a big difference!
• Buying mouthpieces, then versus now.
• Laskey mouthpieces and inner diameter. https://www.laskey.com/ 
• What do the numbers on mouthpieces mean?
• What does it feel like to play on a larger inner diameter?
• “Thousandths of an inch really matter.”
• Old school mouthpieces and consistency/quality control
• John Stork article on mouthpieces
• Why you should own at least five mouthpieces.
• How to test a horn/mouthpiece at a conference.
• Precision and how it affects horn building. So many variables! Example: bell rim
• “It’s difficult to really hear yourself.”
• Always test the high B-flat!

 

Episode 22: Julia Burtscher

My very special guest for Episode 22 is Julia Burtscher, Executive Director of the International Horn Society!

Julia Burtscher has been playing the horn for over 30 years and lives in Toledo, Ohio. She earned a BA in Music from the University of Cincinnati and later earned her MBA from the same institution. Julia has spent most of her career in the railroad software industry, and is delighted to be the new executive director of the IHS! 

Episode Highlights

• Julia’s path to becoming Executive Director of the IHS
• Working for the Cincinnati Symphony
• Railroads are complicated!
• “I never stopped playing…”
• “The horn is my stress relief…”
• Natural horn study
• Shoutout to Paul Austin
• Cincinnati sports teams
• What does the Executive Director do?
• Updated IHS Mission Statement
• How her experience in other careers helps her be an effective leader/administrator for the IHS, and how her training as a musician helps her succeed in other areas/careers.
• Experience as an amateur musician in the IHS
• Current and/or future initiatives for the IHS, and how IHS members can play a part

Episode 21: Mike Harcrow

Episode 21 features Dr. Mike Harcrow, Professor of Horn at Messiah College, and the new editor of the IHS E-newsletter Horn and More.

• Episode Highlights
• Performing and teaching in Korea
• Auditioning for the Korean Symphony Orchestra
• “Those are all the things I love: horn, brass choir, and theory.”
• Playing injury
• Jeju Brass competition
• Kruspe Horns http://edkruspe.com/horn.html
• Horn and More E-Newsletter: Making the IHS more international
• “I’m a gear head!”
• “There’s something really lovely about the Kruspe horn”
• Shoutout to Dan Phillips!
• Shoutout to Pat Hughes!
• Bring back the Horn Call Annual
• “We can take ourselves too seriously…”

Dr. Mike Harcrow is a Texas native who holds music degrees from West Texas State University, the University of Miami, and the University of North Texas. For nearly fourteen years, Dr. Harcrow was an active performer and teacher in South Korea where he held faculty positions at Mokwon University in Taejon and at the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul; he was concurrently principal horn in the Korean Symphony Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center. In the United States, he has been a member of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, the Miami City Ballet Orchestra, and the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, in addition to performing regularly with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, among others. He previously taught at Texas Woman’s University and Midwestern State University.

He currently performs with the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet Orchestra, and, each summer, with the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, and he is a frequent guest section player with the Harrisburg and York Symphony Orchestras. Dr. Harcrow is an artist representative for Kruspe Horns as well as holding the position of contributing editor for the International Horn Society E-Newsletter. He is founder of the Covered Bridge Brass (a community-service performing ensemble), manager of the Chesapeake Brass, and he is an active composer and adjudicator. At Messiah University, in addition to his teaching and coaching responsibilities, he performs with the Faculty Brass Quintet and manages both BrassCross and The President’s Brass, the university’s faculty-student brass ensembles.

Episode 20: Jennifer Sholtis

My very special guest for Episode 20 is Dr. Jennifer Sholtis, Professor of Horn at Texas A&M University Kingsville, and the Host of IHS54. Join us for a conversation all about IHS54!

Episode Highlights

• About Dr. Sholtis and Texas A&M Kingsville
• “Never close any doors.”
• An introduction to South Texas.
• IHS54 facilities: https://youtu.be/2nIOpCWx6EU
• What attendees can expect at IHS54.
• Unique aspects of this year’s symposium
• King Ranch
• COVID Protocols during IHS54
• Please register for IHS54!
• Social areas during IHS54 - Lobby Cafe and Veranda After Dark
• IHS Competitions – watch for the deadlines!
• IHS54 Competitions – Jazz Horn, Natural Horn, University Horn
• Ensemble, Professional Horn Ensemble, University Horn Quartet,
• Professional Horn Quartet, Pre-University Competition
• Youth Days - August 5-6
• Shoutout to Marilyn Bone Kloss!
• Different “tracks” at IHS54 for Students, Amateurs, Professionals, Teachers, etc.
• Information for exhibitors – will be in same building as events
• IHS54 Sponsorships: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver levels
• Advice for future symposium hosts
• Texas Barbecue and Mariachi Music!
• For more information, visit IHS54.com!
• Call for proposals! *Not fully accepted until person has registered for the symposium. Especially interested in youth-oriented and amateur-oriented presentations: warmup, technique, literature, etc. 

 

Episode 19: Johanna Lundy

My guest for this episode of The Horn Call Podcast is Johanna Lundy, Assistant Professor of Horn in the Fred Fox School of Music at The University of Arizona, and Principal Horn of the Tucson Symphony. Johanna is also a member of the IHS Advisory Council and IHS Treasurer. Join us for a conversation about careers in (and out of) music, and the amazing skills that musical training teaches you.

Episode Highlights

• Studying with Richard Deane in high school
• Studying at Oberlin
• Aspen and Brevard Music Festivals in the summer
• Grad study at New England Conservatory
• You have to take a lot of auditions to be successful
• Moving to Arizona from New England
• Jobs outside of music
• Teaching opportunities – classroom teaching – managing a classroom is drastically different than private lessons.
• Working in development while also playing in the Tucson Symphony
• Running a non-profit is really hard!
• “Musicians have amazing skillsets.”
• For job searches, it’s “Can you figure out how to do the job,” not “Do you already know how to do the job?”
• “Working with young people is really inspiring.”
• Why a music degree is really awesome, no matter what it leads to.
• Balancing a teaching and orchestra job.
• A lot of musicians would learn a lot from holding a day job. We forget how much stuff is taken care of for us.
• Explaining what musicians do to non-musicians – “working on deadline.”
• Band directors work so hard!
• IHS AC Council Member and Treasurer

Episode 18: Larry Williams

Welcome to 2022 everyone! My guest for the first episode of the New Year is Larry Williams!

Hornist Larry Williams has distinguished himself as a multifaceted performing and recording artist, teacher and administrator. Williams is currently Principal Horn of American Studio Orchestra, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Lyric Brass Quintet, Rooftop Wind Quintet, and Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass. 

Williams formerly served as Principal Horn of The New World Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras, among others. His wide range of musical styles include: solo & chamber repertoire, orchestral, jazz, contemporary, film, and commercial music.  

Williams has performed on tours of the US, Russia, China, Japan, and UK, and has performed with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Arturo Sandoval, and others. An active soloist and recitalist, Williams has premiered and recorded several horn concerti including: Concerto for Horn and Wind Ensemble by composer Thomas Bough, Black Forest Concerto for Horn and Orchestra by composer James Schroeder, and has recorded several solo and chamber music albums.

Equally passionate about education, Williams currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Horn at Washington Adventist University, and is the Director of DMV Horn Academy. Williams served on the faculty of The Peabody Conservatory, Florida International University, and served as Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. Larry Williams is a Yamaha Performing Artist/Clinician, and performs exclusively on Yamaha Custom Horns.

• Episode Highlights
• Learning what a Provost does/moving into an Administrative position at Johns Hopkins
• Returning/transitioning back to teaching and playing: “Repaying my dues”
• Compared to the old days of online teaching, Zoom is really nice!
• Upcoming performances
• Gateways Festival Orchestra: https://www.gatewaysmusicfestival.org/
• American Studio Orchestra
• Skills from music that helped in his administrative work and vice versa
• Collaborative skills!
• “I’ve learned to listen to my inner voice when it talks to me.”
• Horn players are resilient, curious people.
• “I had no idea you could major in music…”
• Auditioning for the New World Symphony
• Discovering that what works for him is doing a variety of different things – teaching, orchestral playing, chamber music, etc.
• Recruiting strategies and philosophies: you have to think long term, invest in the faculty, make sure the faculty are buying in and taking ownership of the recruiting process; get the students out and about–exposure to potential students
• “The IHS made me feel like I was part of a big horn-playing family.”

Episode 17: Daren Robbins

My guest for the final episode of 2021 is Dr. Daren Robbins, Instructor of Horn at Mahidol University in Thailand, and the creator of hornexcerpts.org

Daren Robbins has been on the faculty of the College of Music at Mahidol University (Bangkok, Thailand) since 2008, where he teaches horn, brass literature and pedagogy, coaches chamber music, and performs with BrassArts Bangkok, the Mahidol Faculty Woodwind quintet, and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also an active member of the International Horn Society where he serves as Regional Coordinator for Thailand. For ten years, he served as Editor of the IHS Online Music Sales program. Daren maintains an active and multi-faceted performance career, and has conducted solo recitals and masterclasses at universities throughout the U.S. and Asia as well as performed and presented at International Symposiums in Australia, Europe and the U.S. He is the creator of the website hornexcerpts.org, which has become the most frequently visited horn-related website on the internet.

Episode Highlights

• Moving to Thailand, teaching at Mahidol University
• “Different, in a refreshing way”
• HornPure horn ensemble
• Shoutout to the American Horn Quartet!
• Enthusiasm for classical music
• Performing with the Thailand Phil and being the orchestra manager
• Hosting the London Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic
• “It’s easy to get everybody to agree something needs to be changed, but it’s quite difficult to get them to agree how to change it.”
• Orchestra librarians
• “It’s not enough anymore to teach students how to play the Strauss Concerto.”
• https://www.aubreybergauer.com/about
• https://orchestraexcerpts.com/horn
• https://www.hornrep.com/ 
• https://hornoperaproject.org/ 
• Remember cassette tapes?
• Other horn excerpt websites
• Shoutout to IHS webmaster Dan Phillips!

2021 Holiday Bonus Episode: Gail Williams

Join us for a very special Holiday Bonus Edition of The Horn Call Podcast! This interview with Gail Williams was recorded at the 2019 Western Horn Festival hosted by Dr. Jena Gardner at Western Illinois University.