Chris et al,
You have made a rather curious observation. I too have noted over the years the number of horn players who enjoy shooting and shooting sports. I have also known an equal number of horn players who deplore guns, hunting and anything associated with them.
I, for one, have always enjoyed shooting and although I am generally "Blue State" in my political and social views, I definitely fall into the "Red State" category when it comes to guns, shooting and hunting. (although I myself do not hunt, I support those who do). Perhaps it is because of a youth spent in Colorado and Arizona where guns were an integral part of the local culture, in any event I own firearms and shoot them from time to time in a safe and lawful manner. I would admonish everyone who does shoot, however, to take extreme precautions in protecting one's hearing. I would recommend wearing both muffs and plugs together. In my opinion, one can never practice too much hearing conservation.
I do not wish to become embroiled in a debate over guns, hunting or related issues, those are best stated elsewhere on the internet and in other venues, and I seriously doubt that anyone is going to change my views nor am I inclined to think that I will change anyone else's.
It would be nice to say that those who have a predilection towards both firearms and the horn have some kind of connection with the fact that the horn originated with the hunt and those who both shoot and blow have some kind of ancestral memory of those times. I do not think that is the case, however romantic the notion. I do feel however that shooting has some similarities to horn playing in that it requires a good deal of precision. If one is off target even minutely, the end result is a poorly place shot on the target. Breathing, self-discipline, and good motor skills are necessary to be a good shot just as they are in playing the horn, hence the attraction by some to both horns and guns.
My two euros,
Mark L.
"Gun control is keeping your weapon on the target"
_______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
