[Hornlist] Re: Horn Digest, Vol 3, Issue 17
Dear Wilbert, That horn player from the Florida Orchestra was James Wilson; I agree, I find him to be a wonderful horn player; he teaches at University of South Florida. I attended a master class of his in December, and he played a very interesting quartet with two of his graduate students and the fourth horn player (I believe it was, but he could've been second; I cannot remember) from the Florida Orchestra. It was very interesting. I can't remember the name or composer either, but it was primarily in bass clef, contemporary and highy dissonant. We are all high school students in the masterclass (there were twenty four of us, eight in three different honor bands at USF for a period of four days, then a concert on the last day; this was Festival of Winds). They played the quartet twice with us in our desks, and after the first time they had asked what we thought of the piece (expecting rejection of the literature) and were suprised that we found it interesting and pleasing to a degree. Then they played it a third time and have us get up and stand over their shoulders and watch their music as they played. Professor Wilson certainly is an interesting individual from the brief discussion I had with him, but he was completey into the idea that music is a language, and when you play your horn, it is your voice, and you can do anything you feel to get your message across. Three cheers for our Florida Orchestra, Brittany Davies, Fort Myers, Florida ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
[Hornlist] Re: up close sound
Dear Mr. West (and everyone else who is willing to offer advice), I have encountered the same issue. I find myself blowing with all my might to be heard and find that my sound still seems unsupported. I do not often listen to recordings of my own playing, but a few recordings of my solos with a mezzo forte band behind them I am unhappy with. I'd like to be heard over a true decent, full ensemble forte at least; I also would like to keep a dark tone color and not get too brassy (bright would probably be a better word), spead and unfocused. How do you accomplish this? Please tell me if you do any exercises that help your sound, or if it's simply your sitting or horn position. Thank you, Brittany Davies, Fort Myers, Florida ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
[Hornlist] New 8D's and cleaning
Dear fellow hornists, A discussion about a yellow brass 8D has arisen a few days ago. Someone replied that there are new 8Ds made in Eastlake OH that are less than desirable. I am receiving a new 8D as a graduation present in May, and I want it to be a decent one!! Should I search for an older Elkhart 8D (which I had thought originally that the new ones were made there). Are the new 8Ds any good? Also, someone posted the idea of washing your horn in the dishwasher. Can this be done, is it a good idea, and what would happen if I tried this (what are the advantages and disadvantages)? I look forward to your responses, Brittany Davies, Fort Myers, FL ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
[Hornlist] Asthma and the horn
Hi, everyone! I have asthma and have been going through Albuterol faster than normal lately. I'm not sure what it is, but my parents are convinced it's the fact that I practice three hours a day. Please tell me that horn playing doesn't hurt asthma conditions! Please tell me that there are professional horn players with asthma! All you MD's,r anyone else with this condition, can you offer any advice? Thank you, Brittany Davies, Fort Myers, FL ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
[Hornlist] Long tone troubles
Greetings and Happy Valentine's Day to all! I do long tones on a daily basis: I start on a C right below the staff very quietly and crescendo as loud as I possibly can, slowly over eight beats at 50 bpm. Then once the eight beats are done, I immediately (without stopping the note or airflow) move to a C#, and decrescendo for another eight counts, not allowing myself to breathe until all sixteen counts are done. Then I rest and breathe normally for four counts but take a huge breath right before the four counts are done and start again except with C#. I work my way up the chromatic scale in this manner continuously, as high as I can. In December, this used to be a C above the staff when I used a Yamaha 30C4 mouthpiece, but in January my horn teacher switched me to a Giardinelli C4 mouthpiece; it's been over a month, and I am frustrated because after an A above the staff, no note speaks. I try not to use a lot of mouthpiece pressure, and nothing speaks; air flows through the horn, and I get these tiny quiet "squeaky" sounds. Also, I towards the end of my long tones (fourth-line D) it's harder to keep the note from dropping down to the last partial, and I have to concentrate at keeping the embouchure firm. By the end of my long tones, my face feels a bit tingly, but it doesn't hurt, like when you are tired at the end of a practice session if you're trying to hit higher notes or holding them for a long time, you know what I mean? Are the long tones still working? If I keep doing my routine like this will I eventually be able to hit and hold the high C again? I can hit it if I am doing my scales, but not in my long tones. Also one day my horn teacher was hearing me do my long tones and after the A above the staff he made me dump my horn out, then continue and I was able to make it up to the C then (mouthpiece pressure questionable). Any input or suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you, Brittany Davies, Fort Myers, Florida ___ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
[Hornlist] Re:Should I get my horn stripped?
Dear Mr. Scheimer, Greetings. I have a few things to suggest and ask you about your sound and more importantly, your horn... but I am just a serious high school horn player- a senior, majoring in music in college next year, just so you know, okay? Now, your horn is a King Eroica, is this correct? By my experience with King brass instruments, I have found that these are not made very well at all. My school instruments, one of my school horns and my school trumpet (I play trumpet in the Jazz band, but I don't take it nearly as seriously as the horn) are Kings. My horn is, in fact, a King Eroica horn. It's about eight years old, as old as my high school, and when my one of my band directors first handed me the thing, he apologizes: "I'm so sorry; I wish we had better horns; these Kings are pieces of junk.". My horn teacher, who owns a Lawson, refers the King Eroicas as "Chevy bumpers".Mine breaks all of the time; just yesterday in the middle of my practice session, the spring that keeps the finger levers in place ( the ones that keeps the valve up after you depress it- I'm not sure exactly what their called) just broke on me in the middle of the third movement of the Gliere concerto. I cannot practice today because of this, and I am very dissatisfied with this horn. Plus, the braces all came loose so that the horn makes this unattractive "buzzing" sound when certain valves are used, and not to mention the small peashooter bore. Perhaps you should look into buying a new horn!! Most of the time I play on the Conn 6D, a school horn that my local community college band director lent me the day before our concert (I play in his band as a dual enrollment class) because my King Eroica, that day had stripped a screw in the plastic trigger arm fir the valve. The whole arm needed to be replaced. That happened on the same day of the All County auditions, before our community college dress rehearsal. Count on the King to do that. What a nightmare. But it you do like your horn, and it works well for you (everyone's different!) then maybe you'd want to get a new bell because yours is detachable. If you do, you could get an ambronze bell, a metal alloy only Lawson uses to make their entire line of horns with (it carries sound better than the other brass alloys), but other companies just sell the ambronze bells. I hope I am a help to you. Good luck with your sound and your horn! Yours truly, Brittany Davies, from Fort Myers, Florida ___ Horn mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/listinfo/horn
[Hornlist] Muted notes in the Gleire concerto
Hi, everyone! For Solo and Ensemble for all the high schools in my district, I am playing the Gliere concerto, the third movement. I want to earn the highest rating, and so details count. There are muted passages in it- not very much, just small phrases; for those of you who have played it, you know exactly what I mean. Well, the go from open to muted immedately, so it leaves no time to pop a mute into my bell. So, do you think I could stop the notes instead? I've already practiced it stopped. Do you think it might cost me arating? Thanks in advance, Brittany Davies, from Fort Myers, Florida ___ Horn mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/listinfo/horn
