The Italian Horn Website
| Il Club del Corno is promoting an opinion survey among professional horn players, based on a list of questions. The answers will be published on the site in English and in Italian. |
| Here's mine.
I think your survey is a very interesting idea!
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1) What where the turning points in your development as a horn player? List any factor that was important to your progression as a musician (e.g. which conservatory/music school attended, influential teacher/s, particular events). Embouchure change my Sophomore year in college, attendance at an Arnold Jacobs workshop the following summer. 2) Do you think that your professional success could have been essentially different (either greater or lesser) if you had had other teachers? Studying with a different teacher in college may have helped with "connections" and major orchestra experience at that time. But I made up for it by studying with other teachers. It doesn't matter where you study, it's with whom you study with. 3) How much does the possibility of becoming a competent horn player depend on a) Facial structure, b) Inborn talent, c) Application/study? a) not much, b) it depends greatly, c) is most important. 4) Should a student who is having serious problems in the fundamentals, after studying the horn for some years, abandon the idea of becoming a professional at all, or could he/she be still brought to a level of competency by appropriate teaching metods (that is, by finding a new teacher)? Depends on the age of a student- if he needs to start making a living and is not competent enough, he needs to find another career. If the student is college age or younger, has a good ear and normal facial structure, and is willing to work twice as hard as the more successful people around him, finding a new teacher can make a world of difference. 5) What is, in your opinion, the importance and use of a) Mouthpiece buzzing, b) Handled rim (rim on a stick) buzzing, c) Free lip buzzing ? a) Very important, b) less important but helpful, c) not important, and can be detrimental. 6) Do you know, use, recommend the "inspiron" and/or other breathing devices? Yes! They have been very helpful to me and my students, especially the "Breath Builder" (it essentially teaches you to take full breaths by keeping a ping pong ball suspended on both the inhale and exhale; I use the Incentive Sprirometer also while buzzing, but the Voldyne I only use to check lung capacity now and then). 7) Do you think that progresses in one's playing happens steadily, by constant application, or by leaps? Constant application is necessary for all improvement. Sometimes improvement will be steady, sometimes it will be by leaps, but improvement can't happen without it. 8) Should a teacher give precise embouchure directions? And how precise? There are commonalities to every good embouchure and these can be taught. However, every embouchure is also different. Give the student the basic details of a good, normal embouchure (2/3 upper 1/3 lower lip, tension in from corners and not stretched), show some pictures (perhaps from the Farkas embouchure book) and demonstrate, and then let them figure it out for themselves. 9) Are there special directions/techniques for mastering the low and high registers? Adequate practice, making sure air and embouchure are always working correctly. A great high register depends on a great low register. 10) How was your experience in auditioning and what advice on this matter can you give to aspiring professionals? I took about 15 auditions before I won my job here- they are tough and can be frustrating. As early in your career as you can, make sure you are the best horn player around, then get out and hear some more horn playing. Don't give up- if you are honest with yourself and your abilities, eventually one will go your way. Use the metronome, tuner, and/or recording equipment 90% of the time. Make sure every note is in the right place, but treat the excerpts like concertos and always make music. Remember, while you are sitting at this computer, someone else is practicing... |
* Julia Rose, Associate Principal/3rd Horn, Columbus Symphony Orchestra. |