Our guest for Episode 71 is Kate Caliendo! Kate enjoys a diverse musical career of symphonic playing, chamber music, recording, soloing and teaching. She is currently Second Horn of the Jacksonville Symphony and has also held Fourth Horn positions with the Houston Symphony and San Antonio Symphony.

Episode Highlights

• Getting started on the horn
• Neurodivergence as a musician
• New teaching position: University of North Florida
• Round Top Music Festival
• A multi-faceted approach to modern careers: gigging, teaching, playing, social media
• “If you are making music, you are a musician.”
• New project: Moonflower, for unaccompanied solo Horn
• Charleston Horn Camp
• Maintaining Inspiration as an artist
• IHS importance
• Social Media: Kate Caliendo or Kate Caliendo Horn
• Katecaliendo.com
• Kateplayshorn@gmail.com

Join us in Episode 70 for a conversation with Dr. Derek J. Wright!  Derek plays 3rd horn with the award-winning Dallas Winds and in the West Texas Symphony. He has performed with several major orchestras including the Fort Worth Symphony and the Dallas Symphony. Dr. Wright is also a co-owner of Houghton Horns. He has contributed to the design of horns and mouthpieces for the Verus brand and frequently speaks on instrument design and acoustics at various educational institutions.

Episode Highlights

• Horn playing journey, education, influences, etc.
• Studying with Kazimierz Machala at the University of Illinois, followed by Masters at University of Minnesota, Doctorate at Arizona State University
• Moving to Texas, getting started with Houghton Horns, and eventually becoming a co-owner
• Houghton Horns Retail Shop and Repair Shop are two different businesses
• “Bad practice is worse than no practice…”
• Horn/mouthpiece design
• Marketing, communication, and other aspects of the business
• Skills learned as a musician that have been helpful in business, and vice-versa
• Upcoming projects/developments
• New Houghton Horns building with concert hall
• Importance of the IHS to you and Houghton Horns
• “I need to always learn…”
• National Association of Music Merchandisers
• National Association of School Music Dealers, Inc
• Molly Gebrian, Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing
• The Savvy Musician by David Cutler

Our guest for this episode of The Horn Call podcast is Wojciech Kamionka, the host of IHS 58 in Poland!

Episode Highlights

• Musical journey, current teaching position
• IHS58 preparations, news/updates
• What IHS58 attendees can expect
• Musical life in Poland, opportunities for horn players
• Polish Music Edition: New method book 
• Scales and Arpeggios book: Penderecki Academy Press

Our guest for this episode of The Horn Call Podcast is the ebullient Heidi Oros! 

Heidi professional freelance hornist in the Finger Lakes area and is a former second hornist with La Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México. Heidi is a founding member (2006) of the woodwind ensemble, “i venti dementi,” and has been the hornist with the Swamp College Brass Quintet since 2007. Most recently, she joined the Lake Effect Winds, a woodwind quintet situated in Ithaca. Heidi earned her BM and MM at Ithaca College. She teaches private horn lessons in Trumansburg.

Episode Highlights

• Personal journey on the horn, important teachers/inspirations along the way
• Keys to Transposition Book: https://www.keystotransposition.com/
• Performing in Mexico
• Organizing performances of Lionheart's Call by James Naigus to honor healthcare workers: jamesnaigus.com
• Taking time off and coming back to the horn
• High Range Magic: https://marsgelfo.com/hrm-overview/
• Zoom Meetings with Jack Covert/Memorial Concert
• Importance of the IHS, symposiums, community, etc.

Our guest for Episode 67 is the incredible Scott Schiffer Leger! Widely known for his fun and educational videos, Scott is a member of the Louisville Orchestra and is in high demand as clinician, teacher, and soloist.

Episode Highlights

• Balancing a career and lots of other obligations
• Performing in the New World Symphony
• Early video work, getting into social media
• Learning new skills, saying yes!
• “Experience is valuable”
• Shoutout to Jennifer Montone!
• Having fun playing the horn, taking away the stigma of high and low range
• How has content creation changed over the last few years
• “AI has changed the name of the game.”
• Importance of not taking yourself too seriously

Our guest for Episode 66 is Christopher Brigham! Chris is an American horn player and educator who is currently living in Cologne, Germany, with an active freelance career and private teaching studio. He is the author of "Olga’s Last Call: The Horns of Auschwitz" in the April 2025 issue of The Horn Call. 

Episode Highlights

• Early studies with Mike Harcrow, Karen Houghton
• Studying at West Texas A&M University, then Hartt School (David Wakefield)
• Studying in Germany (Essen, Detmold)
• Recovering from focal dystonia
• Auditions in Germany
• Switching to an Alexander 103 horn
• Klaus Fehr Horns: https://fehr-frenchhorns.com/
• Teaching/Freelancing in Germany
• https://www.muvac.com
• Article in The Horn Call, Olga’s Last Call: The Horns of Auschwitz
• Conducting an enthusiast horn ensemble at IHS symposia

Join me in Episode 65 for a conversation with the amazing Kristina Mascher-Turner! 

Episode Highlights

• Early inspirations, musical and otherwise
• Early training on the horn
• Attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studying with Douglas Hill
• “You have to fall in love with fundamentals.”
• Studying/Working/Living in Europe
• Advice for horn players looking to study/work abroad
• Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra
• Work with the American Horn Quartet (hornquartet.com), chamber music
• AHQ Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBz4drOokaM
• New teaching position in Ghent, Belgium: KASK & Conservatorium School of Arts in Ghent schoolofartsgent.be
• Favorite exercises for the horn, teaching philosophy, etc.

Our guest for Episode 64 is the amazing Ken Pope! Ken is the owner of Pope Horns and has been a member of the IHS Advisory Council.

Episode Highlights

• Early Musical Journey and Transition to Horn Repair
• Career in Instrument Repair and Sales
• Instrument Maintenance and Repair: The single most important maintenance tip for brass instruments is to oil the valves.
• Balancing Performance and Business
• Advice for Aspiring Repairers/Retailers
• Current State of the Business and Future
• The International Horn Society

Join us in Episode 63 for a conversation with the great Randy Gardner! A member of the IHS Advisory Council, Gardner is currently Artist-In-Residence at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.  Following a distinguished tenure as Professor of Horn and Chair of the Winds, Brass, and Percussion Department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. 

Episode Highlights

• Early career and inspirations, musical and otherwise
• Studying with Philip Farkas, Chris Leuba, Bill Adam
• Leuba, A Study of Musical Intonation
• 50 years of service with Philadelphia Orchestra
• Sitting next to Mason Jones in Philadelphia Orchestra *Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjfE0iWguwE&list=OLAK5uy_kiTaEimus2uI3DFtx5Sj69usbM8eEos5k&index=2
• Importance of visualization
• Teaching philosophy, advice for new professors/teachers
  • Natalie Douglass Grana, A Singing Approach to Horn Playing
  • Bruce Adolphe, The Mind’s Ear
  • “Would you study with you?”
  • “Blow a long tone through the horn.”
  • “Be a virtuoso person.”
• Books, other publications, etc.
• Legacy Horn Experience https://www.legacyhornexperience.com/
• Legacy Horn Experience mouthpiece
• Paul Basler, Four Hymn Tune Settings
• Kendall Betts Horn Camp
• Serving on the Advisory Council, importance of the HIS
• Modular Music Masterclasses: https://randygardnerhorn.com/
• https://randygardnerhorn.com/modular_music_masterclasses.htm

Our guest for Episode 62 is the one and only Richard Todd, a veteran of the Los Angeles recording studios, professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and member of the IHS Advisory Council.

Episode Highlights

• Early Musical Exposure
• Early Influences and Mentors
• Transition from Orchestral to Studio Work
• Studying with Waldemar Linder
• Studying with Vince DeRosa
• Collaboration with Gunther Schuller
• Jazz Influences
• John Graas
• Entry into LA Studio Recording and Changes in the LA Studio Industry
• Teaching Philosophy
• https://www.richardtoddmusic.com/the-art-of-practicing
• Longevity in Horn Playing: "The one thing that will never let you down physically in your playing career... is your air. Your air never has a bad day."
• Collaboration with Hoyer Horns
• Involvement with the International Horn Society

• Jeffrey Agrell: Ego and the horn player
• Jonathan Stoneman: Practice routines and his online survey.
• Douglas Lundeen: "Toward a Bel Canto Approach to the Horn"
• Bruno Schneider: European Conservatories
• Audience Q&A with Bruno Schneider, Douglas Lundeen, and Jeffrey Agrell

For more archived audio from past symposiums, visit Symposium Highlights on the IHS website.

Join us in Episode 61 for a conversation with Vidhurinda Samaraweera, IHS Country Representative for India and Sri Lanka, and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of The Horn Call.

Episode Highlights

• Western Classical Music and Horn Playing in Sri Lanka
• Personal Journey into Horn Playing
• Challenges and Opportunities for Musicians in Sri Lanka
• A Team Horns Sri Lanka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFfiaNHuyFY
• Orchestras in Sri Lanka
• Importance of Perseverance and Collaboration
• Involvement with the International Horn Society

In this episode, we sit down with composer, horn player, and music preparer Steven Juliani!

Episode Highlights

• Early Horn Studies
• Studies at Curtis Institute of Music
• Graduate studies at USC: studying with Vincent DeRosa
• Professional Playing in Los Angeles
• Transition to Music Copying
• Starting His Own Copying Business
• Law School (In His 40s)
• Practicing Law
• Return to Music and Composition
• Relationships with fellow musicians
• Recent Commission and Performance with Chicago Symphony Horn Section
• "I think my story is about being able to adapt and change gears and see new opportunities. And I I think that's an important skill to have for any musician."

Join us in Episode 59 for a conversation with Gabriel Radford, Third Horn of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Co-founder of The Embouchure Project.

Episode Highlights

• Studying with Fred Rizner at the University of Toronto and Danny Katzen in Boston
• Thoughts on playing third horn in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra: “listen to the soloists”
• Coping with injury and article in January 2025 issue of The Horn Call
• “Every case of embouchure syndrome is unique.”
• “If there’s a problem, you’re going to know it.”
• “If you can feel it you can fix it.”
• Horn Teaching
• The Embouchure Project: https://www.theembouchureproject.org/
• Resources for dealing with injury recovery

Our guest for Episode 58 is the fabulous Lisa Bontrager, Emeritus Professor of Horn at Pennsylvania State University, and a member of the IHS Advisory Council and the Brass Band of Battle Creek, among many other engagements!

Episode Highlights

• Musical Inspirations
• Teaching philosophy, other pedagogical ideas
• Studying with Louis Stout at the University of Michigan
• Advice for new or aspiring professional musicians and/or college teachers
• Brass band, brass quintet
• Chamber Music
• Brass Band of Battle Creek, tenor horn
• Millenium Brass
• MirrorImage Duo
• Importance of the IHS, serving in the Advisory Council

Our guest for Episode 57 is the amazing Christoph Eß, Principal Horn of the Bamberg Symphony and the IHS Country Representative for Germany.

Episode Highlights

• Current playing and teaching activities
• Important influences on horn playing
• Auditioning for orchestral positions in Germany
• New Strauss Recording
• German Horn Sound Quartet
• YouTube Channel and publications (warmups and others) https://www.germanhornsound.de/product-page/hornbasics-and-daily-warm-ups
• International Horn Society, Activities as Country Representative for Germany
• christophess.de
• germanhornsound.de

Our guest for Episode 56 is Mars Gelfo!

Episode Highlights

• Being rejected from music school 7 times
• Application of cognitive science to horn playing
• Practicing differently
• Performing with the Macau Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic
• Audition preparation
• Importance of wellness, whole person teaching
• Modacity Music practice app
• Using software to change the embouchure
• Kendall Betts Horn Camp memories
• Intrinsic practice
• “Focus on the ingredients!”
• “Have you tried easier?”
• Victor Wooten https://www.victorwooten.com/
• https://marsgelfo.com/
• Role of the tongue; playing the horn with your tongue?
• https://www.highrangemagic.com/

Happy 2025! Our guest for Episode 55 is the amazing Brian KM!

Show Notes

Brian's Website:

briankm.com 

Brian's Socials:

IG: @imbriankm

YT: @imbriankm

TikTok: @imbriankm

The AI Code of Ethics for Artists:

https://www.briankm.com/ai.html 

Musical Influences:

https://juliakent.com 

https://danielherskedal.com 

https://www.rachelkcollier.com 

https://www.daftpunk.com 

Brass Bands:

https://diebrasserie.com 

https://www.brassdelirium.com

Conan Clip: What an Audience Wants

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxx87HaDx1VlpAwqqZvAIqPZbF1s84LaAK?si=SNQhXuA2zDu14WEK

Ableton Live: Brian's Software

https://www.ableton.com 

Musical Entrepreneurship Advice:

http://meganihnen.com 

Brian's Audio Setup (See below)

Join us for a discussion with IHS Advisory Council member Emma Brown in this special New Year Bonus Episode!

Emma Brown is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Orchestral Studies from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. In 2023, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Horn Performance and a minor in Spanish from Michigan State University. Her major teachers include David Griffin, Greg Flint, Mark Almond, Corbin Wagner, Dr. Denise Root-Pierce, Janine Gaboury, and Dr. Caroline Steiger.

Emma was a charter member of the International Horn Society’s Student Advisory Council, serving from 2020 to 2023. She now serves on the Advisory Council. Emma has contributed multiple articles to the Horn Call, which have mainly focused on navigating musicianship as a student. She is passionate about providing resources, mentorship and connection to a musical community for young players.

Episode Highlights

• Studying with Corbin Wagner at Michigan State University
• Graduate school at Roosevelt University (Chicago College of Performing Arts)
• Inspiration from The Art of French Horn Playing by Philip Farkas
• Studying privately in high school before attending college
• Equipment talk!
• Deciding to pursue music as a career
• “I just like the way the horn sounds…”
• On being mentally flexible
• Transitioning from undergrad to grad school, prescreening auditions
• IHS Advisory Council and Student Advisory Council *SAC applications open January 6, 2025 at hornsociety.org
• Reasons to join the IHS!
• Anyone can join the IHS!

Our guest for Episode 54 is Nikolette LaBonte, Principal Horn of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and a member of The Horn Call's Editorial Advisory Board.

Episode Highlights

• Teaching and Performing activities
• Edith Borroff Horn Sonata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDb9J2_XtSA
• On choosing the horn: “the horn looks cooler than the oboe…”
• Studying with Peter Kurau at the Eastman School of Music
• Kendall Betts Horn Camp, Music Academy of the West
• “When we miss notes, there’s always a reason.”
• Book Recommendation: Bounce, by Matthew Syed
• Horn playing inspirations
• Listening to Rochester Philharmonic rehearsals
• Audition preparation
• Discipline and Motivation
• “Say ‘yes’ as much as you can…”
• Learning how to prioritize
• Playing and teaching natural horn. Shout out to Anneke Scott!
• “Yes, and…”

Our guest for Episode 53 is Dr. Libby Ando!

Episode Highlights

• Congratulations to Dr. Ando!
• Coda Brass Quintet: https://www.codabrassquintet.com/
• Working with the Rowan University Marching Band, Drum Corps
• Studying with Lyndsie Wilson at Rowan University, Elizabeth Pfaffle at West Chester University, and Leelanee Sterrett at Rutgers University
• Attending college during COVID
• Transcribing Ethel Smyth’s Cello Sonata
• John Burroughs quote, “Leap and the net will appear.”
• Research on orchestral excerpts by women composers: Alice Mary Smith, Augusta Holmès, Amy Beach, Ethel Smyth
• Advice for those who want to start a chamber group.

Join us in Episode 52 for a conversation with Ian Zook, Professor of Horn at James Madison University and the host of IHS57!

Episode Highlights

• Growing up in North Carolina, attending UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan.
• Studying with Sören Hermansson and natural horn with Lowell Greer
• Trading North Carolina stories
• Favorite horn recordings
• Celebrating the differences and subtleties in horn playing around the world
• Czech School of Horn Playing, Tylšar brothers
• Horn and More Column, Horn on Record, ianzook.com
• IHS 57 planning, June 24-28, 2025: www.heritage-horns.com
• How to get to Harrisonburg, Virginia
• Join the IHS!

Join us in Episode 51 for a conversation with the amazing Aliyah Danielle!

Episode Highlights

• Growing up around music.
• Studying music education at Arizona State University
• Graduate school at Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain
• Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Shoutout to Dr. John Ericson
• “I didn’t have a lot of free time in undergrad…”
• Musical inspirations
• Shoutout to Darcy Hamlin
• “I grew up listening to anything and everything…”
• Creating a structure for myself as an artist.
• Kendall Betts Horn Camp
• Learning work/life balance
• Moving to New York
• Advice for younger musicians
• “You can do more than one thing…”

Join us in Episode 50 for a discussion with the creative and talented Kate Warren!

Episode Highlights

• On choosing the horn and majoring in music
• Coming from a small high school band program
• Choosing a life in the arts
• Shoutout to Michelle Stebleton
• Postgraduate study at The New School and Yale University
• Shoutout to John Ericson and Horn Matters
• Website: https://www.katewarrenmusic.com/
• Instagram: katewarrenmusic
• Advice for navigating social media
• “Just good enough is ok!”
• Learning to be better at time management
• Learning to edit audio and video content
• Learning to take time off
• “Music takes time.”
• Drum Corps and playing the mellophone
• Touring with Blast!
• Improving access to music education

Our guest for Episode 49 is Dr. Monica Martinez, Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and a member of the IHS Advisory Council!

Episode Highlights

• Full circle moments
• On choosing the horn
• Playing the horn right-handed
• Growing up in South Texas
• “Change is not instant…”
• Pursuing music as a career.
• Studying with Jennifer Sholtis at Texas A&M Kingsville
• Majoring in music education and music performance
• Work ethic, persistence
• “You have to work hard for everything.”
• Studying with Patrick Hughes at the University of Texas-Austin
• Balancing a teaching job with practicing the horn
• Working for a music store
• “I never had just one job…”
• Dealing with imposter syndrome
• Building a culture in a horn studio: “It’s never about me.”
• “You have to be mindful…”
• Serving on the IHS Advisory Council

Our guest for Episode 48 is Marshall Sealy, a multi-talented artist who has performed all over the world, including the 54th International Horn Symposium as a Featured Artist.

Episode Highlights

• Starting out as a horn player
• Kinhaven Music Camp: https://kinhaven.org/
• Singing in Bach cantatas
• Touring with the Long Island Youth Orchestra
• Attending Ithaca College on both music and soccer scholarships!
• Studying with John Covert
• Studying brass instrument repair
• Meeting Julius Watkins and studying with him
• Importance of being a well rounded player
• Friendship with Jerome Ashby
• Performing in Mexico
• Performing multiple styles
• Importance of warming up, equipment
• Advice for young horn players
• Willie Ruff
• Importance of sound
• Have a really great practice mute and stop mute.
• Instrument maintenance advice

Join us for this special panel discussion on IHS Honorary Member Hermann Baumann (1934-2023). Guests include Ab Koster, Joseph Ognibene, Justin Sharp, and J. Bernardo Silva. *Above image provided by Justin Sharp, courtesy of the Baumann Family.

Join us for a special Bonus Episode, featuring Richard King and Daniel Grabois. This interview was originally published as part of Dan's Pedagogy Column in Horn and More.

My guest for Episode 46 is Bernhard Scully, Associate Professor of Horn at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign!

Episode Highlights

• Isla Verde Bronces International Brass Festival in Argentina
• Music is subjective!
• Studying with Kendall Betts in high school
• It’s all about fundamentals.
• Studying at Northwestern University: Dale Clevenger, Roland Pandolfi, Gail Williams
• Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method
• Performing with the Minnesota Orchestra
• Graduate School at UW-Madison, studying with Douglas Hill
• Performing with the Canadian Brass
• Advice for students on keeping your playing in shape.
• “You really don’t have time to practice on the road.”
• Transcendental Meditation
• “Try to live as healthy as you can.”
• Aging
• Value of improvisation
• Collaborating on a book: Consilience - Learning About Ourselves by Applying Indigenous Traditions to Western Music and Technology
• Join the International Horn Society!

Episode 45 of The Horn Call Podcast features Tommi Hyytinen, a member of the Finnish Radio Orchestra and horn and natural horn faculty at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki.

Episode Highlights

• Starting out on the horn
• Finnish horn playing tradition
• Attending the Sibelius Academy
• The path from student to professional
• Balancing school and professional work
• Musical inspirations, legacy of Holger Fransman
• Studying with Radovan Vlatkovic
• Audition process in Finland
• Instruments used in horn sections in Finnish orchestras
• The “Finnish Horn Sound”
• Chamber music work
• Golden Horns Quartet, performing on television in Helsinki
• Pop music influences
• Playing from the Core book
• Work with Pilates
• Breathing misconceptions
• Lieksa Brass Week

Join us in Episode 44 for a discussion with Michelle Stebleton, Professor of Horn at Florida State University and a member of the IHS Advisory Council!

Episode Highlights

• Starting out as a horn player
• Attending Interlochen Arts Academy, studying at University of Michigan with Louis Stout and Lowell Greer
• Musical inspirations
• Performing in the Midland-Odessa Symphony
• Path to teaching, path to FSU
• “If you want to play well, playing has to be your hobby.”
• Playing in lessons, teaching techniques
• “I teach macro to micro.”
• Teaching tone “Stebletones”
• Sighing through the horn
• Involvement with the International Horn Society
• Editing the “Teacher Talk” column in The Horn Call

Our next guest on The Horn Call Podcast is James Hampson, of Hampson Horns!

Episode Highlights

• Deciding to change majors from engineering to music
• Mozart operas and becoming fascinated with the natural horn
• Remembering Lowell Greer
• Studying with Marc Guy at SUNY-Fredonia
• Dick Martz Collection: https://www.rjmartz.com/horns/
• Moving Hampson Horns from Ohio to New York
• Douglas Lundeen and Rutgers University
• Early Music scene in Boston, studying at Boston University
• Shout out to Paul Austin!
• Brass Witch: https://www.brasswitch.com/
• Mouthpiece consulting, Alpine Mouthpieces: https://www.alpinemouthpieces.com/
• On mouthpieces: “Our bodies change.” And “One mouthpiece isn’t going to fix everyone’s problems.”
• Take care of your instrument.

Join us in Episode 42 for a chat with John McGuire, Associate Professor of Horn at Colorado State University, and the host of the 2024 International Horn Competition of America AND the 56th International Horn Symposium, July 26 – August 2 in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

Episode Highlights

• Planning process for IHCA and IHS Symposium: https://hornsonthehorizon.com/
• Shout out to Nancy Joy!
• How competitions can be beneficial
• Venue: Colorado State University and Fort Collins, CO
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Weather, altitude, staying hydrated!
• Guest Artists for IHCA
• The planning team for IHCA/IHS56

Join me in the 2023 Holiday Bonus Episode for a chat with Allison DeMeulle, IHS Interim Executive Director, and Johanna Lundy, IHS Treasurer and member of the Advisory Council.

Episode Highlights

• How the IHS works; overview of the past year
• Allison’s transition to Interim Executive Director of the IHS
• What does the IHS Treasurer do?
• Overview of IHS programs (what do membership dues and other contributions help fund?)
• Role of social media, Social Media Coordinator position
• How can someone’s contributions help the IHS?
• Revamping awards and scholarships programs
• New website at hornsociety.org
• Shout out to Dan Phillips!
• Fellowship and community are important
• Reaching out to horn players around the world
• Benefits to joining the IHS, how to join, how to help support the IHS: https://www.hornsociety.org/donate
• Student advisory council
• Shout out to the Advisory Council!
• Shout out to Mike Harcrow and the editors at Horn and More!

Our guest for Episode 41 is Musician 1st Class Erika Loke, a member of the United States Naval Academy Band and Editor of the Military Matters column in The Horn Call.

Episode Highlights

• Graduate school at Wichita State, performing with the Wichita Symphony orchestra
• Doctoral school at the University of Maryland, Auditioning for military bands
• Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland
• Band Excerpts to know: American Overture, John Williams
• Moving across the country
• Attending Kendall Betts Horn Camp with her father
• Horn and Electronics album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557_IZ2_oxQ&list=OLAK5uy_lSjVMkog_4c0mhjBkHOYR4DrpdGnkobUc
• Shout out to the IHS Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Fund
• The Ring Cycle, abridged for Wagner Tuba and Piano with offstage horn
• More music for Wagner Tuba
• Performing with the Lieurance Wind Quintet
• Life in the Naval Academy Band
• Balancing work and family life
• Upcoming projects
• Shout out to Brian KM and Nick Fife!

Join me in Episode 40 for a conversation with Caiti Beth McKinney, creator of the REPresent Project and Podcast!

Episode Highlights

• On choosing the horn over violin and other instruments
• Musical influences, horn and otherwise
• Most interesting practice spaces
• Shout outs! to Heather Test, Michelle Stebleton, Gina Gillie, Ashley Killam, Lin Foulk Baird, Ken Amis
• On loving film music, studying with Richard Todd https://richardtoddmusic.podia.com/
• REPresent project and podcast: https://www.caitibethmckinney.com/represent-the-podcast
• Boulanger Initiative https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/
• Diversify the Stand https://www.diversifythestand.org/
• https://www.linfoulk.org/index.html
• https://www.temresource.com/
• Resources for performers and teachers
• Upcoming events, performances, etc.
• “There’s so much good music out there.”

Our guest for Episode 39 is the multi-talented Shanyse Strickland!

Episode Highlights

• Switching to the horn from flute
• Auditioning for college on flute, horn, and euphonium!
• Studying with Bill Slocum and Stacie Mickens at Youngstown State University.
• Be a good musician first, and a good instrumentalist second
• Early inspirations on the horn
• Respect for Julius Watkins
• “I just like challenging myself.”
• Changing in undergrad from being a flute performance major to horn!
• Shoutout to Stacie Mickens!
• How a mouthpiece change was lifechanging.
• Freelancing, performing on Broadway in New York
• “Think outside of the box.”
• “The industry wants somebody different.”
• Getting started as a composer, first commission for Lantana Brass Trio’s album, Crossing Barriers: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Barriers-Bernofsky-Rodriguez-Strickland/dp/B0BNGHXRT9
• Shoutout to Margaret McGillivray
• Into the Spider-verse Tour with the Broadway Sinfonietta

We kick off Season 4 and Episode 38 of the Horn Call Podcast with Leelanee Sterrett, a member of the New York Philharmonic! 

Episode Highlights

• Musical influences, early experiences at Interlochen Arts Academy
• Shout-out to Julie Schleif
• Shout-out to Douglas Hill
• Graduate study at Yale, studying with William Purvis
• Preparing for competitions and auditions
• Advice for music students today
• Women Composers – repertoire in general
• Practice/maintenance routine
• Daily/Weekly schedule in the NY Phil
• Involvement with the IHS

My guest for Episode 37 is Dr. Margaret McGillivray!

Dr. McGillivray is on the faculty of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the Washington, DC, an active freelance musician, and the organizer/initiator of the new solo collection LIFT: Solos for Horn by Black Composers, available from Cimarron Music Press.

• Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the Washington, DC https://www.ellingtonschool.org/
• Freelancing in the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia) area.
• Background on the project LIFT: Solos for Horn by Black Composers https://www.cimarronmusic.com/liftsolosforhornbyblackcomposers
• Shout out to Joanna Ross Hersey
• Tips for commissioning new works: “your network is bigger than you think…”
• Shout out to Bryan Doughty of Cimarron Music Press
• Next steps for the project: recording, presentation at IHS55, creating a non-profit
• https://www.margaretmcgillivray.com/

My guest in Episode 36 is the amazing Jeff Scott, Associate Professor of Horn at Oberlin Conservatory, member of the IHS Advisory Council, and a Featured Artist at IHS55!

Episode Highlights

• Growing up in Queens, NY
• Shout out to horn teacher Carolyn Clark
• Importance of learning to play in multiple styles
• Musical inspirations, horn and otherwise
• Shout out to Valerie Coleman
• Composition process
• Teaching philosophy
• Deciding to leave Broadway work for full time chamber music
• Hearing the overture to Oberon for the first time, played by Jerome Ashby.
• How he got started composing, advice for new composers
• Collaborating with Margaret McGillivray on LIFT: Solos for Horn by Black Composers
• Current performing, recording, composition projects
• Upcoming IHS55 where he is a Featured Artist

Join me in Episode 35 for a conversation with Nick Fife!

Episode Highlights

• Nick’s article(s) in the May 2023 Horn Call and injury recovery. Craig Vander Kolk, M.D. https://mdmercy.com/find-a-doctor/craig-vander-kolk-md
• Using the bass trombone to rebuild his horn playing.
• Balance is important!
• “The first step to being good at something is being bad at it.”
• How he got into composing. List of compositions on WaveFront Music: https://www.wavefrontmusic.com/nicholas-fife.html
• Musical inspirations
• Shoutout to J.D. Shaw!
• Hosting the NC Horn Day
• Mute Making: https://nicholasfife.wixsite.com/nicholasfife/the-mute-peddler
• IVASI Network online: https://www.ivasi.net/

Join us in Episode 34 of The Horn Call Podcast for a conversation with Pascal Deuber, Principal Horn in the Bavarian State Orchestra at the Bavarian State Opera, and First Prize winner in the 2021 ARD Competition.

Episode Highlights

• Current performing positions, rehearsal schedules
• Musical education/training
• Preparing for the ARD competition, advice for other horn players who want to compete
• Favorite pieces to play
• Interests outside of horn playing
• Listen to Pascal perform Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 2 in the 2021 ARD Competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYQMBU9KY9w
• Munich Opera Horns: https://www.staatsoper.de/en/septemberfest-2022-bios/munich-opera-horns

Episode Highlights

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

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 

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 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

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.”

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.

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 

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 

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

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

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.

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.

• 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!

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 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.

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. 

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

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.”

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!

Episode Highlights

• Trompas Lusas Horn Quartet
• Balancing work and family life
• IHS 53 presentations in English, Portuguese, and Spanish!
• Goal of presenting more IHS content in other languages
• Why he got involved with the IHS - being part of the “club!" 
• What do you see as the future of the IHS?
• “There will always be a role for the IHS.”
• Musical role models
• Studying with Ab Koster
• Portuguese composers for horn: https://www.editions-ava.com/en/
• Warm-up routine available at https://www.hornsociety.org/marketplace/oms 

Join me for a conversation with Radegundis Tavares, President of The International Horn Society!

Radegundis Tavares has been developing a career of important accomplishments. He was the first president of the Brazilian Horn Association and has recorded the first CD of a Brazilian brass player playing standard European classical repertoire, entitled “Universal”, as much as the first CD featuring improvisation on the Horn by a Brazilian player, entitled “Radegundis Tavares”. Radegundis hosted the first two Brazilian Horn Meetings and the first International Horn Symposium in Latin America – IHS49. 

He has been premiering many works for Horn in a great variety of formations, specially Brazilian Music from distinguished Brazilian composers such as José Ursicino da Silva “Maestro Duda”, J. Orlando Alves, Marcílio Onofre, Liduino Pitombeira and Eli-Eri Moura – many of these Works were dedicated to Radegundis. He has acted as a soloist playing traditional repertoire, virtuosic works and Brazilian popular music.  Radegundis did his under-graduate and graduate courses in the Federal University of Paraiba and had as his Horn professor Cisneiro de Andrade and as his research supervisor Luis Ricardo Silva Queiroz. During his master degree Radegundis started to research about the Horn learning and the performance of Brazilian popular music in this instrument and many publications were made from this project. 

Besides his performances as soloist and chamber musician, Radegundis played as a guest with many orchestras. Since 2008 he is full time professor of Horn at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and has released in June of 2019 his third solo CD entitled “Sounds from my home”. Radegundis’ recordings can be found on main streaming platforms. 

Episode Highlights

• Current teaching and performing positions
• Why Radegundis got involved with the IHS
• Plans he has for the future of the IHS
• Learning how to promote yourself, get closer to the public
• Making the IHS more international
• “Remember why you got involved with the IHS.”
• Playing Tips, How he stays in shape as a horn player with a busy schedule
• Hosting the 49th International Horn Symposium
• Forming the Brazilian Horn Association
• Music education in Brazil
• Recordings
• Website: https://radegundistavares.com/
• Crossing over into popular music
• “The most important thing is to be together with people.”
• Shoutout to Marcus Bonna!
• Brazilian composers to check out!

Join me in Episode 2 of Season 2 for a discussion with composer and pianist Catherine Likhuta!

Catherine is an Australian-based composer, pianist and recording artist. Her music exhibits high emotional charge, programmatic nature and rhythmic complexity. Catherine’s pieces have been played extensively around the world, including highly prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage), Glyndebourne Opera House (Organ Room), five International Horn Symposiums and two World Saxophone Congresses, as well as many festivals and conferences. Her works have enjoyed performances by prominent symphony orchestras (such as Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of the National Radio of Ukraine), chamber ensembles (such as Atlantic Brass Quintet, Ensemble Q, NU CORNO and U.S. Army Field Band Horns) and soloists (including former president of the North American Saxophone Alliance Griffin Campbell and president of the International Horn Society Andrew Pelletier). Catherine has held residencies at Tyalgum Music Festival, North Carolina NewMusic Initiative, University of Missouri Kansas City, University of Georgia and other institutions. She is a two-time winner of the International Horn Society Composition Contest (virtuoso division) and a recipient of several awards, including two grants from the Australia Council for the Arts. Her music can be heard on Albany, Cala, Equilibrium and Summit Records. Catherine’s wind band works have enjoyed performances by dozens of wind ensembles, including prominent groups such as SUNY Potsdam Crane Wind Ensemble, Sydney Conservatorium Wind Symphony, University of Georgia Hodgson Wind Ensemble and University of Kentucky Wind Symphony. Her music has been played at Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival (Sydney), CBDNA Conference (Norman, OK) and Midwest Clinic (Chicago, IL). Catherine holds a Bachelor's degree in jazz piano from Kyiv Glière Music College, a five-year post-graduate degree in composition from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv Conservatory) and a PhD in composition from the University of Queensland. She is an active performer, often playing her own music. She was the soloist on the premiere and the CD recording of Out Loud, her piano concerto commissioned by the Cornell University Wind Ensemble, and the pianist on Adam Unsworth’s CD Snapshots. 

Episode Highlights

• How she ended up in the US, then Australia
• “You can be a freelance composer, but not a freelance mathematician…”
• Cultural differences between Ukraine and US
• Collaborations with Adam Unsworth, Peter Luff, Denise Tryon
• Advice for young composers
• Networking advice from a mathematician
• “Write the music you believe in…”
• Shoutout to Dana Wilson, Alexander Shuhan, Nancy Joy!
• Horn/Saxophone Rivalry
• Writing for low horn
• “Horn is such an amazing storyteller…”
• “If you write awkward music, it’s not going to come out sounding nice…”
• “I’m a geriatric millennial.”
• For details and audio samples of Cathy’s music, visit www.catherinelikhuta.com

We kick off Season 2 of the Horn Call Podcast with Yasmeen Richards, a free-lance musician based in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and teacher of horn at the Peabody Preparatory and Baltimore Symphony’s OrchKids. Yasmeen is also acting president and co-founder of the Chromatic Brass Collective.

Episode Highlights

• Growing up in Southern California
• Early study on the horn with Annie Bosler
• “Lead with what you love.”
• Studying at UCLA
• Graduate study at Peabody and Denise Tryon
• Working at IHS 47 in Los Angeles
• Founding Chromatic Brass Collective: https://www.chromaticbrass.org/
• Shoutouts to Annie Bosler and Denise Tryon!
• What’s coming up for Chromatic Brass

Join us in Episode 12 for a conversation with Robert Lee Watt, who was a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic horn section for 37 years and an active studio musician. Bob was the first African-American hornist hired by a major symphony orchestra in the United States. 

Episode Highlights

• Musicians supporting one another during COVID-19
• The invention of the Watt Lifter
• Moving from the East Coast to the West Coast and Southern California
• Studio playing in the early 1970s
• Sidelining stories
• His books: The Black Horn and French Horn Tips and Tricks https://www.robertleewatt.com/
• Films selected for the Pan African Film Festival, https://www.paff.org/
• The story behind the cover photo on his album, I Play French Horn, https://www.amazon.com/Play-French-Horn-Brubeck-Traditional/dp/B07BSMHFWZ 
• Friendship with Miles Davis
• Working with Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles
• What if Mozart and Beethoven had heard the Blues?

Join me in Episode 11 for a conversation with Douglas Hill, Emeritus Professor of Music-Horn at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, past President of the IHS, and former member of the IHS Advisory Council.

Episode Highlights

• Retiring from UW-Madison, remaining musically active post-retirement (Professor Hill retired from UW-Madison in 2011)
• Activities during COVID-19
• Lung surgery, cancer recovery
• Past and current compositions for the horn, available online at https://hornsociety.org/marketplace/oms
• Article on unaccompanied horn music in the May 2021 issue of The Horn Call
• The only constant is change…
• Much love for Nancy Becknell!
• His passion for birds and birding
• Recent compositions
• IHS thoughts

Join us for a discussion with Dr. Jeffrey Snedeker, Editor of a forthcoming special volume dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the IHS. Jeff is Professor of Horn at Central Washington University, and is a member of the IHS Advisory Council, Past President of the IHS, past Editor of The Horn Call, and was awarded the IHS Service Medal of Honor in 2020.

Episode Highlights

Overview of the 50th Anniversary volume Discussion of the planning, creation process  Chapters Anticipated release date Where can someone buy the book? Jeff’s Book on the Paris Conservatory is out soon by Routledge

In Episode 10 of The Horn Call Podcast I speak with Dr. Katy Ambrose, Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Iowa, and author of the article "Unlocking the Past: William Lee and The Rodenbostel Horn at Mount Vernon” in the February 2021 issue of The Horn Call. *This episode was recorded on January 20, 2021.

Episode Highlights

• What led Katy to her research on William Lee and the Rodenbostel Horn
• Check out her article “Unlocking the Past: William Lee and The Rodenbostel Horn at Mount Vernon” in the February 2021 issue of The Horn Call.
• Recording concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic
• First rehearsals with an orchestra after a year apart
• Resources for historical research
• Getting the Billy Strayhorn suite published: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeUCtYxaNY8
• Katy’s video presentation, “The French Horn in the Lives of Musicians of African and Creole Descent in America, 1700-2000” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARSVtiXPnmc
• Being a founding member of Seraph Brass
• Shout out to Jennifer Montone!

Join me for an educational (and fun!) discussion with Dr. James Naigus and Dr. Drew Phillips, Editors of the "Creative Hornist" and "Technique Tips" columns in The Horn Call. In addition to their work in The Horn Call, James and Drew are both active performers and full time college teachers.

Episode Highlights

• James and Drew’s Horn Call Columns: Creative Hornist and Technique Tips
• Shoutout to Professor Jeffry Agrell!
• Why it’s good to “borrow” literature from other instruments
• How they stay motivated and creative.
• Their podcasts, The Complete Musician and James and Drew Talk about Everything
• “There’s more to life than music…”
• James and Drew are undefeated escape room champions.
• “Teachers are people too.”
• The first thing they are going to do when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
• Why the original Nintendo controller is like the horn. It’s good to be a nerd!

In Episode 8, I sit down with Professor Jeffrey Agrell from the University of Iowa. Jeff is one of the most creative people I know, and he has brilliant ideas on improvisation, music education, and much more!

Episode Highlights

• Why “limitations are a creative person’s best friend.”
• Limitations force us to discover something new.
• We are hardwired to not like change
• Serial duets “I go, you go.”
• We need aural training on our instrument(s).
• Benefits of playing without notation.
• Improv games
• How improvisation “ties it all together.”
• Recommended book: Cut the Knot, Alexander Bogomolny
• Looking at “mistakes” in a different way
• We are all born creative.
• One of Jeff's many books, Improvisation Games for Classical Musicians
• Another recommended book: Thinker Toys, Michael Michalko
• SCAMPER: Substitute/Combine/Adapt/Modify(Also Magnify and Minify)/Put to another use/Eliminate/Retrograde
• Shout out to Ricardo Matosinhos!
• Why deadlines are really good.
• You are not alone.

Episode Highlights

• Making the transition from an in-person workshop to a virtual one
• Advantages to the virtual format
• Biggest challenges of the format and what they are doing to address them
• When it comes to virtual workshops, “Don’t just observe, engage.”
• Horn Teaching Project
• Albert will be premiering a new piece he commissioned from Frank Gulino at the NEHW

Join us in Episode 7 of The Horn Call Podcast for a discussion about "Innovation in Horn Teaching and Performance" with Dr. John Ericson, Professor of Music at Arizona State University, and co-founder of Horn Matters.

Episode Highlights

• John's 30 Modern Preparatory Etudes book
• How he wrote his own etudes
• Self-publishing
• Challenging conventional wisdom in brass pedagogy
  • Mouthpiece pressure
  • Tonguing
  • A mouthpiece change can help!
  • Stainless steel and brass mouthpieces
  • Metal allergies
• Now is a “Golden Age” for equipment
• Innovation in chamber music
• Dr. Ericson takes a sabbatical!

Our very special guest for Episode 6 ofThe Horn Call Podcast  is renowned performer and pedagogue Frøydis Ree Wekre. 

She is an Honorary Member and past President of the IHS.

Episode Highlights

• Her new book, Collected Writings
• Developing your teaching, learning how to get to the point quickly
• Benefit of having a group of pedagogues sharing ideas, recording your teaching
• How to stay positive in your career
• Aging and horn playing
• Staying motivated and helping your students stay motivated
• Different types of intonation: tempered, melodic (expressive or horizontal), harmonic (just)
• Join the IHS: It’s the right thing to do.
• Memorable Horn Symposia
• Hear her performance of Bujanovsky’s España live at the 1982 IHS Symposium in Avignon, France

Happy New Year! In this New Year Bonus Episode, we share archival recordings in memory of Honorary Member Ib Lanzky-Otto (1940-2020). The first is from a lecture recital at the 1970 IHS Workshop in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, and the second is from a presentation at the 1972 IHS Workshop in Bloomington, Indiana, USA.

Episode Highlights

• Shoutout to Gail Williams!
• Growing up in California, studying with Jim Winter and David Krehbiel
• We crave interaction as teachers
• Self-care and avoiding “Zoom fatigue”
• Yay for Alexander Technique!
• Fundamentals and self-awareness are important.
• 2020 Western Horn Festival Group Warmup - https://youtu.be/naP8Uus1ld8
• Sing, Buzz, Play!
• Shoutout to Bill Caballero!
• Networks, relationships are important to your career and well being.
• We meet Jena’s cat!
• IHS Composition Contest

We hope you enjoy this special Holiday Bonus Episode of The Horn Call Podcast. Join me for a conversation with David Krehbiel, retired Principal Horn of the San Francisco Symphony, and author of Through the Door: A Horn Player's Journey.

Episode Highlights

• His new book, Through the Door: A Horn Player’s Journey
• Creative Not Caring
• Spiritual journey through music and horn playing.
• His audition for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Memorable moments from his career, including a performance with the San Francisco Symphony following 9/11 and an improvised duet with Dale Clevenger at the 1971 International Horn Symposium.
• Why join the IHS?

• Episode Highlights
• Benefits of having a university horn ensemble as a class
• Balancing personal and professional life
• Interviewing for a college teaching job and playing a recital while nine months pregnant.
• Shoutout to Elizabeth Freimuth, Principal Horn of the Cincinnati Symphony!
• “Quality over Quantity”
• IHS Social Media strategy
• Shoutout to Julia Burtscher, IHS Executive Director!
• Mentoring that happens in a horn ensemble.
• IHS Online Music Sales!

• Episode Highlights
• Importance of singing for horn players
• Thoughts on composing
• Candid talk about recovering from embouchure overuse
• Importance of other activities
• "You’re more than your playing."
• Why you shouldn’t impose a timeline on your recovery
• How to support colleagues/friends who are recovering from a playing injury
• Aerial Silks Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5eRxsTquxs
• Elegant simplicity!
• IHS Online Music Sales
• Publishing information for composers
• Gina explains the difference between a “Printing and Distribution” contract and a “Publishing” contract.
• Why score study is important for composers.

Episode Highlights

• Overview of Ricardo's etudes and other compositions for horn
• How he came to incorporate jazz influences into his compositions
• Mutual respect and admiration for Douglas Hill!
• How the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in Portugal
• Tips for and experiences from online teaching
• What happens if you speak Spanish in Portugal, and what happens if you speak Portuguese in Spain.

Episode Highlights

• What has Andrew been up to during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• How do you get to be the President of the International Horn Society?
• How did he end up moving to Southern California from Maine?
• What was it like studying with James Decker at USC?
• What do you do if you are about to hit a moose with your car?
• Thoughts on motivation, horn playing, and "the big picture."