The Horn Call Podcast

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

In Episode 33 we have more archival audio from the First Annual French Horn Workshop held at Florida State University in 1969. This is a panel discussion with Philip Farkas, Barry Tuckwell, James Chambers, Anton Horner, Wendell Hoss, and Max Pottag. The panel (which appears to be moderated by James Chambers) took written questions, and questions from the floor.

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

Join me for a conversation with the host of IHS55, Louis-Philippe Marsolais!

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