In the Hot Seat

     Last week I had the opportunity to play Principal with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra for Mahler's 2nd Symphony.  I normally play 4th in this group, but due to a couple of absences in the section, I got to play 1st.  If that doesn't deserve a blog post, I don't know what does!

How Much Should a Teacher Play in Lessons?

     I'm a little behind on my Horn Call reading.  Recently, I was reading James Boldin's interview with Douglas Hill in the February 2011 issue (Vol. XLI, No. 2).  This quote caught my eye.  Discussing what it takes to be a successful, effective teacher, Hill says...

"Developing verbal skills is important, and maybe even developing vocal skills, or demonstration skills. I don't demonstrate much on the horn, mostly because I'm not asking people to imitate. If you rarely play for students in lessons, the best sounds come from them. I'm not denouncing imitation - it's useful for many things - but we can get that by listening to CDs." (p. 50)

My Best Practice Advice

     It's been waaaay too long since my last post!  There are lots of reasons for this, but one of my favorite sayings is: "A reason is not an excuse."  I feel compelled to write this post because I've been giving this little bit of advice in several lessons lately.
     Back in February, I posted a list of Practice Tips.  If I could only give one, this would be it:

SMBQ Germany Tour 2011

     I just recently returned from another successful international tour with the SMBQ.  We visited southern Germany May 9-17, playing concerts at some of WCU's sister schools in Ludwigsburg, Weingarten, and Tübingen.
     On the map you can see some of the locations we visited...

A World Premiere: "far beyond the dissonance"

     This week I had the opportunity to give the world premiere performance of a piece for solo horn.  The title of the short but challenging work is "far beyond the dissonance," and it was written by Dr. Greg Robin, a colleague of mine at Western Carolina University...

Recital Prep, Part 5 - Breathe Deep and Blow Fast!

     The title of this post says it all!  It's time to go on stage and play the music that you've worked so hard on.  You've carefully chosen your program, worked out the details, played some run-throughs and mock performances, and you're mentally and physically prepared to play your best.
     While you're on stage, it's important to keep things simple in your head.  I love this quote from Keith Hill and Marianne Ploger at www.musicalratio.com:

Recital Prep, Part 4 - Visualization and Tapering

     I'm a big believer in visualization: imagining yourself in the performance situation as you practice.  This can really play a role from the early days of preparing your music, but should become an even bigger part of your routine once you can play your pieces start to finish.
     In your mind, picture the performance in vivid detail.