Horn Matters is the leading online resource on the French horn, co-founded by John Ericson and Bruce Hembd. The mission of Horn Matters is: to encourage, inspire, inform, and challenge horn players, and; to promote the best musical instrument ever, the French horn. (More.)
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How to fix the corks on your mutes
One question I am asked about fairly often is about fixing mute corks. The worst offenders are some recent mutes with "peel and stick"...
Horn playing is fun
Horn playing is fun! For some readers, they certainly agree, yes, it is fun! But for others, maybe not so much. It is an...
Accuracy, intonation, tone. You need them all, so what type of horn gives you everything?
In a very recent Horn People discussion there was a topic posted related to triple horns, more specifically to the question of if the...
YouTube Horn Highlights: David, Patrick, and Anneke
There are so many interesting resources on YouTube, and today we have three that in various ways relate to recent horn news.
First up, unless...
Have more than one tuner
Not everyone out there is a fan of tuners. This fall I have been working on a specific warmup routine to improve intonation, and...
Article and Podcast: Horn Opera Excerpts, “Beyond the Short Call”
One Internet resource not that well known among horn players is the Horn Opera Project website of Ericka Tyner Grodrian. Dr. Grodrian is horn professor...
Talking To Your Family About Mouthpieces This Thanksgiving
You want me to stop missing notes? I need a new mouthpiece
I’ve been feeling down about the election and need a new mouthpiece to...
A look at the Fantasie, Op. 2 of Franz Strauss
As noted in my recent article on the Theme and Variations, Op. 13, of Franz Strauss, in 2003 I released an album I titled...
Random Articles
Physician, Heal Thyself: Part III – Recording Devices
A recording device "pops the bubble" and keeps you in check.
In Part I of this series, the topic was the metronome and its usage....
A New Site – AZMusicTeacher.com
Give a dog a bone.
When I first started making web sites about 12 years ago, the vast majority of my projects were naturally music-related....
Random Monday: Winded, Shaken and Mahlered
Opera winds
In preparation for an upcoming performance at a double reed convention, the wind section of the Arizona Opera Orchestra had some pictures taken.
That's...
Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow – The Importance of Hearing Protection (II)
Sound-induced hearing loss is something to take seriously - from Part I.
I have a vivid memory of a sitzprobe rehearsal where a Wagnerian duo...
Why you should NEVER try to fix a bent bell flare
It is very easy to crease the large part your bell flare. The rim is very large and exposed in comparison to the rest...
Before Farkas: Birchard Coar
I recently updated my list of horn pedagogy resources in my studio site. It is not a comprehensive list but reflects what I think...
Conductors Say the Darndest Things II
The great American horn teacher Philip Farkas had a story about water in the horn that he loved to tell. Nancy Fako relates the...
Setting Goals: 3 Tips for ‘Keeping it Real’
Are you are feeling a little lost in the woods with your music-making?
A great way to reign yourself in is to set specific goals....
