How to Become a Horn Expert IV

4. Figure out what you want to learn.

This relates to curiosity, which was part I in this series. An element of learning any new piece is the wonder, what would this piece sound like? With me playing it? Can I play it? Am I up to the challenge? This is also the only way to improve, you have to push yourself and practice things you can’t play and want to learn to play, work on harder things so that you can get to another level and the old level is now easy.

Did you notice I worded it “want to learn” instead of “need to learn?” Needing to learn something is sort of the wrong mindset and makes for sort of a constant game of catch up. Figure out what you want to learn; learn it because you want to learn it. Don’t rely on others to tell you what you need to learn. Figure out what you want to learn, and then learn it.

My first summer break of college is a good example of what I am trying to say in this post. I joined the IHS and read a pair of articles in The Horn Call on audition lists, one by John Dressler and the other by Brian Thomas & Seth Orgel. A version of that article, “Audition Excerpt List,” may still be found in the IHS website. My goal that summer was to learn as many of the major excerpts in the works that were requested the most often on professional auditions. It was not a goal suggested to me by a teacher; it was something I wanted to do.

Of course, there are things you need to learn to do the things you want to do. But use wanting the larger goal to be why you work on the things you need to do.

So to become a horn expert be curious, listen to a lot of music, read books, and figure out what you want to learn. Part 5 tomorrow.

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