Home > Halloween horns

SubCategory Archive (tags): ‘Halloween horns’

See the complete archive.

Halloween Frightmares: Stupid Human Tricks

PUBLISHED: October 30, 2009, Bruce Hembd
happy_copy

Though somewhat not horn-related, imagine if you could do these tricks in a rehearsal, performance or private lesson: Conductor: “Horns, you need to watch me more closely!” OK Maestro… Teacher: You need to open your mouth a little wider to get those low notes. How about this? Teacher: “Your hand is too far out of [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Halloween horns

Halloween Frightmares: Dreams and Fantasies

PUBLISHED: October 29, 2009, Bruce Hembd

Throughout my life I have had several reoccurring horn-related dreams. It seems like every month or so they come back to haunt me. Late for gig There is a gig and I am late. Where is my horn? I’m late! Good grief where is my horn? Wrong music On my stand is Don Juan – [...]

Parody: Halloween Frightmares and Chunks

PUBLISHED: October 28, 2009, Bruce Hembd
Click the image for the full view. Viewer descretion is advised.

Along with oiling valves and lubricating slides, cleaning the instrument should be a regular part of a player’s regimen. The leadpipe and mouthpiece especially can build up with nasty residues; I snake out my leadpipe and brush out my mouthpiece fairly regularly. Neglecting to clean your horn may have dire consequences. Acidic deposits can build [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Halloween horns

Halloween Frightmares: Newspaper Headline of Horror

PUBLISHED: October 27, 2009, Bruce Hembd
Click the thumbnail for the full view.

Musicians that make noticeable mistakes in concert make easy targets for the discerning music critic. Some critics might even go so far as to name the perpetraitor in print, publicly shaming the instigator. Some of the greatest concert halls in the world are pockmarked with good intentions. Horn cracks, clams, yodels and splee-ahs in particular can be [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Clams, Halloween horns, Orchestra

Halloween Finale; Monster Horn Players

PUBLISHED: October 31, 2008, Bruce Hembd

A monster of a different kind. The final creature-feature in this week’s “Monster Mash” enjoyed an illustrious second career after retiring from horn playing. As the conductor of the Hollywood Monster Philharmonic, he brings respect and notoriety to an otherwise neglected ensemble. “The Maestro’s beat is a little stiff,” says principal horn Frank N. Stein, [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Halloween horns

Monster Mash Thursday

PUBLISHED: October 30, 2008, Bruce Hembd

A Halloween creature feature. “I am a big fan of Handel’s Water Music,” says Thursday’s featured monster horn player. “It is my favorite of course.” Gills and suction cups did not stop this creature from pursuing a life-long dream of playing the horn as a professional. While the traditional valved-horn ultimately proved to be a [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Halloween horns

Monster Mash Wednesday

PUBLISHED: October 29, 2008, Bruce Hembd

The truth that Hollywood tried to hide! Today’s monster horn player had to overcome both physical and mental setbacks, most notably a lower jaw overbite and a general tendency to blast uncontrollably at some evening concerts. Artistic conflicts in the Monster Philharmonic are no different than in any other workplace. Sometimes the players have disagreements. [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Halloween horns
John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.