This year, the Kendall Betts Horn Camp has been as fun, inspirational, informative, and rewarding as always. Day 4 is wrapping up as I write this. There are two more full days to go, and then the campers depart on Saturday. New campers will arrive on Sunday to get ready for the second session.
Attending with me this week are 14 high school students, 27 college students, and 11 other post-college adults. The 13 faculty members are some of the best horn players and teachers in the country, and the 9 staff members who make everything run smoothly are also fine horn players.
Some personal highlights:
- Catching up with old friends and making new ones
- Playing and talking about horn all day, every day
- High-range troubleshooting in my lesson with Lauren Becker
- Discussing how to learn musical expression, plus tips on clearing up my mid-range sound, in my lesson with Patrick Hughes
- Learning an exercise to focus on starting notes in the low range from Randy Gardner
- Applying those low range tips on the same day while playing horn 8 in a horn octet led by Bill Purvis
- An exercise for smoothing out note transitions from Bob Hoyle, with application to the Tchaik 5 horn solo
- Paul Basler’s featured warmup session, plus his recommendations for vocalists to listen to for musical expression
- Harmonic series improvisation with a blues backing track in Bernhard Scully’s fundamentals session
- An astounding concert given by the faculty and staff
Michael and I chatting with Artistic Director Bernhard Scully following the faculty/staff concert
Randy Gardner presenting a master class on practice, performance, and teaching techniques
The last two days will be filled with more group sessions, ensemble rehearsals, lessons, orchestral study sessions, and two more concerts featuring participant and faculty/staff ensembles and participant solos. Plus fireworks!
See the Kendall Betts Horn Camp Facebook page for more pictures and videos.