by Yun Zeng

Recently, I have been reading books on economics because the year 2020 made me realize that economics has its unique merits. It also reminded me that becoming a "stock tycoon" was one of my many childhood dreams. When I was in around first or second grade, I was often asked by my parents and teachers," What do you want to become in the future?” (a question I would probably answer much more seriously if I were asked today). At that time I could easily say “astronaut”, “scientist” or “parking lot guard” (because usually they sit in a booth and I thought it would be fun to live in it). I felt that at that age, if I thought something was cool, then it could immediately become yet another one of my momentary dreams.

I was born into a musical family as my father and grandfather are both horn players. Therefore, I had naturally picked up the horn first before I could start working on becoming an astronaut. In a nutshell, I had a happy childhood playing music, mostly because my father and I practiced and played duets together as a special way of spending father-son time. Years later, he took me to play quartets with his students, and sometimes I played alongside him in the orchestra. Through the years of playing the horn, I had experienced a lot and made many friends. I gradually...

Simon Poirier (Canada)

Tell us a little about your natural horn career before IHS51.

I had just finished my master at the Amsterdam Conservatorium when I entered the competition. That means I had been in Europe for about two years. In those two years I had the opportunity to play with different orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and Europa Galante. I was starting to have a taste of what it is like to be a free-lancer!

What motivated you to enter the competition?

I was feeling pretty much at the top of my form in that period. Having just finished studying, I was seeking new challenges. I don't like the competition atmosphere very much, but I knew most of the participants and so the whole thing felt more like a reunion than a competition. I also have to say that I thought it was an opportunity not to be missed. Indeed, who knows when the next natural horn competition will take place!

What are your memories of participating in the festival other than the competition?

I remember being in love with the city (Ghent), and especially the old town in which the conservatory was located. Also, we were a bunch of Québécois there and it was a good feeling to meet again with them, especially in this context where there was such a high energy! I remember being frustrated not to be able to taste all the amazing Belgian beers! The competition...

Hello to the members of the International Horn Society! My name is Emma Gregan – I’m 27 years old and I play Tutti Horn with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in South Australia.

I grew up in Brisbane and was very fortunate to have access to fantastic horn and brass teachers from a young age, both through private lessons with my teacher Ysolt Clark, and through the public school system. I joined the International Horn Society in 2010 when the Symposium came to the Queensland Conservatorium, where I was in my first year of my undergraduate degree at the time. I completed my bachelor’s degree with honours and spent several years freelancing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and touring shows (most notably The Lion King), as well as in Perth with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. I also started writing and recording my own compositions around that time, which has led to a number of them being performed, particularly across the USA, and several commissions and awards.

I won my job with the ASO at the end of 2015 and have been here ever since. We are the largest arts organisation in South Australia with a strength of 75 players, and I feel very privileged to work in a first-class horn section in such a beautiful part of the world. I love the variety of music we play in the orchestra and enjoy playing just about anything they throw at us: from early music, Strauss and Bruckner, and modern opera, through to disco and other contemporary things. I must admit that...

When I was asked to write about the recent horn activity in Alabama, I thought, “Sure! Absolutely!” Then I paused for a moment and thought some more: “What am I going to write about?! Literally nothing has happened or is happening!” Then this little streamer in my mind started taking off, scrolling nonstop, with many of my to-do list reminders for the upcoming week, “this student needs to record Mozart, that one needs to send in their competition video, she needs a letter of recommendation, oh - midterms are coming up, oops - I need to make sure I remembered to upload that pdf for theory, contact this person about coming to studio next month, don’t forget to listen to those recordings, and you need to make your handout for your presentation Tuesday…”

It quickly dawned on me that even though most performances aren’t happening yet, a lot of activity WAS still happening. I began to think about how my teaching has changed during the year, and all of the creative ways teachers everywhere have been handling the pandemic…in whatever virtual, hybrid, or bell-covered reality we are currently in.

Deciding to focus this segment on teaching seemed obvious when I thought about the past year. Reflecting back to exactly one year ago this week, one of the things I am most grateful for is the generosity and collaborative effort of so many wonderful people. As schools shut down, concerts and trips were cancelled, the panic that some of us initially...

Getting creative with your digital content.  

by: Annie Bosler, D.M.A.

In today’s world of online lessons, acapella-style horn choirs, and more screen time, the demand for high quality and engaging online content is greater than ever. Have you thought of creating an online course? What would you teach? How would you present the material? Who is your target audience?

Over the last six years, I have produced close to 50+ hours of content for online courses and virtual programs. In my most recent online program, College Prep for Musicians™, I teamed up with famous peak performance psychologist Don Greene, PhD, and college admissions expert Kathleen Tesar, EdD, to present everything students and parents need to know about applying to college as a musician. The course is divided into six-modules and covers organizational tools, preparation assessments, career options, and more. Useful aids such as repertoire spreadsheets, an audition matrix, and many PDF guides are also included. This information is delivered through seventeen lectures where each of the three course creators brings a different perspective and background to the subject, from top conservatory admissions experience, to years of teaching and professional performing, to Olympic coaching and audition preparation. 

Creating online content merges my love for teaching, passion for music, and desire to create user-friendly, self-study interfaces. Having easily accessible online educational products has led to an overall larger reach than I possibly could have experienced while teaching individual lessons and group classes. If you are interested, here are the steps to take to create online course content:  

Step 1: Determine...