French Horn goals

A little history: I started the French Horn in 7th grade. I chose this instrument because I knew not very many people played it and I wanted to play all the solos. Little did I know, that there would be very little of solo horn playing for many years as the parts for the horn are VERY boring in beginning music). Still I stuck with it and really loved it. I played in the Utah Valley Youth Symphony, and always got to move up to the better band in both jr and high school before most people. I participated in district honor groups and at All-state and took private lessons. At Ricks College I was really pretty good (even won the concerto contest with another horn player) and played in a ton of ensembles (symphony, pit orchestras, chamber groups, and jazz band), then I went to BYU and was demoted to just good, but finished my music minor. After the mish, I started my community horn playing and played with the American Fork Symphony for 7 years and then switched over to the Nebo Philharmonic and am on my 3rd year with them. I bought my horn at the end of 9th grade with money earned from my paper route (am I painting a nerdy picture of myself?). My parents paid half.

The other day as I was playing in a concert I was thinking about where I'd like to be as a horn player. I was playing first horn with 2 players who were better than me (one with a ton of musical experience and the other a performance major from BYU). Now I can play all right, but I'm not fantastic, and at this point in my life I'm not going to be. I can't practice, I can't take lessons, and I can't play more than I do now (which is once every couple of weeks, when I make it to rehearsals). Of course I could do all these things with more time, money, and desire.

I was inspired at this concert,not by our performance, we're not that good, but by the other horn players. One day I'd like to be better at the horn. I'd like to take lessons, I'd like to take some music classes, and I'd like to practice. I really enjoy symphonic music. It is powerful (not marches and waltzes though, they are lame). I love the horn, too. It is beautiful, when good, and that's how I want to play.

So after my kids are grown I'm going to be a fantastic horn player. Until then, I'll just play the best I can (once a week if I make it to rehearsals :) ).