International Horn Society – www.hornsociety.org – this is such a great resource for all us. You can stay up on what’s happening in the horn world, who’s doing what, and get information on upcoming horn conferences and symposiums around the country. Often, scholarships and graduate assistantship opportunities are posted in the news section of the society’s publication, The Horn Call. I highly recommend IHS membership for my students with a desire to pursue a horn career, if for no other reason, to get a sense of what you are getting into! Of course, there are many other things going on in the horn world besides what makes it into The Horn Call, but it’s a good place to start.
www.hornplayer.net – this is a great place to look if you’re in the market to buy a horn. This site has extensive classifieds and links to many other horn-related websites.
Did you miss out on having a music appreciation class? No matter what your answer, and no matter your age, I highly recommend watching Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic. They are out on DVD and available through Netflix or for purchase on Amazon. Bernstein is a wonderful communicator and brings music to life!
Anthony Tommasini, a music critic of the New York Times, did a very interesting series of articles called The Top 10 Composers. He explains in his first post that the act of naming the top ten composers is less of the point than the process of looking for them and talking about what makes composers great. If you’re looking for some food for thought, and a starting place for your own explorations in music, check it out. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/top-10-composers/