Mr. Smith, With all due respect (and I do have enormous respect for hard working, underpaid, often unappreciated middle/high school band directors), I started on the Horn in 4th grade and was neither confused nor frustrated. This year, my 11 year old son has started the Horn (in F) and is neither confused nor frustrated. All the horn players I have played with up until a couple years ago had started on the Horn.
Of course, no one told me that the horn was too hard for me to play. I guess that wasn't part of the pedagogical repertoire back in those days. Timothy A. Johnson Information Technologies Northwestern College St. Paul, Minnesota http://tajohnson.org -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Richard Smith Sent: Monday, 15 March, 2004 8:18 PM To: The Horn List Subject: Re: [Hornlist] Re: Horns for Middle School As one who has taught both middle school and high school for 25 years, I can assure you that the surest way to run off beginners is to give them a horn (Bb or F) as their first instrument. They will be terribly confused and frustrated. All of the concern about starting on a Bb or F horn can be solved by making sure that the student's first instrument is not a horn. Have them play flute or clarinet for a year. They will develop as horn players faster and without the drop out rate of those who start on horn. _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
