On Friday October 12th, members of the UMKC Horn studio made their way to Wichita State University for the 2018-2019 IHS Midsouth Horn Workshop. The RooHorns attending the workshop listened to recitals, participated in masterclasses, toured the various exhibits, and competed in the orchestral excerpts and solo competitions.
Sophomore RooHorn Emily Johns competed in the undergraduate solo competitions and was selected as one of three finalists. Commenting on her experience, Emily stated that “Competing in the solo competition was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet new people. It also pushed me to achieve a more confident performance in a high stress situation.”
RooHorn DMA candidates Tracy Bass and Nicole Deuvall each contributed a short lecture during masterclass blocks on the second day of the workshop. “I greatly enjoyed the TED talk format of the lecture blocks. Not only are they an effective way for the audience to absorb more information on various topics (as opposed to one long presentation by a single lecturer), but it also gives more people the opportunity to present their ideas” Tracy recounted about the event.
On the evening of the second day of the workshop, the RooHorns performed as an ensemble alongside the Wichita State University and University of Texas-Austin horn ensembles. About the performance, studio head Marty Hackleman stated: “The RooHorns highlighted the idea that our most powerful communication tool is the of voice of the horn by doing a program of vocal arrangements including ‘Danny Boy,’ ‘Shenandoah,’ and ‘Nearer My God to Thee.’”
Overall the RooHorns had a productive weekend of learning from and performing alongside some of the best horn players in the country. The studio looks forward getting back to business, preparing to perform at the UMKC Conservatory event “Crescendo!” on November 2nd.
