Reply To: Starting on horn in 4th grade–yea or nay?

[nafmeadmin]

I have gone both ways on this debate. It’s a personal decision between myself and the kid and their parents. I have two beginning horn this year and both get private studio lessons on the side. Personally, I wouldn’t start anyone on horn. But if a kid has ambition and desire I’ll make the best of the situation and use their ambition to overcome the reality that starting on horn is insanely hard. My spouse is a professional horn player with several local symphonies and studio teacher and she goes back and forth on it too. It’s a tough choice. (BTW-with one exception, all the horn players in the 3 nearest pro symphonies started on other instruments and switched in middle school).