nalar

At rehearsal last Thursday, I was struggling with the inconsistencies that my horn provides for me. High range is stuffy and inaccurate. This makes me use far more energy to maintain a steady pitch in those ranges, which are the mainstays of most principal/first parts.
Though my solos went well, I was dead 30 minutes before rehearsal ended. Afterwards, I asked the second horn if I could play a few things on his horn, which was almost exactly the same model as mine.
...

The difference was night and day. I could play as if I had only just warmed up. I played solo pieces flawlessly that I hadn't touched in 4 years due to frustration. Finally having concrete evidence that I was -NOT- the problem in the equation, I took my horn to Marshall Music the next day, and the technician there promptly noticed valve problems, and a possible airleak. I'll never know why the two previous professionals NEVER noticed any of this.

I'm sad that problems with my horn that began over 5 years ago have halted my progression. This whole time I was certain that I was the source of the failure. Yes, I had tried others, but I one thing I NEVER did or was able to do was take someone else's horn for a few days and try it. Pro's had told me my horn was fine. My professor had as well, yet it was the students sitting next to me and behind me that were the ones to finally agree with me.

Whatever the case, once I have it back on Wednesday, my goal is to be in the orchestra for music majors by next winter. And I will be.

YARRRRR