Articles - Houghton Horns
20 Questions with Brian Hecht
Brian Hecht, a native of Dallas, Texas, was recently awarded the newly-created position of Utility Trombone with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He will be coming to Dallas from the Atlanta...
Should young people with thick lips be discouraged from playing the French horn?
It’s been said many times by band directors and teachers that students with larger lips should be discouraged from playing French horn, and that those with thin lips will have...
TBA Retrospective
My personal reflections on TBA 2021… Like many other people, this was my first convention in 16 long months. Houghton Horns has had to be creative and flexible during the...
How to Successfully Collaborate: tips on working with a pianist
As brass players, we are very fortunate to have many incredible solos written for us. In order to present the vast majority of these works, we’ll end up working with...
French Horn Talk: Alexander 103 and Yamaha 871DU
Join Dr. Derek J. Wright as he dicusses two French horns currently at Houghton Horns, the Alexander 103 and the Yamaha 871DU. The Alexander 103 is the stereotypical European French...
Transposition Teaching Tips for French Horn
Full disclosure: like so many other horn players of my age, my earliest transposition experiences in high school consisted of assignments from the Kopprasch book played in various keys. However,...
Let’s talk about French horn cases!
Join Dr. Derek J. Wright as he discuss some of the different detachable bell French horn cases available and the things you should consider when shopping for a new case!
ITF 2021 Retrospective
I just finished a special week hanging with the most enthusiastic people. There was an amazing spirit of fraternity and mutual support at the International Trombone Festival. Bravo to all...
Should you go to music school?
Join Dr. Derek J. Wright and Mark Houghton as they discuss the question, “Should you go to music school?” Is it a fruitful pursuit or a complete waste of time...
New Marcus Bonna MB-8 and MB-8M — Explained
I wanted to share a few thoughts on the new MB-8/8M cases that arrived at our shop recently. Some of you may remember the old MB-8, but this newly redesigned...
How can I improve high range on French horn?
As an educator and clinician, I am asked this question frequently. Hopefully I can provide some answers for those of you who are interested in helping yourself or others in...
What does it mean to “center” a note and why is it so important?
Most brass players have been told at some point in their life to “center” their notes better, usually without much more information as to what that means or how to...
