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Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Houghton Horns presents our highly popular, best-selling 260-page horn method book. Originally published in 2019, this comprehensive method begins day one and continues through several years of playing. It works beautifully for many ages, making it perfect for beginners, helpful for advanced young students, and highly effective for adult amateurs returning to the horn. Seventy years of research, three years of writing and preparation, and thousands of dollars of investment went into this priceless resource.
Teachers: Use the code recipe10 at checkout for 10% off 10 or more copies!
Recipe For Success is designed for:
- Homogeneous beginning horn classes
- Private teachers, providing a comprehensive method for training young horn players
- Middle school and high school horn players, as a supplement to their band program
- Band directors, furnishing a valuable reference guide to encourage the development and success of their horn students
- University brass/horn methods classes, providing future educators with concise and accurate information on teaching horn
Author biographies
Karen Houghton is a part owner of Houghton horns. She also maintained a large successful private studio for fifty years before retiring to Pennsylvania near family. As an educational consultant for Houghton Horns, Karen is still in demand as a horn pedagogue and is a co-author for “Recipe For Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players.” Karen has held horn positions in orchestras in the United States, Colombia and Germany. She holds a degree in Horn Performance from California State University, Long Beach. Her teachers and mentors include: Ed Jackson, Fred Fox, James Decker, Philip Farkas, Michael Hoeltzel and William Scharnberg.
Janet B. Nye has been teaching and playing horn professionally in many regional symphonies for almost thirty years in the DFW area. For seven summers, she toured Germany with Eurobrass. As an educational consultant with Houghton Horns, Janet is in demand as a clinician and is a co-author of “Recipe For Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players.” She received her B.M.E from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and her M.M. in Horn Performance from Baylor University. Her teaching and playing has been strongly influenced by Koleta Tilson, Steven Gross, Michael Hatfield, Margaret Robinson, Gregory Hustis, and Haley Hoops.
Testimonials
“Houghton and Nye have assembled a fresh, well balanced, and tasty resource designed to start young horn players with tools and excellent habits that will last a lifetime! Stressing a balanced and well-thought-out approach to horn playing with a variety of music, exercises, photographs, duets, student compositions, and activities, the format of this “Recipe” book will appeal to young students and their teachers, and serve as a great reference book for band directors.”
Patrick Hughes, Horn Professor, University of Texas Austin
“A new and exciting comprehensive guide for beginning horn players, Recipe for Success provides a thorough and eye-catching introduction to the horn. Karen Houghton and Janet B. Nye, with decades of teaching experience, serve readers with a complete curriculum from the very beginning. The book is beautifully and attractively set with an imaginative culinary pattern. Each chapter has a Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, with Objectives, Dessert, and other resources. A timely book, highly recommended to introduce the horn to young people.”
Steven Gross, Horn Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Recipe for Success is a wonderful resource for both the classroom and private teacher. This progressive approach to the fundamentals of horn playing are both creative and fun, and your students are guaranteed to leave nourished after every lesson. I recommend this book to the young and veteran teacher, as there is something new for both the student and the teacher.This progressive approach to the fundamentals of horn playing is both creative and fun and your students are guaranteed to leave nourished after every lesson! Everyone should eat from this menu!”
Robert Herrings, Band Director Hughes Middle School, Austin, TX
"This book really is the “recipe” for young Horn players and their “Chefs”. This book forms a cohesive curriculum for the first three years of musical education on the French Horn. A must have for music educators and students!"
Dean Surface, Band Director, Trinity Springs Middle School
"I’m always looking for instrument specific materials to use for teaching my beginner band classes. Recipe for Success is a great way to get your horn students started on a fundamentally sound pathway to success. My students really like the format of the book and I love that it is far removed from the “one size fits all” approach to instrumental instruction."
John Morgan, Band Director, Acton Middle School
"This book is exactly what everyone has been looking for. The perfect step-by-step process to teach beginning horn. As a horn player myself, it truly helps me prioritize everything for my students. I have seen so much improvement, not only in how my beginners learn, but how 7th and 8th graders develop in their early years. Karen and Janet worked diligently to make the perfect book and my kids are hungrier than ever to get better. 10 out of 10!"
Brandon Day, Band Director, Azle High School
"Upon receiving this book, my first reaction was, "Yes - finally!" I could not have been more excited about this resource, and an examination of its contents paved the way for continued celebration. What a fantastic book Houghton and Nye have created. It is chock full of valuable and easy-to-ingest information, combining photographs and graphics with well-phrased, clear and concise directives and descriptions.
Houghton and Nye have adopted a "food-centered" theme and use this to organize the concepts. They suggest alternate means for creating and switching up a daily routine using each of their categories; e.g., Fruits and Vegetables=Range and Flexibility, Dairy=Breathing. Among many other things, exercises, duets, and a practice log (of which the authors encourage duplication) are some of the many resources included in this book. The numerous analogies and parallels that are made really help to solidify the significance of each skill and activity, their place within a daily routine, and how imperative it is to include them.
"Our basic human need for sustenance and nutrition is a vital connection to the function of each of these elements of healthy horn playing and musicianship. Where so many of the books that target beginning horn players fall short, Recipe for Success provides the resources necessary for the well-rounded, healthy, and solid foundation that every horn player needs. This book appeals to horn players of all ages, is comprehensive and easy to read and understand, and gives suggestions for ways in which approaches for different learning styles may be implemented.
"For band directors using a band method, this book would be the perfect resource for their horn students whose specific needs are so often overlooked in the push to put together a concert program in a short amount of time. Teachers, both in a school and private setting, can feel confident that in recommending this book to their students, they are giving them a resource which is fun and engaging, and which presents concepts in a way that will help students to connect with the material and build a solid foundation of skills. Parents, too, can be part of of the process, as the information is presented in such a way that it is accessible and easy to understand - you don't need to be a trained musician to make sense of this book. It could also be used at the collegiate level, with horn students who are developing their pedagogy, or by non-horn players in a methods class setting.
"Many of the resources with which I grew up, though solid and certainly an important part of the literature, are just not as user friendly as this book. Young and old, as well as beginning and more advanced students, will find the material easy to digest (pun intended) and enjoy the book in a variety of ways.
Heidi Lucas, The Horn Call
"Horn folks...if you are having to resort to Skype lessons during this time there is a book I cannot recommend highly enough.
"I purchased it to use with one of my young students (he’s 10 years old) and it has been a game changer. The way the book is structured and builds on foundational skills as well as the little notes and illustrations are great. The analogies and images that are used really seem to connect with students and help them visualize what it is we are doing with the instrument. If you’re teaching young students and especially want to find something that works well with Skype, this is the ticket!!"
Jon Carroll, from the Horn People Facebook group
"If you haven't checked out this book out, 10/10 recommend. It has been a game changer and my beginning horns went from drowning to swimming!"
Jacob Dickman, band director
Houghton Horns presents our highly popular, best-selling 260-page horn method book. Originally published in 2019, this comprehensive method begins day one and continues through several years of playing. It works beautifully for many ages, making it perfect for beginners, helpful for advanced young students, and highly effective for adult amateurs returning to the horn. Seventy years of research, three years of writing and preparation, and thousands of dollars of investment went into this priceless resource.
Teachers: Use the code recipe10 at checkout for 10% off 10 or more copies!
Recipe For Success is designed for:
- Homogeneous beginning horn classes
- Private teachers, providing a comprehensive method for training young horn players
- Middle school and high school horn players, as a supplement to their band program
- Band directors, furnishing a valuable reference guide to encourage the development and success of their horn students
- University brass/horn methods classes, providing future educators with concise and accurate information on teaching horn
Author biographies
Karen Houghton is a part owner of Houghton horns. She also maintained a large successful private studio for fifty years before retiring to Pennsylvania near family. As an educational consultant for Houghton Horns, Karen is still in demand as a horn pedagogue and is a co-author for “Recipe For Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players.” Karen has held horn positions in orchestras in the United States, Colombia and Germany. She holds a degree in Horn Performance from California State University, Long Beach. Her teachers and mentors include: Ed Jackson, Fred Fox, James Decker, Philip Farkas, Michael Hoeltzel and William Scharnberg.
Janet B. Nye has been teaching and playing horn professionally in many regional symphonies for almost thirty years in the DFW area. For seven summers, she toured Germany with Eurobrass. As an educational consultant with Houghton Horns, Janet is in demand as a clinician and is a co-author of “Recipe For Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players.” She received her B.M.E from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and her M.M. in Horn Performance from Baylor University. Her teaching and playing has been strongly influenced by Koleta Tilson, Steven Gross, Michael Hatfield, Margaret Robinson, Gregory Hustis, and Haley Hoops.
Testimonials
“Houghton and Nye have assembled a fresh, well balanced, and tasty resource designed to start young horn players with tools and excellent habits that will last a lifetime! Stressing a balanced and well-thought-out approach to horn playing with a variety of music, exercises, photographs, duets, student compositions, and activities, the format of this “Recipe” book will appeal to young students and their teachers, and serve as a great reference book for band directors.”
Patrick Hughes, Horn Professor, University of Texas Austin
“A new and exciting comprehensive guide for beginning horn players, Recipe for Success provides a thorough and eye-catching introduction to the horn. Karen Houghton and Janet B. Nye, with decades of teaching experience, serve readers with a complete curriculum from the very beginning. The book is beautifully and attractively set with an imaginative culinary pattern. Each chapter has a Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, with Objectives, Dessert, and other resources. A timely book, highly recommended to introduce the horn to young people.”
Steven Gross, Horn Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Recipe for Success is a wonderful resource for both the classroom and private teacher. This progressive approach to the fundamentals of horn playing are both creative and fun, and your students are guaranteed to leave nourished after every lesson. I recommend this book to the young and veteran teacher, as there is something new for both the student and the teacher.This progressive approach to the fundamentals of horn playing is both creative and fun and your students are guaranteed to leave nourished after every lesson! Everyone should eat from this menu!”
Robert Herrings, Band Director Hughes Middle School, Austin, TX
"This book really is the “recipe” for young Horn players and their “Chefs”. This book forms a cohesive curriculum for the first three years of musical education on the French Horn. A must have for music educators and students!"
Dean Surface, Band Director, Trinity Springs Middle School
"I’m always looking for instrument specific materials to use for teaching my beginner band classes. Recipe for Success is a great way to get your horn students started on a fundamentally sound pathway to success. My students really like the format of the book and I love that it is far removed from the “one size fits all” approach to instrumental instruction."
John Morgan, Band Director, Acton Middle School
"This book is exactly what everyone has been looking for. The perfect step-by-step process to teach beginning horn. As a horn player myself, it truly helps me prioritize everything for my students. I have seen so much improvement, not only in how my beginners learn, but how 7th and 8th graders develop in their early years. Karen and Janet worked diligently to make the perfect book and my kids are hungrier than ever to get better. 10 out of 10!"
Brandon Day, Band Director, Azle High School
"Upon receiving this book, my first reaction was, "Yes - finally!" I could not have been more excited about this resource, and an examination of its contents paved the way for continued celebration. What a fantastic book Houghton and Nye have created. It is chock full of valuable and easy-to-ingest information, combining photographs and graphics with well-phrased, clear and concise directives and descriptions.
Houghton and Nye have adopted a "food-centered" theme and use this to organize the concepts. They suggest alternate means for creating and switching up a daily routine using each of their categories; e.g., Fruits and Vegetables=Range and Flexibility, Dairy=Breathing. Among many other things, exercises, duets, and a practice log (of which the authors encourage duplication) are some of the many resources included in this book. The numerous analogies and parallels that are made really help to solidify the significance of each skill and activity, their place within a daily routine, and how imperative it is to include them.
"Our basic human need for sustenance and nutrition is a vital connection to the function of each of these elements of healthy horn playing and musicianship. Where so many of the books that target beginning horn players fall short, Recipe for Success provides the resources necessary for the well-rounded, healthy, and solid foundation that every horn player needs. This book appeals to horn players of all ages, is comprehensive and easy to read and understand, and gives suggestions for ways in which approaches for different learning styles may be implemented.
"For band directors using a band method, this book would be the perfect resource for their horn students whose specific needs are so often overlooked in the push to put together a concert program in a short amount of time. Teachers, both in a school and private setting, can feel confident that in recommending this book to their students, they are giving them a resource which is fun and engaging, and which presents concepts in a way that will help students to connect with the material and build a solid foundation of skills. Parents, too, can be part of of the process, as the information is presented in such a way that it is accessible and easy to understand - you don't need to be a trained musician to make sense of this book. It could also be used at the collegiate level, with horn students who are developing their pedagogy, or by non-horn players in a methods class setting.
"Many of the resources with which I grew up, though solid and certainly an important part of the literature, are just not as user friendly as this book. Young and old, as well as beginning and more advanced students, will find the material easy to digest (pun intended) and enjoy the book in a variety of ways.
Heidi Lucas, The Horn Call
"Horn folks...if you are having to resort to Skype lessons during this time there is a book I cannot recommend highly enough.
"I purchased it to use with one of my young students (he’s 10 years old) and it has been a game changer. The way the book is structured and builds on foundational skills as well as the little notes and illustrations are great. The analogies and images that are used really seem to connect with students and help them visualize what it is we are doing with the instrument. If you’re teaching young students and especially want to find something that works well with Skype, this is the ticket!!"
Jon Carroll, from the Horn People Facebook group
"If you haven't checked out this book out, 10/10 recommend. It has been a game changer and my beginning horns went from drowning to swimming!"
Jacob Dickman, band director
Reviews
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 53 reviews.
Honestly, this is a review of a book I haven't worked my way through. It was recommended by my teacher and I like how it's laid out, but since I am a new student and haven't had any instruction based off this workbook, it's tough for me to say whether I like it or not. I do love that it is spiral bound and it is easy to read. Check back in a year to see if I have progressed using it!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
It’s very good. Well organized, creative, and good beginner pedagogy.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Muy buena esperiencia. Me ayudaron son muy humanos y muy buenos materiales.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Love this book! I bought it for my grand daughter!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
My daughter loves this!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
This book is amazing! I got it as material to teach my first and second year horn students. It has everything you need to know to play technically well on horn. Proper posture and mouthpiece setup, buzzing and slur exercises, duets, and so much more. I love the creative cooking spin on horn methodology. It makes for a fun lesson and we learn so much when we work out of it. Thanks for a great book!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
The book does an excellent job of dealing with the fundamentals of French horn playing. It is great to have all of these resources in one place. It is designed to provide a great practical curriculum for both private and public school teachers. Any person who masters the exercises in this book will be well on their way to being a successful advanced student.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
I hope to start using recipe for success in the fall or shortly thereafter. Seems like a very well thought out method book.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
This is a great book for young players- especially beginners. Very well done!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Great resource
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Recipe for Success is a wonderful teaching tool for young horn players. I highly recommend it.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
My middle school daughter just started the horn and her private lessons instructor recommended this book. She loves it! It is such a fun book and great quality! We highly recommend it!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Great all in one curriculum
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Great book.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Arrived promptly and well packaged. This is a great resource!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Great book! I look forward to utilizing this resource.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
There is a great deal of good advice in this book, but I found it very frustration to have all three levels of teaching and exercises separated into meal categories from appetizers to deserts. For me at least it would be a great deal better to have all the level 1 material in one section, level 2, in another, level 3 in a third. I have contemplated removing the spiral binding to sort things myself into three hole binders. Also the book is too physically heavy for folding music stands. On a desk you can prop the stand with book up with a pillow, but that doesn't work on a folding upright stand. While "Tips for Extended Range" is good, as is the inclusion of the Clarke Study,my teacher rolled his eyes at "Soft Serve Ice Cream," "Heavy Cream," and *watermelon seeds" as he tried to teach me legato. Enough. We like the Christmas Carol duets, and are preparing a modest holiday concert for neighbors.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Store owner replied: Sarah, Thank you for your your feedback and utilizing the book. If students remained in one level until they completed all of that level and then moved to the second level, your suggestion would be perfect, but the way our book is set up, some students will move to level two before they finished level one. It was more important to us to play the category as opposed to sticking in a certain level. If I could redo it, I would actually put some of the exercises in different levels than where they are but hindsight is 2020. The eye rolling made me laugh because those titles were totally meant to bring an eye roll. We did the same thing when we thought of it—total groaner titles! 🤣 As with any project, it’s a learning experience. We learned a lot from going through the process ourselves. In an attempt to keep it easy to read and contain all of the material, it did end up too heavy for a wire music stand, so I just encourage my students to buy a nice black stand, since you can usually find them on Facebook Marketplace! As with most books, not every single exercise will work for every single teacher and student combination, but we do feel confident that there is a wealth of information there for many people and hope you can enjoy the parts that are helpful to you. --Janet B. Nye
What a wonderful and fun book for French Horn Students. My son's French Horn teacher loves having this book in his arsenal. Thank you for a wonderful resource for French Horn students. Thanks Boredhorns
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
I have used and will use this book with all of my my horn students! It's nice to have great exercises written for young and developing horn players to supplement what they can't get in a band room.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Lovely useful exercises and explanations. Great for my students!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Helpful for my daughter!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Very easy ordering process! Thanks
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Most well made thorough beginner’s book!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Super website. Great selection. Excellent prices. Easy ordering process. Thank you!!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Recommended by a professor for a beginner student. Came in excellent condition. Thanks!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
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Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Je suis vraiment très satisfaite de ma commande qui correspondait parfaitement à sa description et donc à ma recherche. L’envoi a été très rapide et les contact avec les vendeurs fut très sympathique ! Je recommande !!!!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
My son is a new French horn player, but not a new musician. He was very impressed with the book from the start and is happy with the variety and presentation of the material.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Great book from a very successful beginning horn private teacher. What's not to like!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
It has been very insightful
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
As a music educator whose primary instrument is not horn, I bought this with the intention of getting better at playing horn so that I can teach it better. This book is easy to follow and provides a wide range of horn specific instruction that I haven’t seen in other band method books.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
I thought this book was a very good resource that gave detailed instruction and reference photos for things like hand positions etc. It also had quite a few golden nuggets of information throughout the book. It was more applicable to teaching my daughter, than traditional books like The Art of French Horn Playing by Phillip Farkas that I grew up with. Both are great books, but this was a little more modern and helped reinforce the lessons from the Farkas book. It's a great addition to my library and was very comprehensive.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
It very good
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
I will be using this book to teach my horn students. Can’t wait to share it with them!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
A perfect beginner book! And a great resource for teachers!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
The book arrived quickly and looks to be thought out, organized, and designed very well. It is an approachable resource.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
It was a gift for my granddaughter that lives out of town. She was thrilled to have it for her private lessons.
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Hi, my name is Anthonny Calderon horn player from Puerto Rico, member of Puerto Rico symphony orchestra. I have to said that the Recipe for Success is the best resource I have try for young player so far. I have discuss with my colleagues, horn player of the orchestra and they are impress and really like it. Is the ideal book for people who are starting the horn for the first time. I want to thanks Karen Houghton and Janet Nye for publishing this book. I’m also a horn teacher on Puerto Rico, for me this is perfect for my students. I promise you that depending of the results of the development of my students this year, this book will be my principal resource for my horn class in Puerto RicoZ I’m really great full for doing this, you are making the horn world a more accessible career. Thank you Anthonny Calderon Assistant Horn Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players
Amazing resource when working with my horn students!
Recipe for Success: A balanced curriculum for young horn players