Adult Participants

Adult Curriculum Overview

The curriculum for adult participants is the most intense, varied and flexible program offered by any horn "workshop," "symposium," "institute," or "camp" since at KBHC, emphasis is on the individual participant improving their own technique and musicianship. Adult participants are usually comprised of people ranging from 28 to 85 years old. Since there is such a huge range of abilities and experience, adults are assigned into small "study groups" of like abilities and interests. We have had business people, doctors, lawyers, scientists, clergymen and women, engineers, teachers, artisans, professional performers and music educators attend camp to refine their skills and to have an enjoyable time in a collegial atmosphere.  Many adult participants return every year and many comment that it is the highlight of the year for them and that they consider the people the know at camp as their "KBHC family!"

There is no competitive audition associated with application. We do offer to adult professional horn players seeking employment a mock audition at the end of the week. The mock audition includes excerpts that are covered throughout the week by KBHC faculty.

Private Lessons

All participants have two 1-hour private lessons, each with a different faculty member, per week. If attending multiple weeks, you receive lessons with different instructors every time! Scheduling is done by lottery to be fair to all. It is also possible to receive instruction from individual faculty during open studios as well, should you not be assigned a particular instructor that you desire to meet. Please be assured, though, that you will not have a duplicate instructor for any lesson during your entire stay at KBHC.

Class Instruction

Adult participants have unparalleled options when it comes to group instruction. Adults are assigned to study groups made up of participants of similar experience for the three hour morning time frame. The first morning hour is spent with faculty usually covering general topics of horn playing such a warm ups and practice routines. Other hours are spent with excerpts or alternative instruction for those not wishing to pursue excerpts. There are also open studios with faculty, and specialty classes (topics include low horn playing, high horn playing, audition preparation, improvisation, trills and special effects, etc).  Study groups are scheduled with a different faculty member each day allowing our participants to experience many different teachers, styles, and approaches to horn playing. By rotating through faculty throughout the given week, every effort is made so that no study group's instructor is duplicated during the week. This holds true for participants attending multiple weeks as every effort is made so that participants experience as many different faculty members as possible. Ear training classes, led by staff, are scheduled in the afternoon and adult participants are encourage to attend, solo and private lesson scheduling permitting.

Solo Classes

Every participant is given the opportunity to play solos for our solo coach and pianist.

Participants may play in solo class and not perform in recital but all are offered the opportunity to perform in the concerts at the end of the week, if they so choose, provided that the solo coach and collaborative pianist feel comfortable that each participant will have a successful performance.  Our participants are surrounded by the most supportive audience possible - fellow horn players!

Horn Ensembles

All our participants are organized into horn ensembles, coached or conducted by the faculty, which perform at the end of the week. These ensembles can vary in size from three to twelve. Every effort is made to choose repertoire and assign parts to ensure that everyone can have an enjoyable and successful performance.

We also offer a natural horn ensemble (if numbers permit) as well as open studios, taught by natural horn virtuoso Lowell Greer. No natural horn experience is required and many participants are given their introduction to historical horn performance at camp.

Free Time

Realizing that the horn camp can be intense, it would be remiss to not allow our participants to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Camp Ogontz! Every day there is a 2 hour block of free time for all participants and faculty. Often, participants will enjoy canoeing, hiking, swimming, and a myriad of other outdoor activities, including the ritual gathering at the Green Chairs.

Evening Sessions

All participants gather during our evening sessions for camp-wide classes. These classes vary from week to week, drawing on the specialties of our faculty members. Our evening sessions have included topics such as the history of the horn, panel discussions with our faculty on various topics, how to practice efficiently, acoustic designs and recording techniques, "what not to do" to annoy your colleagues, how to learn to improvise, orchestral parts and ensemble readings and faculty/satff recitals. The mid-week evening session is "Clam night" when Professor I.M.Gestopftmitscheist makes his appearance where he belches, disgorges, ejects, erupts, expels, spews and spouts his unique knowledge of horn and horn-related paraphernalia.

The last two evening sessions of each week are public performances where participants perform solo and horn ensemble works. The community and participants' friends and relatives are all welcome to come as these concerts are free and open to the public. The final concert of each week is followed by a gala party and fireworks orchestrated by our staff of highly experienced pyrotechnicians!