While my students have been keeping me very busy lately, I am using my free days to work on my dissertation.  For many doctoral students, the dissertation is a hoop to jump through, and can feel tedious- all to create a thick volume just to collect dust. 
When I set about the task of choosing a dissertation topic, I wanted to write something relevant, interesting, unique and enjoyable for me to spend all this time on!  At the same time, while taking auditions, I was surrounded by the familiar grumbles about how we spend our time training for the job interview and not for the job itself.  I quickly realized that while many have written about how to win an audition, no one ever discussed the audition itself, and how we ended up with a system that has stayed more or less the same for the last 30 years. 
This is how I came to ultimately propose "From Hotels to Concert Halls: the Evolution of the North American Orchestral Horn Audition."  I hope to show how auditions have evolved over the years, how different sizes of orchestras approach the audition process, how technology is affecting how we prepare for auditions today, and what we can learn from previous generations.  I hope to even reach some conclusions on if there is a better way to do it in the future.  So far, my research has been inspiring, motivating and enlightening! 
One of the main reasons why I chose this topic was the opportunity it afforded me to interview many great players and pedagogues.  I am overwhelmed with the positive response and generosity of all of those that I have approached.  I enjoy every moment I spend working on this, and I can't wait to share what I have learned with others.  Along those lines, I am excited to announce that, inspired by my interview, John Ericson has decided to create a four-part series based off of his responses for his website www.hornmatters.com, and I know everyone will enjoy this sneak peek at some of the material I will be covering in my own document.  If you have had an experience with a successful (union-scale) orchestral audition and you would like to share your stories with me, please contact me, as I would love to include your experiences in my dissertation.  Stay tuned for further updates on my progress, and on my experience next weekend performing and participating at the IHS MidWest workshop in OshKosh, Wisconsin! 

    Well, it's been another busy semester already, as I have been in 6 countries since January 1st!  As things settle, I have a chance to reflect on my students' progress and my own.  Recently returning from a trip to Mexico where I played assistant principal on Mahler 7, I was happy to see that the type of work I am doing has greatly evolved, and for the better. When in school, we often felt like we had time to slowly work out our issues and make slow, continuous progress.  With a busy schedule, and many family commitments lately, I don't have the opportunity to luxuriate in hours upon hours of meditative practice. I have limited time, and need to be effective with the time I have.  The bottom line is, it's not how much you work, or how hard you work, but how effectively or how good you work that matters.  I was able to get in shape more  efficiently this time around.  I am also able to work up music quickly, because I am methodical, pay close attention to what is coming out of my bell, and am efficient with my spare moments. 
    With my students I see many of them learning this lesson as well.  Many made enormous progress preparing for Solo and Ensemble or their Winter Juries in a short amount of time, and saw tremendous results because they didn't have the time to sit back and let things take care of themselves.  A few worked very hard, but didn't get quite the results they hoped, because it was not enough of the good work that was happening.  But even a week later, as they move into that demanding realm of good work, and trying what is uncomfortable, I am seeing fantastic results. They are working better, and enjoying their horn playing even more. Bravo to everyone!