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Horn

Caroline Kinsey - Spring 1999

Born: San Antonio, TX

Age: 30

Schooling: I received my BM and Performers Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. I attended the University of Texas at San Antonio for one year working on my Masters of Music Education and then transferred to the Cleveland Institute of Music and received the Professional Studies Certificate in 1993.

Horn Teachers: April Meyers, Verne Reynolds, Eli Epstein

Type of Horn I Play: George McCracken/King Eroica

Professional Orchestras Played In: ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, OH, San Antonio Symphony, Honolulu Symphony, Hawaii Opera Company, and Arkansas Symphony (present)

Gutsiest Move: (I don't know if you want to call it gutsy, just no choice) Playing Bruckner Symphony 4 on someone else's horn with half of a numb lip, from recent oral surgery, with no assistant.

When and where did you start the horn? What made you want to go into music in college: I started playing the summer after my fourth grade year. My dad, a band directory, brought me a book with all the instruments in it and asked me to pick what instrument I wanted to play. I said either the trumpet or the curly one. The next day he told me I was going to play the horn, partly because of my small lips. Singing was always a part of our family's life, but I had never considered being in band. It saved me, because I had absolutely no direction in life. After two years of private lessons and going to solo and ensemble contests for a couple of years, I had already made my decision that music was going to be my life. At this point, I was in the seventh grade and was always doing things to further my career. I was going to be a studio musician and play movie soundtracks, but once I played Beethoven's Symphony #7 my freshman year at Eastman, everything changed. From then on, everything was based on what would be best for my horn career.

What are you doing now and where are you headed: I am currently principal horn of the Arkansas Symphony. In addition to that, I am the Arkansas Symphony Librarian and Outreach Services Coordinator. Teaching is a small part of my life at Hendrix College, but I also have some private students.

At this point, I am enjoying my settled life: Rick, my timpani playing friend, my boxer puppy Jessie, and my cat Serge. I just bought a new house a year ago, so that is a whole project in itself to keep me busy.

I will keep taking auditions so when I am forty, I won't be able to say I didn't try, but I have come to the realistic fact that I don't play like a computer--I make mistakes and I am luck to have the job that I do.

Tell us something about yourself that people may be surprised to hear: I am really a very nice, forgiving Christian person. Sometimes I think I come off as a tough, hardened woman. That is just a front, unless of course, I am not given the same respect I give, then you better run.

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