This website was created by 3rd year master's candidate Paul Johnson in partial fulfillment of a master's degree from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University. The course is MUSI 6285.
The American Band College, affectionately known as ABC, had its beginnings in 1989 as a summer workshop for band directors. Soon after, ABC was accepted by the Southern Oregon University and the Oregon State Board of Higher Education as a Master’s program, and the first graduating class of 6 students completed their degrees in 1994. By 2002, ABC had grown to over 140 master’s candidates. |
In 2010, ABC realigned itself with Sam Houston State University of Huntsville, TX. ABC currently has over 175 candidates enrolled and over 800 graduates. It is one of the largest and most respected institutions for those wishing to pursue a Master’s degree in the area of instrumental music education.
For more information, please visit www.bandworld.org
For more information, please visit www.bandworld.org
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879, and named after General Sam Houston. There are currently over 18,000 students attending SHSU from more than 60 countries. Students can choose from over 80 undergraduate programs, 50 master’s programs and 6 doctoral programs. SHSU was recognized as one of the “Best in the West” universities by Princeton Review, and was recently placed in the top 7% of all U.S. colleges & universities.
For more information, please visit www.shsu.edu
For more information, please visit www.shsu.edu
Paul Johnson has been an elementary and middle school band director for over 25 years. He is enthusiastic about helping young people learn the instrument of their choice and is grateful to be in a profession that can help improve the lives of his students. However, his involvement and love of music did not come through a band instrument, but rather through a baritone ukulele his mother gave him for Christmas when he was 6 years old. Over the next two years, this led to learning the guitar and began a passion for playing the instrument.
After high school, he entered Central Washington University as a music education major. He focused on guitar as his primary instrument, but also worked hard learning the band and orchestra instruments, recognizing the need to become comfortable with them if he was going to become a music teacher. Therefore, he took private lessons on trombone, clarinet, violin, cello and upright bass in addition to the required class brass and class woodwind courses.
This has led to a rewarding career in music education for Paul, both as a band director and a private guitar instructor. He currently teaches sixth and seventh grade band at both Cedar River and Tahoma Middle Schools in the Tahoma School District in Maple Valley, Washington. He was awarded “Educator of the Year” by the PTA after the 2012-2013 school year. In addition to teaching full time, he continues to play jazz and acoustic guitar as a soloist or member of a small group for corporate events, coffee shops, wine bars and restaurants each month. He released his first CD in 2010, arranging all of the music and writing all but one of the songs.
Mr. Johnson and his wife have been married for over 25 years and have two teenaged children. When not teaching or playing music, Mr. Johnson enjoys spending time with his family, being involved in his church, and enjoying the outdoors. He may be contacted at [email protected].
Credits and sources
Photos and Clip Art
French Horn Clip Art:
http://www.wpclipart.com/music/instruments/other_horns/more_horns/french_horn.png.html
Eiffel Tower:
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/onboarding.php
David Pyatt photo:
Still taken from London Symphony Orchestra video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KInzY7itSaA
Treble clef graphic:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treble_clef.svg
Single Horn picture:
http://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/our-instruments/band-instruments/french-horns/14d/
Double Horn picture:
http://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/our-instruments/band-instruments/french-horns/6d/
(Arrows added to horn pictures by Paul Johnson using Paint)
ABC and SHSU logos taken from:
http://www.bandworld.org/ABC/View.aspx?p=ABC_Download
First Solos for the Horn Player book cover:
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/First-Solos-for-the-Horn-Player-sheet-music/3165439?d=sem_SFD&popup=false&mkwid=PW9Yopeu&pcrid=47878898422&gclid=Cj0KEQjwyoCrBRCl-aa97pKX_t8BEiQAbrs_9NAtY8y0X52iy6QMe1pdAjMsP7gj6_WbhZnwec49Z0oaAs2H8P8HAQ
Solos for the Horn Player book cover:
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/solos-for-the-horn-player-sheet-music/19641430?gclid=Cj0KEQjwyoCrBRCl-aa97pKX_t8BEiQAbrs_9GHeGIumWr_lbKcf7ia1gbigkm-1aVZI8Kx42sIvZb4aAmrc8P8HAQ&d=sem_SFD&popup=false&mkwid=PW9Yopeu&ac=1&pcrid=47878898422
Concert and Contest Collection book cover:
http://www.amazon.com/Rubank-Concert-Contest-Collection-French/dp/B00065PYLE
Horn Hero photos and information:
Dennis Brain: https://fanart.tv/artist/f57f939d-6358-47c7-ba60-128a7ae9bec3/brain-dennis/
Info: http://www.hornsociety.org/ihs-people/past-greats/122-brain
Barry Tuckwell: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-tuckwell-mn0000242692/biography
Info: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-tuckwell-mn0000242692/biography and
http://liveperformance.com.au/halloffame/barrytuckwell1.html
Vince DeRosa: http://hornworks.com/su12.htm
Info: http://www.hornsociety.org/home/ihs-news/26-people/honorary/78-vincent-derosa and
http://www.lastudiomusicians.info/vincentderosa.htm
Sarah Willis: http://sarah-willis.com/gallery/
Info: http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/sarah-willis-first-lady-french-horn and
http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/orchestra/musician/sarah-willis/
Felix Klieser: http://www.swr.de/swr2/programm/sendungen/cluster/felix-klieser-zu-gast-beim-radio-sinfonieorchester-stuttgart-des-swr/-/id=10748564/did=15356106/nid=10748564/y3kcmf/index.html
Info: https://www.rareconnect.org/en/community/dysnet/article/felix-klieser-an-amazing-french-horn-player-born-with-amelia and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kbybplC2Gk
All horn photos featuring a student were taken by Paul Johnson. Model is 9th grade student, Cameron P.
All music notation graphics were created by Paul Johnson using Sibelius 6 software.
All YouTube video horn sounds taken from Embou-Sure French horn examples, then edited and converted to video by Paul Johnson.
Information
The following sources were used for technical information:
Embou-Sure book, horn section by Val Phillips, published by the American Band College.
The American Band College Summer 2013 Notebook, pages JS22-JS24, written by professor J.D. Shaw
Lecture notes taken by Paul Johnson at The American Band College, Summer 2015, Roxanne Haskill, presenter
After high school, he entered Central Washington University as a music education major. He focused on guitar as his primary instrument, but also worked hard learning the band and orchestra instruments, recognizing the need to become comfortable with them if he was going to become a music teacher. Therefore, he took private lessons on trombone, clarinet, violin, cello and upright bass in addition to the required class brass and class woodwind courses.
This has led to a rewarding career in music education for Paul, both as a band director and a private guitar instructor. He currently teaches sixth and seventh grade band at both Cedar River and Tahoma Middle Schools in the Tahoma School District in Maple Valley, Washington. He was awarded “Educator of the Year” by the PTA after the 2012-2013 school year. In addition to teaching full time, he continues to play jazz and acoustic guitar as a soloist or member of a small group for corporate events, coffee shops, wine bars and restaurants each month. He released his first CD in 2010, arranging all of the music and writing all but one of the songs.
Mr. Johnson and his wife have been married for over 25 years and have two teenaged children. When not teaching or playing music, Mr. Johnson enjoys spending time with his family, being involved in his church, and enjoying the outdoors. He may be contacted at [email protected].
Credits and sources
Photos and Clip Art
French Horn Clip Art:
http://www.wpclipart.com/music/instruments/other_horns/more_horns/french_horn.png.html
Eiffel Tower:
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/onboarding.php
David Pyatt photo:
Still taken from London Symphony Orchestra video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KInzY7itSaA
Treble clef graphic:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treble_clef.svg
Single Horn picture:
http://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/our-instruments/band-instruments/french-horns/14d/
Double Horn picture:
http://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/our-instruments/band-instruments/french-horns/6d/
(Arrows added to horn pictures by Paul Johnson using Paint)
ABC and SHSU logos taken from:
http://www.bandworld.org/ABC/View.aspx?p=ABC_Download
First Solos for the Horn Player book cover:
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/First-Solos-for-the-Horn-Player-sheet-music/3165439?d=sem_SFD&popup=false&mkwid=PW9Yopeu&pcrid=47878898422&gclid=Cj0KEQjwyoCrBRCl-aa97pKX_t8BEiQAbrs_9NAtY8y0X52iy6QMe1pdAjMsP7gj6_WbhZnwec49Z0oaAs2H8P8HAQ
Solos for the Horn Player book cover:
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/solos-for-the-horn-player-sheet-music/19641430?gclid=Cj0KEQjwyoCrBRCl-aa97pKX_t8BEiQAbrs_9GHeGIumWr_lbKcf7ia1gbigkm-1aVZI8Kx42sIvZb4aAmrc8P8HAQ&d=sem_SFD&popup=false&mkwid=PW9Yopeu&ac=1&pcrid=47878898422
Concert and Contest Collection book cover:
http://www.amazon.com/Rubank-Concert-Contest-Collection-French/dp/B00065PYLE
Horn Hero photos and information:
Dennis Brain: https://fanart.tv/artist/f57f939d-6358-47c7-ba60-128a7ae9bec3/brain-dennis/
Info: http://www.hornsociety.org/ihs-people/past-greats/122-brain
Barry Tuckwell: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-tuckwell-mn0000242692/biography
Info: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-tuckwell-mn0000242692/biography and
http://liveperformance.com.au/halloffame/barrytuckwell1.html
Vince DeRosa: http://hornworks.com/su12.htm
Info: http://www.hornsociety.org/home/ihs-news/26-people/honorary/78-vincent-derosa and
http://www.lastudiomusicians.info/vincentderosa.htm
Sarah Willis: http://sarah-willis.com/gallery/
Info: http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/sarah-willis-first-lady-french-horn and
http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/orchestra/musician/sarah-willis/
Felix Klieser: http://www.swr.de/swr2/programm/sendungen/cluster/felix-klieser-zu-gast-beim-radio-sinfonieorchester-stuttgart-des-swr/-/id=10748564/did=15356106/nid=10748564/y3kcmf/index.html
Info: https://www.rareconnect.org/en/community/dysnet/article/felix-klieser-an-amazing-french-horn-player-born-with-amelia and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kbybplC2Gk
All horn photos featuring a student were taken by Paul Johnson. Model is 9th grade student, Cameron P.
All music notation graphics were created by Paul Johnson using Sibelius 6 software.
All YouTube video horn sounds taken from Embou-Sure French horn examples, then edited and converted to video by Paul Johnson.
Information
The following sources were used for technical information:
Embou-Sure book, horn section by Val Phillips, published by the American Band College.
The American Band College Summer 2013 Notebook, pages JS22-JS24, written by professor J.D. Shaw
Lecture notes taken by Paul Johnson at The American Band College, Summer 2015, Roxanne Haskill, presenter