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The Black Horn: The Story of Classical French Hornist Robert Lee
Watt tells the story of the first African American French Hornist
hired by a major symphony in these United States. Today, the number
of African Americans who hold chairs in major American symphony
orchestras are few and far between, and Watt is the first in many
years to write about this uniquely exhilarating and at times
painful experience. The Black Horn chronicles the upbringing of a
young boy first fascinated by the sound of the French horn. Watt
walks readers through the many obstacles presented by the racial
climate in the United States both on and off stage in his efforts
learn and eventually master an instrument little considered in the
African American community, with even the author s own father, who
played trumpet, seeking to dissuade the young classical musician in
the making. Opposition from within the community--a middle
instrument suited only for thin-lipped white boys, Watt s father
once chided and from without, Watt document his struggles as a
student at an all-white major music conservatory as well as his
first job in a major symphony orchestra after his conservatory
canceled his scholarship. Watt subsequently chronicles his triumphs
and travails as a musician, sometimes alone when confronting the
realities of race in America and the world of classical music. This
work will surely interest any working classical musician and
student, particularly those of color, seeking to grasp firsthand
the sometimes troubled history of being the only black horn. "
The Black Horn: The Story of Classical French Hornist Robert Lee
Watt tells the story of the first African American French Hornist
hired by a major symphony in the United States. Today, few African
Americans hold chairs in major American symphony orchestras, and
Watt is the first in many years to write about this uniquely
exhilarating-and at times painful-experience. The Black Horn
chronicles the upbringing of a young boy fascinated by the sound of
the French horn. Watt walks readers through the many obstacles of
the racial climate in the United States, both on and off stage, and
his efforts to learn and eventually master an instrument little
considered in the African American community. Even the author's own
father, who played trumpet, sought to dissuade the young classical
musician in the making. He faced opposition from within the
community-where the instrument was deemed by Watt's father a
"middle instrument suited only for thin-lipped white boys"-and from
without. Watt also documented his struggles as a student at a
nearly all-white major music conservatory, as well as his first job
in a major symphony orchestra after the conservatory canceled his
scholarship. Watt subsequently chronicles his triumphs and travails
as a musician when confronting the realities of race in America and
the world of classical music. This book will surely interest any
classical musician and student, particularly those of color,
seeking to grasp the sometimes troubled history of being the only
"black horn."
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