French Horn Lessons

helpful Links for music Students

french horn

The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about 12–13 feet of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player. Descended from the natural horn, the instrument is often informally and incorrectly known as the French horn, but since 1971 the International Horn Society has recommended the use of the word horn to avoid confusion; as the commonly played instrument is not, in fact, the "French horn", but rather the wider bore "German horn". However, in the English speaking world "French horn" is still the most commonly used name for the instrument. more from Wikipedia >

french horn teachers


French Horn TeachersChad Turner (tuba)

french horn FAQ

How old does my child need to be to start French horn lessons?

At Charlotte Academy of Music, 9 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private French horn lessons. Younger students may wish to begin with piano or flute.

For children ages 3-5, we suggest our music readiness program, Preludes. In each Preludes class children learn about rhythmic notation, the piano keyboard, pitch and participate in various rhythmic and movement activities. Preludes provides a wonderful foundation for future violin or other instrument study!

Should French horn students also take the Music Theory Lab?
All students ages 5 and older are encouraged to take our Music Theory Lab. Rhythmic and Pitch Notation, Dynamics, Rhythmic Counting, Key Signatures and many other important theory skills are covered in our lab curriculum. Our lab curriculum correlates with the NFMC Music Theory Examinations, and prepares our students for this important local event.
How do I choose the teacher for my child?
Charlotte Academy of Music is pleased to have brass instructor Chad Turner on faculty. Parents and students also find it very helpful to talk with the teacher about the student’s learning style, the expectations of the teacher, and more.
I need to rent or purchase a French horn. Where do I start?
Your teacher will be glad to assist you in finding an appropriate instrument. A quality, well-maintained instrument is an important key to success in music lessons.

music research

Music Majors Most Likely Group to be Admitted to Medical School

Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66% of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44%) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.


Sources: “The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in Education and in Other Areas of a Multi-focus University”, Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document No. ED327480, “The Case for Music in the Schools”, Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994

Music Students Score Higher on the SAT

High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.


Source: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001