Follow-up Horn Review by Andrew McAfee.
Hi Jacob, I am still loving your horn in fact, my love has deepened! I played a rehearsal on Hill Hall stage today and boy was that confirming, rewarding and enjoyable. I didn't bust a note all rehearsal. This horn is so easy to play and so easy to tune! Testing it in different temperatures has revealed one of my most satisfying realizations. Its warm temperature slide setting is exactly where I remember placing the slides on my Geyer and where Dr. Winter had his slide settings!
Overall, the intonation is perfect! The smooth gliding of the tone through the slurs is so rewarding. The response, the response is my favorite thing about this horn next to its gorgeous sound. The response is easy and constant throughout the horn. There are no holes or tough areas. I can taste the notes and don't have to work making them sit on the grooves. In fact I am rewarded by backing off on the effort. The air goes naturally goes bang, right to the bark point and I can rest, relax down on the groove and enjoy the ride.
Playing it is a pleasure. It is FUN!! It has been a long time since I felt joy, simply good feelings and happy about the day and playing your horn has brought that to me. I am connected closer to the sound than any horn I've played since Dr. Winter's Geyer. There are so many beautiful and crafty things I could go into to specifically address its more technical attributes (great subtones before the note, solid trills, easy range shifting, easy to pick out high notes, great bark in low range, low effort high range, quick response in rapid tonguing, etc.).
I now have one of the greatest horns made anywhere and I no longer envy Dale Clevenger's or Gail Williams' horn or anyone's for that matter! I have a great horn and people will soon hear about it and want one too. Oh, how many years and how many horns I have played to finally have a horn that makes me happy! It makes me excited about playing it for others and doing more CDs and videos. This horn makes me play my best! Finally, I am not struggling with an instrument to get what I want. So much more musically comes through the horn and not lost in fighting with the horn. It takes less energy now to make more music.
I am glad, so glad that have mastered horn making in such a quick period of time. It is a testament to your hard work, good nature and diligence. Keep on, keep on!! Make more, many more, so the Geyer tradition is continued through Jacob Medlin. In addition to being a great Medlin horn, this IS a great Geyer!!
Thank you!!
-Andrew McAfee (Principal Horn, North Carolina Symphony 1992-2007, Horn Instructor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Music Director/Conductor Triangle Youth Ballet Carolina Wind Quintet)
November 14, 2012