Beth Almquist
Horn
I grew up in a brass family where the French horn was the only instrument not yet taken. The flute would have been easier to carry on the bus, but carrying the horn in daily blizzards, uphill both ways, and barefoot builds character.
The horn has kept me challenged through three decades and shows no sign of letting me off the hook anytime soon. I like to hang out on the second and fourth horn parts where I get to play what are lovingly called the "toilet bowl" notes at the extreme low end of the horn's range.
I've been with the Midcoast Symphony since 2007, and loving it. During the rest of the week, I teach music lessons and classes and am the musical director of Grace Note Community Music School in Lewiston.
Knitting is a favorite way to keep my hands busy, and thanks to the nature of horn playing, my closet is full of things I've knitted during rehearsals, counting rests as I count stitches.
