The
Singer of Smooth Melodies
by Randall E. Faust
Excerpted from an article appearing in The
Horn Call XXVI, no. 3 (May 1996): 27-36.
"Believing as I do that the horn is best as a
singer of smooth melodies, I have laid heavier
stress on legato playing than is usual in most
beginning brass methods." [Foreword--Method
for French Horn--Marvin C. Howe, Remick--MPH,
New York, 1950.]
"...and an older teacher, Marvin Howe, showed
that music is more than mere notes with a moving
performance of Saint-Saens "Romance".
["19th Annual Horn Symposium," British
Horn Society, Summer Newsletter 1987, John N.
Wates]
Marvin Howe, this singer of smooth melodies, was
born February 26, 1918, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He
was educated in the public schools and graduated
from Harding High School in Marion, Ohio in 1935.
A lifelong scholar, Marvin's collegiate studies
began at the Oberlin Conservatory--where he was
the first person to earn a Bachelor of Music
degree in Horn in 1939. He also earned from
Oberlin his bachelor's degree in School Music in
1940, (Phi Kappa Lambda). A college roommate at
Oberlin--Fred Myers--later became the father of
the Principal Hornist of the New York
Philharmonic--Philip Myers. His horn teacher at
Oberlin was a member of the Cleveland
Orchestra--William Namen. Also, he was influenced
by other members of the Cleveland Orchestra at
that time--Martin Morris and Philip Farkas.
After college, his early career was teaching
instrumental and vocal music in public schools in
Lexington, Ohio, and Glens Falls, New York, before
volunteering to serve in World War II. He was a
band director in the U.S. Army--serving as a
warrant officer at the Army Music School in
Arlington, Virginia, and also in the European
sector until 1945. During the time Dr. Howe was in
the Army, he was stationed at Fort Benning,
Georgia, before being sent to Europe. Before
entering the Army, Dr. Howe did graduate work at
the University of Michigan (1941). However, after
returning from Europe, he studied at the Juilliard
School of Music and Columbia University in New
York City in 1946. While at Juilliard, he studied
with New York Philharmonic hornist Robert Schulze.
From 1946 to 1948, Professor Howe taught horn and
brass instrument pedagogy at Ithaca College, while
completing his Master of Science in Music
Education there in 1948. At Ithaca, he worked with
trumpeter and brass pedagogue Walter Beeler.
Marvin's Method for French Horn was begun at that
time-and he often credited Beeler-who was writing
his Method for Cornet at the same time-as a
particularly helpful consultant. From 1948-1953,
he taught at The University of Illinois. As an
important center for the study of contemporary
music, The University of Illinois brought him into
contact with several prominent composers. He
performed works such as the Paul Hindemith's
Sonata for Horn and Piano (1939) and the Igor
Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks Concerto under their
direction there. The Maine Sketches for Horn and
Piano (1952) by Eugene Weigel was inspired by
Weigel's hearing Marvin's low register exercises
in a nearby studio!
After taking a year off to take care of the
family farm in Ohio, Marvin moved his family to
Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he became an Instructor
of Music at Iowa State Teachers College. In
addition to teaching horn, brass instruments, and
pedagogy, Marvin toured the State of Iowa as a
consultant for music teachers. A performance with
George Waln's Woodwind Quintet on a Post-Camp
NACWPI Conference at Interlochen, Michigan in
1956, led to his employment at The National Music
Camp in 1957. Soon, Interlochen became the summer
home for his wife-Arline Howe, his daughters-Nancy
and Peggy, and his son Michael. While teaching at
the National Music Camp, Dr. Howe touched the
lives of many students who are now performing in
major symphony orchestras, teach in major
universities, and actively support the fine arts
throughout the world.
From 1960-1962, he did further graduate work at
The University of Iowa. After completing is Master
of Fine Arts Degree and residency for the Ph.D.,
he was appointed Principal Hornist of the Syracuse
Symphony and and Professor at the University of
Syracuse in New York. The next year, he accepted
an invitation to return to teaching at Ithaca
College in Ithaca, New York. At both Ithaca and
Syracuse, he performed as a hornist with the
faculty quintets.
1966 was an important year for Professor Howe for
two reasons: first, he completed the final
dissertation requirements for the Ph.D. at The
State University of Iowa (his dissertation,
"A Critical Survey of Literature, Materials,
Opinions and Practices as Related to the Teaching
of the French Horn," stands as an important
survey of horn teaching today--and an important
critique of the state of horn pedagogy as of 1966)
and second, he moved to Michigan to teach at
Eastern Michigan University. The State of
Michigan, then, became his home--teaching at
Interlochen during the summers and at Eastern
Michigan University during the winter months. Upon
retirement in 1979, he moved to Interlochen, and
then finally to Traverse City in 1993.
Dr. Howe loved to teach! Whenever the
opportunity would present itself, he would be
there. When his friend Philip Farkas had a heart
attack in 1978, he flew to Bloomington, Indiana,
on weekends to make sure the students received
their lessons. Later, in 1982, he taught for James
Winter at the California State University-Fresno
during Dr. Winter's sabbatical leave. Later, when
officially "retired", he would give
clinics, lectures, and recitals, as well as
conducting the horn choir at Interlochen. His
energy was remarkable!
Marvin was an active and avid member of The
International Horn Society. In addition to
contributing to The Horn Call, he served on The
Advisory Council, and performed and/or presented
clinics at International Horn Workshops in Canada
(1975), Provo, Utah (1987), Potsdam, New York
(1988) and Texas (1991). In 1990, he was honored
with the Society's Punto Award, and in 1994, he
was elected to Honorary Membership in the
International Horn Society. However, as much as
his "official" duties, he enjoyed the
camaraderie of the workshops and the chance to be
a participant. He and his wife Arline provided
support to performers, encouragement to
exhibitors, and fellowship to hornists young and
old alike. Workshop cafeteria meals were a time to
meet friends and revel in the development of his
many former students. In addition to the
opportunity to see colleagues and hear former
students, he relished the chances provided by
workshops to learn new truths, rediscover old
truths, and to affirm important values. Some of
these are documented in his Horn Call article:
"Thoughts Triggered by the 1993 IHS
Convention, Charleston, Illinois."
In 1988, the Marvin Howe Horn Scholarship
Endowment Fund was created by former students of
Dr. Howe. Those interested in contributing to this
fund in honor of Dr. Howe may contact the Director
of Advancement, Interlochen Center for the Arts,
Interlochen, Michigan 49643.
MARVIN C. HOWE
Writings for and about the Horn
Pedagogical Materials
Method for French Horn, Remick Music
Co. New York, 1950. Reprinted by Marvin
Howe--available from Mrs. Howe, 6443 Mission
Ridge, Traverse City, Mi 49686
Ph. D. Dissertation--A Critical Survey of
Literature, Materials, Opinions, and Practices
and Related to the Teaching of the French Horn
(1966), University of Iowa.
Notes on the Horn --1967 published in The
Horn Call XXII, no. 2 (1992): 53-55.
Stopped Horn-- (1968) Treatise. Excerpt
published in The Horn Call IV, no. 1 (1973):
19-24.
Refinement of Tone Quality--paper presented
at the 23rd IHS Symposium, University of North
Texas, 1991.
Thoughts Triggered by the 1993 IHS
Convention, Charleston, Illinois. The Horn Call
XIV, no. 1: 75-76.
Howe's Handy Hints for Stopped
Horn--Unpublished article.
Method for Horn-- Volume 2. Unpublished.
MUSIC-- Published Arrangements and
Transcriptions
Das Signpost --Franz Schubert arranged
for Horn Quartet (The Hornist's Nest)
Die Zwei Blauen Augen-- Gustav Mahler
arranged for horn ensemble (The (Hornist's Nest)
Divertimento No. 8--W.A. Mozart
arranged for Horn Quartet published by Southern
Music Co.
Exaudi Deus--Orlando di Lasso arranged
for Horn Quartet published by Southern Music Co.
Finale-Viennese Sonatina No. 6--W.A.
Mozart trans. for Horn Trio (The Hornist's Nest)
Ihr Bild--Franz Schubert arranged for
Horn Quartet (The Hornist's Nest)
Largo from the Violin Concerto in a minor-Vivaldi
transcribed for Horn and Piano (Encore Music)
Madrigals arr for Horn Quartet 2
volumes--(The Hornist's Nest)
Madrigals for Brass Sextet (Elkan
Vogel)
Quando Corpus--G. Rossini arranged for
Horn Quartet (McCoy's Horn Library)
Seventeen Horn Duets--(Hornist's Nest)
presented at the International Horn Workshop
1975
Someone's Horse is Standing There--Russian
Folk Song arranged for horn quartet (The
Hornist's Nest)
Three Tuba Solos-- (Lawson and Gould Co.)
MUSIC-- Unpublished Arrangements and
Transcriptions
Andante Cantabile-Pinsutti arranged
for Horn Quartet
Cherubim Song-Bortiansky arranged for
Horn Quartet
Collected Solos --arr. for Horn and Piano
Horn Quartets--A Baker's Dozen
Sarabande from the Holberg Suite--Edvard
Grieg arranged for Horn Quintet
MUSIC written for, premiered by or dedicated
to Marvin C. Howe
Elegy and Caprice for Horn and Piano
(1994) by William Presser
Maine Sketches for Horn and Piano
(1952) by Eugene Weigel
Night Watch for Horn, Flute, and
Timpani (1943) by Ellis B. Kohs
"Prelude/Nocturne" from Concerto
for Horn and Wind Ensemble (1987) by Randall E.
Faust
Prelude for Horn Alone (1974) by
Randall E. Faust
Sonatina for Horn and Piano (1978) by William
Presser
