The Black Horn: The Story of Classical French Hornist Robert Lee Watt

(Hardback)

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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 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 exhilaratingand at times painfulexperience. 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 authors own father, who played trumpet, sought to dissuade the young classical musician in the making. He faced opposition from within the communitywhere the instrument was deemed by Watts father a middle instrument suited only for thin-lipped white boysand 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.

Reviews

Black Horn takes on the life of Watt with raw honesty, humor, and diversity. Watt describes every situation with precise detail. Nothing is left to the imagination. Through intimate encounters, the feeling of being disrespected by peers, and a lack of support throughout his early years as a musician, Watt evokes the emotions behind what it's like for him to be a successful African-American classical musician. * International Musician *
Robert Lee Watt didnt allow racial stereotypes andthe low expectations of others tohold him back. From the beginning, the classical musician used thatnegativity as his fuel to excel The Black Horn is candid and often humorous. Watts stories of transcending racial and class discriminationare especially edifying. * Los Angeles Review of Books *
Certainly there is wisdom to be imparted by a musician of Watts experience. One has to admire his perseverance and tenacity in remaining with what was obviously a contentious section for so many years. * Fanfare Magazine *

Author Bio

Robert Lee Watt studied French horn at the New England Conservatory of Music with Harry Shapiro of the Boston Symphony. In 1970, he was hired by the Los Angeles Philharmonic as assistant first French horn under maestro Zubin Mehta.