The Holistic Horn - A New Paradigm of Brass Playing & Musical Mastery

This episode is sponsored by @HighRangeMagic an innovative online program for horn players. Find out more at https://www.highrangemagic.com/
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☯️ Holistic Horn Ep. 17 - Brian KM: The Electronic Hornist
Innovative electronic horn player Brian KM joins us for a wildly inspiring episode about creativity, self-presentation, persistence, and carving your own path in the brass world.
Brian has performed across Australia, Canada, and the U.S., directed the Melbourne Rainbow Band, toured internationally with his multimedia shows, and previously served as principal horn of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band (150–200 gigs a year).
In this podcast, we cover:
- How Brian built a thriving career through proactivity, self-producing, and constant creativity
- Why "everyone deserves a no”
- His philosophy of being the ocean, not the wall: finding pathways around obstacles
- The realities behind touring and residencies
- His simple, athletic warm-up (why boring fundamentals matter)
- The gear + setup behind his horn/electronics performances
If you're curious about alternative career paths, overcoming fear, or expanding your creativity, this episode is for you.
RESOURCES:
https://www.briankm.com
https://www.highrangemagic.com

**About the podcast**
Hosted by hornist, educator, and entrepreneur Mars Gelfo, The Holistic Horn podcast features incredible personalities from the horn & music world, providing actionable insights, inspiration, and thought-provoking ideas to help you live your best life as a musician and whole human.If you like this episode, show some love by hitting the like & subscribe buttons! #frenchhorn #podcast #brassinstrument #brasspedagogy #highrange @HighRangeMagic ​

This episode is sponsored by @HighRangeMagic an innovative online program for horn players. Find out more at https://www.highrangemagic.com/
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☯️ Holistic Horn Ep. 16 - Oren Marshall: Powerful Breathing for BrassOren has performed with nearly every major London orchestra, recorded on soundtracks like Mission Impossible, and teaches at the Royal College of Music. He’s known for his groundbreaking work that blends classical performance, improvisation, and his own invented instruments.

In this follow-along podcast, we cover:
- Oren’s three-realm breathing practice: health, expansion, and resistance
- How breathing shapes your nervous system and stage confidence
- How yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong inform Oren's approach to music
- Why conditioning your breath might be the most important part of your practice routine

We go hands-on with breathing drills you can try along with us.This episode is for every musician who’s ever wanted to sound (and feel) more free!

RESOURCES:
https://www.orenmarshall.com
https://www.highrangemagic.com

**About the podcast**
Hosted by hornist, educator, and entrepreneur Mars Gelfo, The Holistic Horn podcast features incredible personalities from the horn & music world, providing actionable insights, inspiration, and thought-provoking ideas to help you live your best life as a musician and whole human.If you like this episode, show some love by hitting the like & subscribe buttons! #frenchhorn #podcast #brassinstrument #brasspedagogy #highrange @HighRangeMagic ​

This episode is sponsored by @HighRangeMagic an innovative online program for horn players. Find out more at https://www.highrangemagic.com/
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☯️ Holistic Horn Ep. 15 - Elizabeth Freimuth: Mentorship & Freedom
Elizabeth Freimuth, new professor of horn at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and principal horn of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 19 years, joins us for this month's episode.
In our conversation, we cover:
- How fundamentals become freedom when you know why you're practicing
- Channeling your full emotional range into music
- The value of real mentorship
- What inclusion means in music today
Elizabeth brings wisdom to this conversation as we talk about the many paths horn players can take:[spoiler alert!] you don't need to be an excerpt jockey to have a horn career these days!
Hope you enjoy.
RESOURCES:
https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/about/the-orchestra/elizabeth-freimuth/
https://www.highrangemagic.com
**About the podcast**
Hosted by hornist, educator, and entrepreneur Mars Gelfo, The Holistic Horn podcast features incredible personalities from the horn & music world, providing actionable insights, inspiration, and thought-provoking ideas to help you live your best life as a musician and whole human.If you like this episode, show some love by hitting the like & subscribe buttons! #frenchhorn #podcast #brassinstrument #brasspedagogy #highrange @HighRangeMagic ​

This episode is sponsored by @HighRangeMagic an innovative online program for horn players. Find out more at https://www.highrangemagic.com/

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☯️ Holistic Horn Ep. 14 - Austin Pancner: The Functional Musician
Austin Pancner, The Functional Musician, is a trombonist and movement coach. In this episode, we explore this phrase that reshaped his life and teaching: "Breathing is expansion in all directions at the same time."
What to expect in this episode:
- How breathing can restore motion and reduce pain in surprising ways for musicians
- Case studies of real musicians Austin has worked with (including healing insomnia and injury)
- A guided breathing exercise for you to try

We breathe about 25,000 times per day. How we do it directly affects our nervous system, joints, fascia - and you bet it affects the way we perform on stage. Hope you enjoy.

RESOURCES:
https://www.instagram.com/thefunctionalmusician/
https://www.thefunctionalmusician.com
https://www.highrangemagic.com

**About the podcast**Hosted by hornist, educator, and entrepreneur Mars Gelfo, The Holistic Horn podcast features incredible personalities from the horn & music world, providing actionable insights, inspiration, and thought-provoking ideas to help you live your best life as a musician and whole human.If you like this episode, show some love by hitting the like & subscribe buttons! #frenchhorn #podcast #brassinstrument #brasspedagogy #highrange @HighRangeMagic ​

This episode is sponsored by @HighRangeMagic an innovative online program for horn players.
Find out more at https://www.highrangemagic.com/

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☯️ Holistic Horn Ep. 13 - Kathleen Nagy: Healing With Your Horn

Kathleen Nagy, The Sound Lady, who wrote "Horn Harmonics for Health", is a horn player, author, and educator.
In this episode we cover:

- why the horn is a self-healing instrument
- how the brain works as a frequency monitor
- moving from music for entertainment to music for healing
- using multiphonics for calming nerves
- Kathy walks us through finding your own "chakra scale" which you can apply to your routine.

Whether you've been down the "woo-woo" road for years, or this is the first you've heard of chakras, you'll walk away with new ideas after listening to this episode.

RESOURCES:
https://www.instagram.com/selfhealingsoundenergy/
https://www.thesoundlady.com
https://www.highrangemagic.com

**About the podcast**
Hosted by hornist, educator, and entrepreneur Mars Gelfo, The Holistic Horn podcast features incredible personalities from the horn & music world, providing actionable insights, inspiration, and thought-provoking ideas to help you live your best life as a musician and whole human.
If you like this episode, show some love by hitting the like & subscribe buttons!
#frenchhorn #podcast #brassinstrument #brasspedagogy #highrange @HighRangeMagic ​