Audition Practice Turns into Principal Horn Position at the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas

When a fellow horn player alerted Blake Moreland, B.M. '24, to an opening at the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, he geared up for his first-ever professional audition. Hoping for a best-case scenario, the horn performance student set out from Waco on a road trip to practice auditioning—a vital experience for fledging musicians. After two rounds, a member of the committee shook Moreland's hand and asked, "How would you like to be our new principal horn?"

Moreland will continue his horn performance bachelor at the Baylor School of Music in the fall, but this rare accomplishment means his year will also include six trips to Fayetteville, AR—three per semester—for rehearsals and performances. "It's going to give me really good experience about how to act professionally, how to be a participant—and with a leading role—in a professional orchestra," he said.

At Baylor, Moreland performs with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Baylor Wind Ensemble, the award-winning Lux Brass quintet, and the Baylor Horn Choir. He says he has encountered other audition opportunities, but declined to pursue them because he would not have been able to balance the groups' demands with his responsibilities as a student.

The San Antonio native was introduced to music by his father, who also played the horn in college. Moreland took up piano lessons in 2009, then the horn in 2014 (he thought the instrument looked cool, plus he loved it in John Williams' music for Star Wars!).

Looking back on his most transformational experiences as a musician, he credits three teachers: First, his piano teacher, Elizabeth Gutierrez, taught him how to play music, not just notes. Second, Moreland's high school horn teacher, Marc Lumley, recognized his potential and encouraged him to pursue music in college. Finally, Associate Professor of Horn Kristy Morrell, D.M.A., has served as a mentor to Moreland and her guidance, he says, is the reason he won this audition.

"I would encourage other students at Baylor to take auditions even if they don't think they can win them or if they don't think they could even take the job, because you really never know what you might be able to make work," Moreland said. "And you never know how much, even a bad audition could influence your future capability to win an audition."