Owen freshman to represent WNC District at All-State Honors Band Clinic

Moss Perdue among top french horn players in N.C.

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 23, 2024

Owen High School freshman Moss Perdue will play the French horn, April 26, when the top high school players in the state gather for the N.C. Bandmasters All-State Honors Band Clinic in Greensboro. Photo by Fred McCormick

Two years ago, Moss Perdue was a young middle school student learning a new instrument, but when the top high school instrumentalists in the state gather, Saturday, April 26, for the N.C. Bandmasters All-State Honors Band Clinic in Greensboro, the Owen freshman will be among them.

The occasion will mark an early milestone in the young career of the French horn player.

Perdue was introduced to the trumpet in the fifth grade, taking private lessons before picking up the horn as a seventh-grader at Owen Middle. The instrument represented a unique challenge for the musician.

“Nobody else was playing it,” she said. “My mom played the French horn in high school, and I thought that was pretty cool. I figured it out, and it was harder than the trumpet.”

Learning to manipulate the brass horn’s three valves and cultivate the desired notes forced Perdue to analyze her approach.

“Lip placement is so much different than the trumpet, which requires about a 50-50 split on the mouthpiece, but you have to figure out the right balance for you on the French horn,” Perdue said. “It’s more of a pioneering approach to playing an instrument, because you have to figure out a lot of stuff for yourself. It’s different for everyone.”

As she entered high school seeking to join a wind ensemble comprised of mostly juniors and seniors, Perdue was “timid.”

“I found it was much easier to have a section I could rely on and support, and that created this full sound that I really enjoy being a part of,” Perdue said. “This year in band has been a much different experience than the one I had in middle school.”

The environment allowed Perdue to focus on improving as a hornist, as she began practicing two hours every week night.

“I do a lot more practice on the weekends, when I’m not doing anything,” Perdue said. “I can see a difference, because I could hardly play the solos I will playing for my UNC School of Arts audition when I chose them at the beginning of the year, but now I can play them all pretty proficiently.”

Her commitment to honing her skills paid off in January, when Perdue earned second chair in the 2024 Western All-District Band audition. The instrumentalist was asked to play major scales, a selected solo and allowed to view a fresh piece of music for 60 seconds before performing it.

Exceeding her expectations in the district audition boosted Perdue’s confidence going into the all-state auditions in March.

“We knew if Moss had a strong audition for state, things would go pretty well,” said Owen Band Director Tyson Hamrick. “But, it’s hard to judge the competition throughout the state, so you never quite know how good they will be.”

Perdue’s ability to sight-read gave her an advantage in the process, according to Hamrick.

“If you are a strong musician, preparation is something you’re good at,” he said. “But, it’s really what you know and how you can use that to figure out something on the spot that makes the difference.”

While the fifth-chair French horn player is eager to represent her school and district in the All-State Honors Band Clinic, the experience throughout the high school audition process has already been a positive one.

“I’d like to keep learning from the French horn players around me, but mostly I want to be proud of the work I’ve done to get here and have a great performance,” she said. “I’m fifth chair in the state, but the first freshman, so I want that to inspire me to keep first chair in my class for as long as I can.”