Howard Pink and his Musical Garden Hoses

The kid's can't take their eyes off him - his wild brown hair, bushy gold eyebrows, handle-bar mustache, his brownish-gray beard and vibrating/buzzing lips. It's "Howard Pink and His Musical Garden Hoses" or "Everything You Wanted to Know About the French Horn but Were Afraid to Ask". "It's all done with the lips", he's telling five classes of special education students at McDonogh 26 in Gretna, Louisiana. "Buzz those lips". Fifty kids lean forward to make their lips go putt-putt-putt, like a fleet of miniature motorboats.

Music for the Young	Howard Pink is a French Horn player for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the New Orleans Symphony). He is also a teacher, storyteller and a showman. He recently took his show on the road, visiting ten West Bank schools as part of Very Special Arts Week, held each Spring in Jefferson Parish. This program brings local artists into the schools to share their trade and life. Howard also performs for Young Audiences of New Orleans, the Slidell Cultural Center (for St. Tammany Parish Schools), and is listed in the Louisiana Directory of Performing Artists. During the summer (or by appointment) he performs programs for the State library system and various summer camp programs.
"We love him" said Bruce Manuel, coordinator of the Jefferson Parish Very Special Arts Program. "His show is alive, moving, entertaining and educational. Students, teachers and parents all come away having learned something special about Howard and his love of music. He is so personable and reacts well with the students". Howard Pink drives from school to school with boxes and bags full of music, unique musical instruments and his personal style of musical magic. Very quickly the children realize he is goofy over French Horns. He has been playing one for more than 50 years, since he was 10, and is now in his 32nd season with the Louisiana Philharmonic. Mr. Pink wears a French Horn shirt, a French Horn belt and even has a French Horn necklace. "Is your house full of French Horns?" a student asks. He replies that he has French Horn plates, napkins, glasses and loads of holiday horn ornaments. He has a Horn cookie cutter, hot plate trivet, towels with horns, horns on soap, a horn dinner bell, horn rubber stamps and even a French Horn shaped pencil sharpener. "Do you have French Horn underwear"? "I'm having some made" he replies.

Music, Music, Music
	The best part of the show is when Mr. Pink starts to play all the different types of horns he brought. To show the history and development of the French Horn, he shows and plays: a conch shell; a cow's horn; a 4' Rams horn; natural hunting horns; a 15' wooden Alphorn; a variety of soda straws; a miniature hunting horn and his green, musical garden hoses. He shows how all the notes and music must first be buzzed on the lips and then how the buzz goes through the instrument. Valves and slides are explained, along with the concept of condensation. Mutes are used to show how the horn can produce different tone colors. He plays "Twinkle, Twinkle" and shows the children it's the same as "ABCD" or, with a little different rhythm, like "Baa, Baa Black Sheep." Movie picture themes are played to show how important the horn sound is for movie music. He then plays the shortest musical theme for a movie - only two notes. "Listen" he says. "See if you can recognize it". "Jaws!" the children shout.
Howard then takes his mouthpiece and puts it in one end of an old, green, coiled-up garden hose. Now he adds a plastic kitchen funnel to the other end and puts his mouthpiece to his lips and plays. The sound is similar to a French Horn. He then unwraps the 22' of garden hose and lets the students feel the hose vibrate as he plays a song--"a hunting we will go" and even a composition by Mozart. Too soon the show is over. "Look for me. I live around here" he tells the children before he leaves. "My license plate has the letters FR.HORN. Give me a toot and I'll toot you back. F-R-period-H-0-R-N. There's only one license plate like it in the state". He's right. Howard Pink is one of a kind. "Remember the secret. Buzz your lips" he says. "Putt-putt-putt-putttttt" the children go. They'll remember.

Howard N. Pink 6305 Holly Trace Way Nashville, TN 37221-4146 phone: (615)673-3534 e-mail: HNPhorn@aol.com	Program Title:	Howard Pink & His Musical Garden Hoses
	Audience Age:	K thru 12, Young Adults, Adults (Limit audience size to ensure maximum visual/audio contact)
	Program Length:	45 to 60 minutes
	Fees:	$250 per performance (plus travel and expenses as required) $450 for back-to-back performances
	Travel Distance:	Negotiable depending on number of programs presented in local area
Attention Grant Writers: Howard Pink is a listed performer on the Louisiana State Artist Roster and can also be found in the Louisiana Directory of Performing Artists.

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