Mary Beth Orr: The Singing Horn, Appalachia and Resilience

From Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman Leah Roseman

Mary Beth Orr is a wonderful award-winning horn player and folk vocal artist. Throughout this moving episode you’ll be hearing short excerpts from her album “The Singing Horn” which celebrates traditional Appalachian songs with Mahler and contemporary works composed for Mary Beth through Vox Novus’ Fifteen Minutes of Fame Project. Mary Beth is currently 3rd Horn of the Grand Rapids Symphony, and she shares the best advice I’ve heard about succeeding at orchestral auditions.

Mary Beth also experienced a serious accident that threatened her life and then her ability to play the horn and she shares many other difficult personal challenges. I was so moved to hear her story and wisdom and I encourage you to come back and listen to the end.

You can watch the video on my YouTube or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript. Have a look at the show notes of this episode on my website, where you’ll find all the links (suggested episodes, podcast merch, newsletter, and of course Mary Beth and her album). SHOW NOTES: IMPORTANT LINKS!

(00:00) Intro

(01:43) The Singing Horn, with clips of tracks 1,2,6,3

(12:37) 15 Minutes of Fame project Robert Voicsey with clips of tracks 15, 13

(16:26) Mahler, The Singing Horn album inspirations, clips track 4

(22:45) becoming a mother, creative process, clip of her song Good and True track 25

(28:51) live experience, connecting with audiences, arrangements and collaborators with clips track 7, 24, 26

(40:41) other suggested episodes

(41:50) Appalachian singing style, why the horn is hard

(50:13) female brass mentors

(53:11) the accident and recovery with clip track 12

(01:07:24) grief and living life with joy with clip of track 18

(01:14:06) Mary Beth’s sister Ann Marie Orr, disability awareness