Teaching is an exciting focus in Matthew's life.

As Assistant Professor of Horn at Mississippi State University, 

he firmly believes in these key aspects of effective teaching:

  • Teaching must be student-centered; not teacher-centered.
  • The most effective teachers help their students become their own best teachers.
  • The teacher must be a guide and a coach to help the student find his or her own path to achieving short term and long term goals.

This directly ties into a central philosophy of horn teaching:

  • In order to play with solid fundamentals, we must produce an efficient resonant sound in the middle register.
  • Then we take this sound higher and lower, louder and softer, and slower and faster...
  • ...as we develop flexible articulation, smoothness across all registers, and solid intonation with informed musicianship.
  • The entire brass playing experience should focus on beautiful sound flowing freely along the air and driven by musical ideas. 

Feel free to email Matthew (Matthew.haislip@msstate.edu) if you would like a free lesson in person or over Skype/FaceTime/etc. or if you would like to have him visit your program for a free clinic.

  • Luke Deaton, freshman horn student at MSU won FIRST PRIZE NATIONALLY in the 2023 Music Teachers National Association Senior Brass Performance Division Competition 
  • Sarah Ross, freshman horn student at MSU, won SECOND PRIZE in the 2021 NATIONAL round of this competition as well.

FREE RESOURCES:

Fundamentals for Younger Hornists may be downloaded here:

Haislip - Fundamentals for Younger Hornists

Extensive Two Octave Scale and Arpeggio packet may be downloaded here:

Haislip Scale Studies

Exercises from "Technique Tips for the Student Hornist" may be downloaded here: 

Technique Tips for the Student Hornist