Emily Toth | Private French Horn and Mellophone Teacher

Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky | Virtual Lessons

Like so many prospective band students, when I heard I could finally join the band as a 6th grader, I already knew the instrument I wanted to play.

The flute.

My older cousin, Rebecca, played the flute. Every Christmas she gave a living room recital at my grandmother’s house. I wanted to be just like Rebecca – so when the high school band came to our elementary school to recruit for 6th grade band, it was already decided in my mind. I was going to play the flute.

Game over, DONE DEAL.

Finally the day came when all the 6th graders eagerly filled the elementary school gym to hear the high school band showcase the instruments – one step closer to my flute destiny! But all of that changed when they introduced the french horn.

“The french horn is one of the most unique instruments in the band… but it is one of the  hardest instruments to play. You have to be VERY determined and motivated to play it well, because it will not be easy.”

Now as the typical type A personality that I was from Day 1 of Life, this was music to my ears, my 12 year old Emily bat signal in the sky.  Move aside, feeble flute. I want to be the smart kid, I want to play the hardest instrument, and I CAN DO HARD THINGS.

The rest was history.

About a year into playing the horn, my parents quickly caught on that this wasn’t just a phase for me. Being in a very rural part of central Indiana, there weren’t many musical or artistic opportunities in our town. My parents enrolled me in private lessons almost an hour away, and I began the exciting journey as a french horn student.

What inspired me to pick the horn at first was the very thing that made it so frustrating to start, even with that drive and determination. Having weekly private lessons was an absolute game changer for me as a beginning band student.

Through the professional guidance of my horn teacher and the compassionate and engaging influence of my high school band director, my entire world opened up with the possibilities of what I could achieve as a musician.  This led me on an incredible journey, starting as a young musician in rural Indiana to Cincinnati, Ohio. Here in Cincinnati, I earned my Masters degree in french horn performance at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Now as a horn teacher of 17 years, I maintain a private studio of horn and mellophone students ranging from day one beginners to professional musicians. I teach and consult closely with many different school districts in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, as well as students across the country virtually. I also work with professional musician clients in their embouchure injury and recovery journeys.  I am also a guest lecturer at the collegiate level, sharing what I have learned about brass embouchure injuries. I speak on and teach about the anatomy of our embouchure and breathing muscles and how we can better use this knowledge to strengthen our playing, lengthen our performance careers, and inform how we teach brass instruments.

I also enjoy an incredibly fulfilling and varied performance life! I am a freelance musician, having performed with a variety of professional groups including Queen City Opera, the Dayton Philharmonic, West Virginia, Kentucky, Springfield, and Richmond Symphony Orchestras. I have also performed for many musical theater pits across the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky regions.

I want to provide the same opportunities and musical inspiration that were given to me as that eager, driven, bright eyed 12 year old beginning horn player. It is my life’s work as an educator to mentor and empower as many young musicians as I can, to help them realize their full potential as musicians and humans.

As a private horn teacher and brass clinician, I teach my students that they can do hard things.

I compassionately nurture my students to find their own powerful inner voice and vast potential as musicians and humans.  I give my students a comprehensive technical and musical foundation and tailor my teaching approach to their individual learning and motivation styles. My goal is to create a supportive and encouraging environment for students to explore, make mistakes, and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in the smallest steps towards their goals. I hope to help them realize that yes, horn is hard…but you CAN do hard things (and do them really well)!

Am I the right teacher for you?

Whether you are brand new to playing french horn or mellophone, looking to audition for All-State, drum corps, music school, or want to simply improve your skills in band class, I am interested in working with all levels and abilities! However, I work best with students that are dedicated to practicing their instrument daily and are eager to improve, whatever their goals may be. Finding a teacher that gets your child is so important, and I’d love to chat with you more to see if I am the right fit for them!