Cottage industry in Carson City thrives thanks to resurgence of the alphorn
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sat, 07/27/2024 - 7:07am
If you go out in the woods today, you could be in for a big surprise, for you may stumble not upon a teddy bear picnic, but two alphorn aficionados who hike miles and miles with their alphorns to serenade the woodland creatures and sometimes the occasional hiker who may happen upon them.
An almost lost tradition in Switzerland, the seemingly cumbersome, but beautiful, alphorn is experiencing a renaissance to become once again a symbol of the country where today there are alphorn festivals and competitions attracting players from all over the world. When one thinks alphorn, Switzerland immediately comes to mind.
The alphorn, (or alpenhorn in German), has spawned a cottage industry right here in downtown Carson City.
Today, think of alphorn and then think Carson City. While this may seem a bit of a stretch to some, we are after all a valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains that are filled with alpine lakes and even driving along Jack’s Valley Road does look a bit like ta Swiss meadow. But it’s the crafting of this wieldy and sonorous instrument that is putting Carson City on the map.
Married couple Brandi and Lindsey Jones not only have a love for, play, and teach the alphorn, they, according to Lindsey, are also the only builders of this unique horn in North America. Their much older Canadian counterparts have retired leaving the unique art form solely to them. To date, they have created 78 alphorns.
Both grew up surrounded by music and are musical artists who have played a variety of wind instruments since youth and marched together in the Douglas High band before going on to the University of Nevada to further their love of music and earn degrees.
Because of their love of wind instruments, after Lindsey graduated and Brandi was still working on her degree and studying the history of the horn, they started a business in the heart of downtown giving new life to brass instruments used in high schools and colleges and bought 66 French horns to begin their restoration business.
The Silver & Brass Music Shop became the go to for buying and repairing brass instruments, although recent emphasis has turned to the crafting of the alphorn, a love affair that began six years ago.
Talk to Lindsey about the alphorn, and you get a full play-by-play on how it is made, how it comes apart, how it can be easily transported in luggage, and why this horn is crafted in America to play in the key of f while Swiss makers craft theirs in the key of f sharp. He says, “The f key is a much more friendly tone.”
Another difference between the American and Swiss alphorn is the size. The standard here is 12 feet while in Switzerland, the horns are six inches shorter. The horns can be assembled in three parts or like the one owned by Brandi, in 7 parts, making storage and transport even easier. No matter how many parts, the sound doesn’t vary. They both assure that it really doesn’t take much huffing and puffing to blow that horn.
“The average price for a custom alphorn is around $3,000 and can go higher depending on the type of wood used and customization,” according to Lindsey. They use antique parts from some of those early French horns. As seen in the photo, some of the “bells” - the bell-shaped end of the horn — can make quite the statement. Brandi’s horn is more artistic while Lindsey’s is a bit more basic, but the sound is the same.
Western Nevada College approached the couple to teach the art of the alphorn this summer, and they have been having a great time passing on their knowledge and love for the instrument. They hope to attract more who would love to learn this fine melodic instrument.
Brandi states “It’s low stress, lots of fun, and you need not have previous musical experience or even be able to read music and can learn to play by ear.” They can provide loaners and rentals for those beginning their alphorn musical journey.
The couple learned to play on their own using the skills learned on other wind instruments and are currently in Switzerland to compete in competitions attracting over 100 players. There will be five amateur performers from Carson City along with two from New Mexico.
They compete with professionals at the Swiss International Alphorn Festival in Nendaz on July 28 in the “blind competition” — think The Voice — before going on to perform on Swiss National Day, August 1, in Altdorf. This is their second trip to Switzerland and love to hear their sounds echo off the limestone mountains.
The Jones’ keep searching for a site regionally that will best showcase the unique sound of the alphorn hence their many hikes into the mountains and believe they have found Winnemucca Lake, CA, one hour south of Carson City near Kirkwood, to be the best place to practice and perhaps soothe the bears where once the alphorn soothed the happy Swiss cows.
To learn more about the Jones’ and Sierra Alphorn players, log on to www.sierrahorns.org. The Silver and Brass Music Shop is located at 710 N. Curry St. You may reach them via email at silverandbrassmusic@gmail.com. The phone is 775-691-9737, but they may be out of reach of cell service as they trek through the woods.
There also a podcast you can find by going here and here.
— Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.
