Let Me Introduce You To My Friend Jen Houck

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Many of you may not recognize the name Jen Houck, unless you remember reading some of her comments and her very helpful suggestions on some inexpensive equipment that will make cleaning your horn much easier-

Now Here Is A Great Idea!

or you might remember this one

Carroll Community Wind Ensemble Trumpet Players

Jen has been a very good friend of mine for many years now and her insight and fresh look at simple as well as complex problems is always welcome on our site.

Recently she contacted me for some ideas which she wanted to implement in her upcoming solo performance of the well-known tune “Georgia On My Mind. I sent a few suggestions and asked her to send me a video of her performance if possable. This past week she obliged and I asked if I could post it on our site and also asked if she would send along some information about herself.
My name is Jen Houck and I live in Carrollton, Ga. I will be 57 years young on July 23th but don’t let this silver hair keep me from playing music and learning new things. I currently play on a 40 year old Bach Stradivarius model 43 which I love and I also just started playing on an old beat up Reynolds flugelhorn. I dabble on the piano, dulcimer, cello, clarinet (my original instrument) and saxophone. I also play euphonium in a tuba Ensemble. My motto is that if it looks interesting, try it out. I also have a didgeridoo!
In this recording is the Haralson County Community band and is based in the tiny town of Tallapoosa, Georgia. Our director is Amber South. The band has been around for 10 years and this is Amber’s second season with us. We are a small group with only 20 members this time around.

I took a 20- plus year break from playing trumpet except for playing TAPS at funerals. When we moved to Georgia from Ohio we heard about a band forming in Carrollton and my husband took me to the first session and stayed with me because I was so afraid, and now I am in 3 community bands, my church orchestra and a newly formed Jazz band called HC Big Band Theory. I took some Skype lessons from Mr. Chidester to get me going again and haven’t stopped since and I have loved every moment. I relish a challenge and don’t shy away from the hard stuff. I still struggle with “fright reading” but will return home from a rehearsal and start working on a new piece that very night! God has blessed me with a wonderful husband (Tim) that puts up with it all. He is a wonderful roadie and my biggest fan.

Now, ladies and gentleman put your hand together for my good friend and fellow trumpet/cornet/flugel horn player Jen Houck.

Let me know if this would work for you.

Bruce was a member of the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, School of Music in Cedar Falls from 1969 until his retirement in 1999. He has performed with many well-known entertainers such as Bob Hope, Jim Nabors, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Anita Bryant, Carman Cavalara, Victor Borgie, the Four Freshman, Blackstone the Magician, Bobby Vinton and John Davidson.

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5 thoughts on “Let Me Introduce You To My Friend Jen Houck”

  1. Curt Schroeder

    Great job Jen. Thanks for sharing your talents with us. I also direct a community band and love it when I can feature any of my members and their love of music. Keep up the good work. Mr. Chidester is one of the best trumpet teachers you’ll find. You were lucky to find him.

    • Bruce Chidester

      Curt, you are too kind. And congratulations of your new band position

  2. Jen Houck

    Thanks Curt, Bruce has really helped me with my confidence.

  3. Donna Lee Smith Farris Johnson

    Thank you so very much, Bruce, for posting this. Jen (still Jennifer to me) is my sweet, thoughtful, talented cousin.

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