This weekend, I attended South Bay Horn Day 2017 where I was reunited with my teacher and friend, Daniel Wood. As he announced at the end of the evening concert program, this happened to be his last year at the helm of the South Bay Horn Day event, with no one as of yet having stepped up to take the reins. The event has run for six consecutive years, and in that time has built some great relationships among the network of horn players in the Bay Area, while also offering an environment in which some really beautiful musical moments have been crafted. Daniel’s commitment to the community and the energy he invests in running the event shows in his stage presence as a host, and I think we’ll all miss his knack for stripping away the rigid severity of classical music and bringing the pedagogy and musical performance down to a level that is accessible to everyone, from beginning horn players to veterans to non-musicians and beyond. Here’s to hoping we have a festival to attend next year.