From Idaho, Via The French Horn

Festival Hill Features: Owen Menard

This is the first in our series of articles profiling the young musicians from around the world who are descending on Round Top for the annual Festival Hill summer institute and concert series.

If you are close to any student involved in marching or concert band, you’re all too familiar with the phrase “This one time at band camp…” Owen Menard, a french horn player participating in this year’s Festival Hill summer concert series, has plenty of stories to share that begin with that iconic phrase.

Menard, who is originally from Idaho, is currently in his senior year of undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He is majoring in music performance and minoring in music industry practices.

With involvement in the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Idaho Orchestra Institute, Idaho All-State Band and the All-State Orchestra, along with many other accolades, Menard is a well-rounded player with a bright future.

Though he’s been a musician for the better part of a decade, it wasn’t until a summer camp Menard attended while in high school that he realized he wanted to pursue music professionally.

“The whole week (of camp) was just focusing on Brahm’s Third Symphony, and I really didn’t enjoy Brahms at all. I listened to the symphony and was like, ‘This is lame,’” said Menard. “But then we all started playing in the orchestra together, and something clicked. I was like, ‘This is amazing, I want to do this as a career.’” When the decision was made that he would major in music at the university level, it didn’t take long for Menard to find the perfect fit among his college choices. He explained that many conductors he worked with and looked up to while involved in All-State Band and All-State Orchestra were also professors at SMU.

He also recognized that music education in Texas was rigorous and his fellow classmates would push him to be a stronger musician. Menard applied to the university, and soon enough, he found himself studying under the same musicians that he studied under in high school.

He now finds himself practicing at every opportunity when not in class or ensemble so that he can continue to expand his skills. Though he knows he has worked hard to get where he is now, Menard sometimes struggles with comparison to those around him.

“I feel like a lot of people, myself included, feel a kind of imposter syndrome, where they’re like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’m not at the level of the people around me,’” said Menard. “So, my biggest struggles have been around uncertainty as far as my career, wondering if I’m going to make money performing in an orchestra.”

Through those moments, Menard reminds himself that professionals were once where he is now, and that they were the ones that kept going regardless of what those around them were doing, just like he does every day.

And Menard’s hard work is sure to pay off soon.