Kai Hoffman
French Horn

How long have you been with OOTS and how did you get involved?
I have been playing with OOTS on and off since 2006, when my good friend Jo was unable to play for a concert at the last minute and asked me to come in and sight-read the principal horn part.
Where are you from originally and why did you choose to learn French Horn?
I'm American - from a small town on the southern coast of Massachusetts, near Boston. I started on the flute when I was 8 and after playing for a year or so, I mentioned to my school band director that I wanted to play the funny, curly-shaped instrument that gets printed on Christmas cards. My band director warned me that it was very difficult, but, when I was 10, I didn't really know what 'difficult' meant!

What other musical interests do you have?
When I'm not playing the French horn, I am a professional jazz singer! I could never decide which one to concentrate on (still can't!) so I do both - it makes life exciting, and every day is completely different. I have had weeks where I went from playing with OOTS at Birmingham Town Hall one night to playing in a jazz club the next, and then back to an orchestra the next day. As a singer, I perform in small groups in jazz clubs, restaurants, private events, and with my jump jive and swing band, Kai's Cats, for 1950s retro swing dance nights! And of course, all of the songs have to be from memory. I occasionally sing classically with choirs and for events, am an absolutely abominable pianist, a decent trumpet player and have been occasionally seen making a horrible noise on a sousaphone or a trombone!

Tell us a bit about your experience appearing on How to Look Good Naked...!
The filming for How to Look Good Naked was quite an experience. When the orchestra was asked to take part, I raised my hand without really thinking about it - I've never seen the show - but thought it sounded like a challenge - and possibly very good fun. I also wanted to help raise Orchestra of the Swan's profile, and being on television sounded like a great way to make a wider public aware of the brilliant professional orchestras in the UK, and perhaps would motivate people to come and explore the world of classical music for themselves. Being on the show has definitely increased my confidence - I will never be scared of performing in front of people (with clothes on) again!

What would be you all-time favourite piece of music? Why?
It's impossible for me to name one particular piece of music as an all-time favourite - I love so many different styles. Anything performed with real passion hooks me completely. I absolutely love opera, I love Chicago Symphony Orchestra's recordings of Mahler symphonies, I love the Cuban Salsa singer Celia Cruz, jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae - I love Louis Jordan's incredibly up-beat, clever tunes. I love Brasilian bossa nova, Fritz Wunderlich, Thelonius Monk… There isn't enough time in the day to listen to everything I'd like to - or to choose a favourite!

What hobbies and interests do you have?
Cooking and eating are my major hobbies (with jogging to counteract it!)- I collect cookbooks and love to try out new flavours, and combinations. I also love different languages, and attempting to speak - but mainly, as I studied music in Cologne, I love speaking and reading in German! I would love to do a German cabaret project concentrating on Kurt Weill's songs - I would also love to speak fluent Italian since the food is soooo amazing, but haven't managed to do either of those things yet!

Any bizarre playing experiences?
Yes. Loads! - here are a few of the funny ones. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was hired to play trumpet and sing German drinking songs, with a UK-based, English-speaking Oompah Band, on a German cruise ship (in full costume)! I have also stood in the snow, in Bollywood costume, playing Asian brass band music at 7am in a Midlands cul-de-sac, played in a cave with a big band in Cornwall, and performed a fully-staged version of a Mozart opera in a German shopping mall, during business hours! But, as random as it can sometimes feel, it's always brilliant fun playing music for a living -- even with odd costumes, strange working hours, etc.!