hey, im new to the forums here. im a senior and im first chair in my high schools wind symphony. i graduate in a few weeks and my moms been talking about getting me a new horn before i go to college (southeast missouri university) where i will be studying music composition. ive been playing since 5th grade and (this year alone) placed 1st chair in the st louis metro district 8 honor band, 4th in the missouri all-state orchestra, and just this past weekend went to the state solo and ensemble festival where i achieved a 1 rating for both my solo and in a quartet.

so theres a brief summary of my skill level. 5th-9th grade i owned a single jupiter F horn, and the day before my sophomore year in high school i got a conn 9d horn. my mom has been talking about the 5-6k range since im studying music in college and ive 'proven myself' worthy of something nicer should i need it. my private teacher told me there was no need to spend that much on a horn, however. but im still wondering- what else is out there beyond the more common brands such as conn, holton, jupiter, etc that would be appropriate for a soon-to-be college music major?

Welcome to the forum. Just take yourself some time and read through the forum. There are numerous threads and posts about different types of horns, written by John, Valerie and all the others (including me). I'll try to write something up when I get home form University. Feel free to ask questions of any type.
Oh, and you can also write something about yourself in the "Horn Socializing" thread.

If your going to Southeast Missouri State Univ you would do just fine with your 9D. The 9D is a medium bell throated horn and should serve you well. Perhaps there is something else you might like that your parent(s) could get you instead.

But, if you want a new horn anyway then I would suggest you look into a Yamaha 667 or other geyer wrap type horns. The modern horn sound is changing. I'm not sure but your instructor at SEMSU studied with people who played on geyer wrap horns. There are some advantaged to geyer wrap horns.

By strongest suggestion is if you want a new horn and someone is willing to purchase one for you, and you want it for college. WAIT. Go to SEMSU and meet your instructor. Tell your instructor you want a new horn and see what they suggest. I don't like buying new, I've always preferred used horns, but some people want the nice new shinning stuff (and there is nothing wrong with that). But, see waht your instructor says and see what is being played there. If you want new look at Yamaha 667, 667VS. If you don't mind used your isntructor may have contact info for someone in the area with a good used horn that will fit.

Like John, I'd suggest you wait until you've talked with your new instructor at University before you buy anything. At 6k, there are quite a few options. Problem is, getting all of them to try them out which you have to do. Yamaha seems to be quite popular at the moment in the USA, although I prefer the Hoyer horns personally. In your price range, there's the 6801/7801 8D-style horn and also the rather excellent DK121 Geyer. If you're willing to go beyond those, you can try to find a good Alexander, a Schmid, a Dürk or one of the new Lewis-Dürk horns. All of those are horns that could last for the rest of your life, so if you've found the one you like, it could be money well spend, even if they're more than 6k.
The most important thing is not to rush anything and try out as much as you can.

If you're getting very serious about playing then I would recommend a paxman with a new world bell. Unlike other instruments with large bells (e.g conn 8d) the paxman has highly airtight valves which means they have an excellent high register and better response. Of course for your budget you would have to get a second hand one. I wouldn't recommend a conn 8d because their valves are very leaky which means their high registers are terrible. Many professionals struggle to play high on these horns. Another make is alexander which has a good high register also, but have medium bores which are suited more for chamber music than big orchestras because although they make a beautiful sound, it isn't very loud. This would probably have to be second hand as well. However, if you want a new horn then I would recommend a yamaha 668 which has a large bore and airtight valves for a relitively low price. But if I had to choose I would go for the paxman because it really doesn't get any better than that.

I'd wait until you're in college before investing in anything esle. If your horn instructor has a stong recommendation at that time, take his advice. Otherwise I think you'd be better off waiting until after you graduate college to get something that will be suitable for your professional goals. Trends in what's suitable for professional playing varies from region to region, decade to decade. Save you money now. You'll need it later.

Just my 2 cents!

Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/

Things are much easier to decide after you've had significant time to mull them over, and your Conn 9D should suit you well in college. So, I join the general opinion by saying wait and think about it as much as possible and see what's out there.