Play the music, not the instrument. – Author Unknown Boy how true… especially for us oboe players who spend so much time trying to get along with such a finicky instrument. How often have you spent more time trying to play the oboe than you have trying to play the music through the oboe? I [...]

“Fear has a smell, as love does.” -Margaret Atwood- I think the appropriate adaptation of this quote for oboists is “fear has a sound.” It does not matter how much you practice or how good or bad you think your reed is. Fear is obvious, and it is a sound that has no place in [...]

Here’s a page from my Oboe Notebook (one of them) back from a Masterclass I took with Richard Woodhams. It’s funny to look back at old things like this. It makes you realize how far you’ve come… and gives you the encouragement you need to go even farther. Take a look at the page, it’s [...]

In the freelancing world, there is often a lot of the same work; pick-up orchestras for the Messiah, or maybe church wedding gigs. So, I always get a little excited when something comes along that is really different, and more importantly, really fun to do. Not that long ago, I got the chance to play [...]

Listening to other oboists play is a great way to stay in the “loop,” get new ideas, and inspire your thoughts on a piece of music. I just got 2 new CDs of incredible oboe and English horn playing: Julie Giacobassi (with guest artists Rodger Weismeyer and Eugene Isatov) Eugene Isatov in solo New CDs [...]

Growing up in NY state, we had NYSMA solo contests, which featured graded solos of our choice. But here in IL, they’re called IMEA contests, and instead of featuring solos, they require a slow and fast Ferling study (no choice of which ones, they are assigned each year). I’ve prepared lots of students on these [...]

Playing two programs a week with Grant Park has had me thinking about how I prepare for a first rehearsal. With only 2-3 rehearsals on a program before a concert, it’s imperative that every musician knows their part (and hopefully the piece) cold for the first rehearsal, so that rehearsal time can be devoted to [...]

It’s not often that we toot our own horns, but someone once said, “If you don’t toot your own horn, there is no music.” At any rate, in this case, I think it is more than warranted. Please help us congratulate Anne Bach (co-owner of MKL Reeds) on winning the second oboe job in the [...]

After you’ve been playing the oboe for a while, you develop your own system for organizing your reeds. If I am preparing for a recital or some other solo, it is not unusual for me to put away those “really good reeds” as I make them so that I have a collection for the big [...]

Playing the oboe is not easy. I think back to when I started and I marvel at how much practice and dedication it takes just to get a nice sound out of that little piece of wood. That said, I am always surprised at what good can come from taking a break from the oboe [...]