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*****The Reed Report: Issue 37*****
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Congratulations! As a subscriber, you are one of the
first to see this important information.

In this issue:

* A Lesson Learned: Stories from My Oboe Past.

* The Latest SPECIAL News… We Have a Winner!

* Reed Tip – Which Way is Up?

* Quote Corner – Stokowski

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A Lesson Learned
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I never made it into Juilliard for college.

At the time, it was one of the worst days of my life. The day of
my audition I was sick as a dog. My mind was good for little
more than sitting in my bed with a box of tissues, sneezing my
head off.

I should have been in bed, but instead, there I was…

Pacing across the floor of that room in the Juilliard School,
waiting for the chance to play my best and get in.

Long story short: I didn’t feel well, I didn’t play well. I
didn’t get in.

You would think that would be something that would bother me
forever, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever could
have happened.

I owe most of my current happiness in life and music to never
getting in. Odd how things often work out that way.

That’s a lesson I remember to this day. Don’t worry if, at
first, your plans don’t work out the way you intend. There is
always a larger plan that is sometimes hard to see until it is
behind you.

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The Latest SPECIAL News…
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We have a WINNER!

The winner of the MKL Reeds TalkBack Testimonial Contest is:

Hannah Gibson of Brooklyn, NY

Here is the testimonial she sent us:

—————-

Transcript of a radio interview of Hannah Gibson, conducted by
Bob Edwards, aired on NPR on May 16, 2113.

Bob: Good evening, I’m Bob Edwards. Today we have with us live
in the studio, Hannah Gibson, the first oboist with the Boston
Symphony Orchestra. Hannah, welcome.

Hannah: Thanks Bob. This is a real honor.

Bob: Well we appreciate your being here. Why don’t you start
with telling us, generally, about your experience as an oboist.

Hannah: Ahh… Let’s see. Intense. Totally a love-hate
relationship. Full of ups and downs and so many varied
experiences.

Bob: I think most professional musicians would describe their
time with their instrument as “intense.” But a love-hate
relationship?

Hannah: Yeah. Like my sister and I (laughs). No, seriously,
though. I love the oboe. I’ve always loved the sound of it; its
uniqueness, its strength. Band directors and teachers told me to
start with the clarinet – it would be easier. Seemed to me like
a ridiculous idea – I wanted to play the oboe because I wanted to
play the oboe, not the clarinet. So I guess there was always a
fundamental need for the oboe specifically.

Bob: And the flipside?

Hannah: Oh god, the reeds. How I envied the flutes and the
trumpets, who with a little twist out or a little push in could
just sit down and play. To be able to relax, assured that you
were in tune (or if you weren’t it would be easily fixed and not
an embarrassing demonstration of your lack of musicianship) and
simply play along with the orchestra and really enjoy it.

Bob: So the reeds got in the way of your musicianship – of your
musical experience.

Hannah: Yes. A lot of it was my lack of experience both as an
oboist and a musician. It was also certainly a problem that came
from not having an amazing ear. It was a frustration with myself
and my playing that was easily blamable on the reeds. But I do
think that oboists are at a general disadvantage because they
have to spend a greater percentage of their time making reeds and
less actually playing, and as an amateur musician a lot of time
playing under non-ideal circumstances.

Bob: To get where you are today, you clearly have overcome your
early struggles. How did you work through the problems?

Hannah: I was about three-quarters of the way through college
when I discovered MKL Reeds. The first (and only, still to this
day) company that consistently shipped me reeds I could depend on
to sound good. Before discovering them, I had reached near
desperation. I was writing my thesis and going to lectures and
working and really had no time to spend on reeds. My playing was
faltering and I didn’t know what to do.

Bob: Then you found MKL.

Hannah: Yep. They got me through senior year. We did an amazing
tour of Iceland – our final yearend concert was huge – and I had
great reeds. I was really thankful. I was totally able to enjoy
my last year in the university symphony. And honestly, who
knows? Had I gotten too frustrated I might have given up the
oboe for good. And of course MKL they helped me through my
audition with and acceptance into the BSO: my dream job since my
college days in the city. Thanks MKL for saving me from my
frustration and helping me do what makes me happy!

—————-

Thank you all for your excellent (and VERY creative)
testimonials. We are so excited to hear that our reeds are
helping you in so many ways.

Choosing a winner was NOT an easy task.

Hannah, your prize (including your 10 oboe reeds) will be shipped
out in just a few days.

Congratulations!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Reed/Oboe Tip
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This issue’s reed tip comes from the Reed Tip archives:

Many reeds (and all of the reeds at MKL Reeds) are finished so
that one blade is (almost imperceptibly) longer than the other.

For optimum reed performance, identify the SHORTER blade and
always play the reed with this SHORTER blade on your bottom lip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote Corner
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“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their
pictures on silence.”

-Leopold Stokowski

Thanks for reading. Until next time…

Happy playing,

Maryn Leister
MKL Reeds
[email protected]
http://www.mklreeds.com