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 and giving it an extended nap in its case. You would think that not playing the oboe would not be cause for much improvement, but, over the years, I have found otherwise.

Without fail, everytime I take a vacation from the oboe, I come back with better perspective, a better ear and more appreciation for what I do.

Let’s take these one at a time:

• Better Perspective – In the words of Charlie Parker,
  

  “Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.”

  Think about it, music is life. Your life is what makes your music interesting.

• Better Ear – It is said that your body’s muscles grow when they aren’t in use. And so it seems to be with your ear… When you take a break from music and then come back to it, you hear things differently. And for a musician, that’s a good thing.
• More Appreciation – This kind of goes without saying. It is pretty much a rule that you never truly appreciate something until you are without it. Same thing applies here. Everything just sounds better when you come back to it.