The Oboe Reed Report: Astor Piazzolla

talk shop contact us   The Reed Report from MKL Reeds Monday January 23 I have to say, it’s great to work with such a talented group of reedmakers as we have here at MKL Reeds. The good news is that reeds are FLYING out of our shop and we’re going to be completely caught up with reed orders in a week or so. From this point on, orders will…

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The Oboe Reed Report: Scraping on Store Bought Reeds

talk shop contact us   The Reed Report from MKL Reeds Thursday January 12 Happy New Year from MKL Reeds! We’ve added a LOT more reedmaking power to our reed shop this year, so we’ll be getting orders out much more quickly from here on out. May the oboe reed gods smile on us all 🙂 Featured Oboe Article: Should I practice my scraping on store bought reeds? I am…

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Oboe Talk Interview: Laura Griffiths

Name: Laura Griffiths Current position or what role the oboe currently plays in your life (i.e. principal oboe, freelancer, etc.): Principal Oboe, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra The kind of oboe you play: Loree Royal Website or Blog (if you have one): N/A 1. Tell us your story about how you found the oboe… or how it found you. Joe Robinson, then Principal Oboe of the NY Phil, came to my…

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The Oboe Reed Report Issue 103

talk shop contact us   The Reed Report freedom and peace of mind… all from your oboe reeds issue 103 Please add [email protected] to your whitelist or address book in your e-mail program, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues! A Note from Maryn Dear {!firstname_fix}, It’s been quite a while since we sent out a Reed Report, but the reed shop is back in action and we’ve…

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The Oboe Reed Report Issue 102

talk shop contact us   The Reed Report freedom and peace of mind… all from your oboe reeds issue 102 Please add [email protected] to your whitelist or address book in your e-mail program, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues! A Note from Maryn Dear Oboe Player, We’re really excited about today’s Oboe Talk Interview with Erin Hannigan, Principal Oboe of the Dallas Symphony. I’ve known Erin for…

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Turning Oboe Lemons into Lemonade

Playing the oboe isn’t easy. Reedmaking isn’t always easy either. So how do you stay focused and know if you are really making progress, or just spinning your wheels? It’s funny, because this is something I always notice in hindsight. Usually at the time in question, I either feel incredibly overworked or just plain discouraged. I feel like I am trying hard, but not getting anywhere. It happened a lot…

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Is Your Oboe Reed Too Heavy?

One of the most common mistakes made by young oboists (and maybe old oboists too) is playing on oboe reeds that are just too heavy for that particular player. I’ve been there, and I have certainly done that. And I saw many of my colleagues struggle with the same issue, especially when we were in school. It’s really easy to do when all you listen to is other oboists, day…

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Oboe Talk Interview: Erin Hannigan

Name: Erin Hannigan Current position or what role the oboe currently plays in your life (i.e. principal oboe, freelancer, etc.): I’m the Principal Oboist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and I am the Professor of Oboe at Southern Methodist University. The kind of oboe you play: Loree Royal, 125 Model Website or Blog (if you have one): www.erinhannigan.com and www.dsokids.com 1. Tell us your story about how you found the…

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Making Oboe Reeds: Creating the “Shell”

Scraping an oboe reed blank is a little like creating a shell for the reed to live in. It isn’t really an oboe reed yet, but it has to be a good enough shell so that the reed can eventually take shape within it. It seems like a rather abstract idea now, so just remember… Your initial goal is to just get some cane off the reed. All that hard…

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Improving Your Tone on the Oboe

Running an oboe reed business and all, I often get requests or inquiries about reeds and the desired tone they’ll produce. And while I agree that reeds play an important part in determining your sound on a given day, I am old-fashioned and in favor of hard work to get the tone you want!! I’ll always think of my teacher, Richard Killmer, who could take your most crude, unfinished reed…

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