When I was a student at Juilliard Pre-College, I was probably at the peak of my early learning about music and the oboe. I remember feeling continually challenged, and I could practice for hours on end. My teacher was especially demanding, and I learned all kinds of things about the oboe, especially about oboe technique. It was at times excruciating to go through all of the Barrett book’s articulation studies……
Let it be known that I like band directors, and that without mine long ago I would not be sitting here writing about what I know about the oboe. He was (and probably still is) a wonderful man who encouraged me, taught me what he knew but then was humble enough to say that he could take me no further. He recommended a professional oboist in town so I could…
There are many excuses for not making your own oboe reeds, but in my opinion, one of the poorest excuses is money. Let’s face it, playing the oboe is an expensive proposition. If you haven’t realized it already, then let this be your warning. If you don’t want to spend any money at all, then you should probably just pick another instrument. Apart from getting the oboe itself, there is…
talk shop contact us The Reed Report freedom and peace of mind… all from your oboe reeds issue 101 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}, This marks the one hundred and FIRST issue of the Reed Report! Thank you all for being readers along the way. From…
Name: My full professional name is Patricia Emerson Mitchell but nearly everyone calls me Patty. (My three grown children call me mom. Or crazy.) Current position or what role the oboe currently plays in your life (i.e. principal oboe, freelancer, etc.): I’m principal oboist in Opera San Jose and second oboist and English hornist of Symphony Silicon Valley. I also play for our local ballet company and freelance on occasion.…
Question “How do I know what my oboe reed strength is?” Answer I never bought into the whole reed strength phenomenon, so I don’t know what to tell you. Make your own and it won’t matter. If you have to buy a “strength” just remember that harder doesn’t mean that you or the reed is “better” or more advanced than you used to be. It will simply have more wood…
Question I’m a student and I will have my exam recital this May. The program has to contain a modern/contemporary piece (my teacher claims Poulenc and Britten do not fall into that category, they are too old). So, I’m out of ideas! I would like to find an interesting/cool/beautiful piece and not strange just for the sake of being strange, also one that I can have a chance to play…
talk shop contact us The Reed Report freedom and peace of mind… all from your oboe reeds 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 are so excited about all of the things that we’ve got cookin’ at MKL Reeds! We completely overhauled the website (yay) and…
The Reed Report from MKL Reeds Issue 99 Copyright 2011 MKL Reeds In this Issue: -A Note from Maryn -What’s New? -Featured Oboe Video -Oboe Thought of the Week -The Oboe Tip (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 ================== Wednesday 10:14 AM Sedona, AZ Before we get to the…
The Reed Report from MKL Reeds Issue 97 Copyright 2011 MKL Reeds In this Issue: -A Note from Maryn -What’s New? -Featured Oboe Video -Oboe Thought of the Week -The Oboe Tip (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 ================== Friday 8:20 AM Sedona, AZ What a week! 5 kids…