Where Are All The Oboists These Days? Options

[katica]

Quackers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Good one!

And just when I needed cheering up. Lots of annoying stuff going on in life and at work right now, not least lack of progress on the oboe. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Isi, "oboistas" is actually the Spanish word for oboists. I was recently googling something about oboists in Costa Rica and Google wanted to correct "oboistas de Costa Rica" to "bajistas de Costa Rica" i.e. turn us into bass / double bass players!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[notmusimum]

Quackers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Good one!

And just when I needed cheering up. Lots of annoying stuff going on in life and at work right now, not least lack of progress on the oboe. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Isi, "oboistas" is actually the Spanish word for oboists. I was recently googling something about oboists in Costa Rica and Google wanted to correct "oboistas de Costa Rica" to "bajistas de Costa Rica" i.e. turn us into bass / double bass players!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

I couldn't resist (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

Hope things improve for you soon work wise. I wouldn't worry too much about the Oboe improvement sometimes things slow down before leaping forward.

[katica]

Thank you notmusicmum. It's just lots of things together, really. Overall I really like my work. In fact, I had to take up the oboe to cure "workaholism".

Yes, just taking deep breaths for now and hanging in there in the hope that things improve.

Finger muscles just won't absorb postions for Vivaldi Concerto in C Major (Op.8 No.12 / RV449) at anything like the right-sounding speed. Just can't work out how to command my hands to stay in the right position and relaxed.

I really am feeling that the repertoire my teacher is giving me is quite beyond my capacity right now. Lessons are a bit frustrating at the moment, for both of us. But he should know best and he swears he never gives anything to anyone if he knows they can't handle it. I really, really hope he's right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Howarth XL sounding gorgeous - when played by my teacher!* I'm having trouble cleaning up bad finger position habits - which is indispensible with all those new holes in the keys or else some notes just don't come out at all, or in the wrong octave.

Teacher has finally instructed me to give up on the old Patricola and stick to the Howarth. I think it will help not to be chopping and changing instrument.

Stress and frustration not much helped by getting lumbered with having to start work on the Schumann No2 Romance (my least favourite / most difficult) for a recital less than a month away when even my A major scale at a pathetic speed is really crummy right now. And I have to find an accompanist. Plus the venue is 7 hours round trip away (if accompanist is down there, rehearsing is going to be a challenge).

(Oops, must get positive again.)

I know, I'll ask clavicembalo to come!!! He loves those Schumann Romances!!! Of course a transatlantic airfare, two days travel and a torrential rainy season might not be a good encouragement. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

On the upbeat, at short notice I am playing at a cellist friend's wedding a week on Saturday. I'm accompanying her sister on the flute and we're busy trying to rearrange arrangements for string quartet and voice/piano for flute/oboe. Really cheezy stuff - Wagner/Mendelssohn wedding marches, the famous Bach Air (trying to work out how to sound like a cello, which would be easier if I had/could play a cor), Ice Castles (or something like that - it's apparently a famous theme song from a film I've never seen). In short, all good fun. The we have a whole lot of patriotic Costa Rican stuff to play for Independence Day (15 Sep) but it's way more cheerful and tuneful than "God Save the Queen".

*Aside for Andrew's benefit: my Loree loving teacher actually declared that the Howarth sounded just like (i.e. as good as) his Royale!!! Only the weight feels different, he says.

[clavicembalo]

I know, I'll ask clavicembalo to come!!! He loves those Schumann Romances!!! Of course a transatlantic airfare, two days travel and a torrential rainy season might not be a good encouragement. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

It's that torrential rainy season. I'd likely shrink, returning to Blighty 5' 5" tall rather than 6' 5", hands barely stretching an octave, let alone the tenths with which they are at present comfortable. It's too much to lose, I'm afraid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Whereas, a certain fledgeling accompanist, clutching his clarinet, could easily dodge the raindrops and return unscathed! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[katica]

I know, I'll ask clavicembalo to come!!! He loves those Schumann Romances!!! Of course a transatlantic airfare, two days travel and a torrential rainy season might not be a good encouragement. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

It's that torrential rainy season. I'd likely shrink, returning to Blighty 5' 5" tall rather than 6' 5", hands barely stretching an octave, let alone the tenths with which they are at present comfortable. It's too much to lose, I'm afraid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Whereas, a certain fledgeling accompanist, clutching his clarinet, could easily dodge the raindrops and return unscathed! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Ah yes, "Thelma", now there's a thought... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

No, no we don't want any shrinkage. The quantity of your fun and informative posts might shrink too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[flobiano]

Sorry to hear things aren't going so well, Katica. Sending hugs your way.

hope things begin to fall into place with the Schumann and the Vivaldi - I'm sure they will. Stick with the slow practice and the speed will come....(or so I keep telling myself!).

Hopefully sticking to your Howarth's will help you with your fingering - I imagine that it's frustrating switching between the two.

Hope your wedding and recital go well. Good luck finding an accompanist. I'm sure it will all come together in the end! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I'm still plugging away and counting down till lessons start again. I have been more disciplined during the last week and a half - doing 30 minutes of scales every day, including diff articulations, dynamics, vibrato speeds, slow scales focussing on tuning and tone...and I think that even in 10 days I've heard a difference. It could be my imagination so hope my teacher thinks so too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[katica]

Sorry to hear things aren't going so well, Katica. Sending hugs your way.

hope things begin to fall into place with the Schumann and the Vivaldi - I'm sure they will. Stick with the slow practice and the speed will come....(or so I keep telling myself!).

Hopefully sticking to your Howarth's will help you with your fingering - I imagine that it's frustrating switching between the two.

Hope your wedding and recital go well. Good luck finding an accompanist. I'm sure it will all come together in the end! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I'm still plugging away and counting down till lessons start again. I have been more disciplined during the last week and a half - doing 30 minutes of scales every day, including diff articulations, dynamics, vibrato speeds, slow scales focussing on tuning and tone...and I think that even in 10 days I've heard a difference. It could be my imagination so hope my teacher thinks so too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Thank you flobiano. I definitely need to take a leaf out of your book!!!

Spent four happy hours on the oboe yesterday with a flautist friend (the wedding stuff - nothing that my teacher would have approved of!), which was fun but eventually my embouchure just collapsed!!!

I have been strictly forbidden to practice the Vivaldi slowly! After a certain stage (which I don't think I've reached yet, but still...) the approach here is to insist on playing to speed, starting with one bar (or even just two notes) at a time. I think I've seen a similar recommendation elsewhere on the Forum but I think it was among pianists.

It sounds as though your vibrato has improved a lot if you are managing different speeds. I'd love to have a nice, singing vibrato but I don't want to force it. Too much else to worry about right now!. Actually, learning NOT to worry would probably be the best thing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Are you - or anyone else, for that matter - working on any new repertoire?

[A.U.K]

Hello one and all, sorry for my absence, very busy with family stuff, parents descending at any moment and a truck load still to do to get the house ready for them and their imminent arrival..beds to be made, florists to call etc..I seem to have been decorating this house for ever not to worry almost done..

Oboe right out the window at the moment there doesnt seem to be enough hours in the day, never mind I shall soon get back to it once the new orchestral season begins..

Sorry to read of instrument troubles and practice dramas..I am sure all will be well in the long run but face it we do play one of the more fickle instruments, not necessarily more difficult but defintely more fickle..so keep at it and the notes and fingers will come together....Eventually (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Hope you are all well..

Andrew

[flobiano]

I have been strictly forbidden to practice the Vivaldi slowly! After a certain stage (which I don't think I've reached yet, but still...) the approach here is to insist on playing to speed, starting with one bar (or even just two notes) at a time. I think I've seen a similar recommendation elsewhere on the Forum but I think it was among pianists.

It sounds as though your vibrato has improved a lot if you are managing different speeds. I'd love to have a nice, singing vibrato but I don't want to force it. Too much else to worry about right now!. Actually, learning NOT to worry would probably be the best thing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yes, I think the "always playing at speed" approach has been mentioned elsewhere though I've never really tried it. Hopefully it will fall into place for you soon.

By different speed vibrato I did actually mean the "belly bumps" - with a crotchet at 60 on the metronome doing bumps for quavers/ triplets/ semiquavers up and down the scale, so not true vibrato. But - having been more disciplined about doing has helped with a more natural vibrato which does seem to occassionally appear. So I think I'm beginning to get there a bit.

I had some good news today though - I'd texted my teacher to see if I could buy a new reed off her before I restarted lessons as I didn't think my current one would last another 2 weeks. She's texted back and asked if I want to restart my lessons a week early!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) So will be started again on Wednesday! I'm really pleased as I think I've taken the studies/ pieces as far as I can on my own without a bit of extra input.

Glad your wedding practice went well.

[Roseau]

I really am feeling that the repertoire my teacher is giving me is quite beyond my capacity right now. Lessons are a bit frustrating at the moment, for both of us. But he should know best and he swears he never gives anything to anyone if he knows they can't handle it. I really, really hope he's right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I know how you feel (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) My teacher did the same to me - he gave me the Poulenc sonata when I had been learning for less than a year (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) At the time I didn't feel at ease enough with him to query his choices but last year I asked him why he had done this and he said he could no longer really remember but (like your teacher) that he never gave anyone a piece which he felt they really couldn't handle and that it was probably because there are lots of big intervals in it and this was probably something he thought I ought to work on at that stage. I still can't help feeling that there must have been easier things which adressed the same technical issues.

Teacher has finally instructed me to give up on the old Patricola and stick to the Howarth. I think it will help not to be chopping and changing instrument.

I'm sure only playing one instrument will help. The left Eb key was in a slightly different place on my two oboes and it ended up with me being unable to hit the correct left-hand key on either oboe (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) The problem resolved itself in less than a week when I stopped switching between the two (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Stress and frustration not much helped by getting lumbered with having to start work on the Schumann No2 Romance (my least favourite / most difficult) for a recital less than a month away when even my A major scale at a pathetic speed is really crummy right now.

This was the first of the three Romances that my teacher got me to learn and I remember telling him that he could have either the right notes, or the right rhythm or dynamics but not all three at once (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (Another piece which I think was too hard for me when he gave it to me).

On the positive side, I have just come back from a chamber music course. I went on the same course last year and the tutors were very complimentary about how much I had improved in just a year. This was very flattering for my ego (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
And of course it was a great week's playing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Not to mention someone else doing all the cooking (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I had some good news today though - I'd texted my teacher to see if I could buy a new reed off her before I restarted lessons as I didn't think my current one would last another 2 weeks. She's texted back and asked if I want to restart my lessons a week early!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) So will be started again on Wednesday!

Lucky you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I've still got to wait two and a half weeks until my next lesson.

[katica]

I had some good news today though - I'd texted my teacher to see if I could buy a new reed off her before I restarted lessons as I didn't think my current one would last another 2 weeks. She's texted back and asked if I want to restart my lessons a week early!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) So will be started again on Wednesday! I'm really pleased as I think I've taken the studies/ pieces as far as I can on my own without a bit of extra input.

Very good news! Enjoy the lesson!!!!

I know how you feel (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) My teacher did the same to me - he gave me the Poulenc sonata when I had been learning for less than a year (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Wow!!! Your teacher is "worse" than mine then. But you were obviously a very gifted beginner. I can't imagine even a very demanding teacher throwing Poulenc at anyone that early on unless they were advancing very fast. So I am sure your recent ego boost was very well earned. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Andrew, I hope you a have a fun and worthwhile parental visit. No doubt soon you will be back on your lovely oboe.

I was in bed most of the weekend, feeling very under the weather (literally! could do with a break in this year's spectacularly wet rainy season...) so oboe practice is no further on. I think I needed the break, though.

[notmusimum]

Went into Manchester yesterday and bought the Grade 8 Oboe CD. Thought it might be useful to have the accompaniment as well as for Emsoboe to listen to the pieces. I don't know if the person had a reed issue or not but some of the playing is a bit dodgy.

I have to say we've never noticed anything like this before and we've bought lots of CD's across various instruments including Oboe. The Sax and Flute ones at the same level are certainly a good standard. Has anyone else got or listened to the Oboe one?

[katica]

Went into Manchester yesterday and bought the Grade 8 Oboe CD. Thought it might be useful to have the accompaniment as well as for Emsoboe to listen to the pieces. I don't know if the person had a reed issue or not but some of the playing is a bit dodgy.

I have to say we've never noticed anything like this before and we've bought lots of CD's across various instruments including Oboe. The Sax and Flute ones at the same level are certainly a good standard. Has anyone else got or listened to the Oboe one?

I just got it in May too. The oboist is one of my heroines (I have some older recordings I really like) but I was also really disappointed with the G8 Cd, especially the Marcello.

[notmusimum]

Went into Manchester yesterday and bought the Grade 8 Oboe CD. Thought it might be useful to have the accompaniment as well as for Emsoboe to listen to the pieces. I don't know if the person had a reed issue or not but some of the playing is a bit dodgy.

I have to say we've never noticed anything like this before and we've bought lots of CD's across various instruments including Oboe. The Sax and Flute ones at the same level are certainly a good standard. Has anyone else got or listened to the Oboe one?

I just got it in May too. The oboist is one of my heroines (I have some older recordings I really like) but I was also really disappointed with the G8 Cd, especially the Marcello.

I was wondering if it was just us. Marcello was one of the pieces we listened to but the Telemann isn't great either.

[katica]

Went into Manchester yesterday and bought the Grade 8 Oboe CD. Thought it might be useful to have the accompaniment as well as for Emsoboe to listen to the pieces. I don't know if the person had a reed issue or not but some of the playing is a bit dodgy.

I have to say we've never noticed anything like this before and we've bought lots of CD's across various instruments including Oboe. The Sax and Flute ones at the same level are certainly a good standard. Has anyone else got or listened to the Oboe one?

I just got it in May too. The oboist is one of my heroines (I have some older recordings I really like) but I was also really disappointed with the G8 Cd, especially the Marcello.

I was wondering if it was just us. Marcello was one of the pieces we listened to but the Telemann isn't great either.

What a shame. I have other recordings of her playing Telemann and have learned a lot from them. If this is an effect of age it is very sad and a bit depressing for late learners like myself!