Where Are All The Oboists These Days? Options

[flobiano]

That's a shame Katica. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Hope you have another opportunity!

Life is a bit mad here at the moment - trying to balance work, life, oboe and piano. We had our summer orchestra concert on Saturday which went really well - lots of English music - Elgar, Britten, Holst, Arnold, Walton. One of my friends came and said that she really enjoyed it and wants to come to another one! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I had final orchestra rehearsal on Tuesday, no more till September now - which is actually rather nice.

I'm still working on the Mozart Quartet, Telemann Fantasias and have just started the first movement of the Hindemith. I've been thinking about what to play for Stalybridge and will hopefully play a couple of movements from French Suite - it will be Bastille day after all! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) I need to check the timing to make sure I can do two within the time limits and also depends on whether the accompanist can manage it as well as bits are quite tricky.

Sorry need to rush off to another meeting (fortunately in one of the air conditioned conference rooms!)

Hope everyone else's playing is going well.

[A.U.K]

Greetings one and all, just popping in..quite a lot going on in peoples lives I see..

Just had a very busy time lately, playing Tchaik 4 and as its "The Julie Bee" as we have taken to calling the Jubilee, I seem to have endless performances of Handels Music for the Royal Fireworks which is incredibly long..never mind it'll make scales a doddle.

Not feeling terribly lively, incredibly hot and humid and the day has been a long one.

Hope everyone is well and happy

Andrew

[Roseau]

Greetings one and all, just popping in..quite a lot going on in peoples lives I see..

Nice to see you back Andrew (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I've just had a very pleasant oboe lesson (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) .

I went to England for four days last week and when I got back worked two very long days so didn't touch my oboe at all for six days. I was appalled Wednesday to discover that I seemed to have forgotten how to play and to have lost all stamina (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

After I'd played a pathetically weedy couple of lines my teacher took my oboe to demonstrate ... and sounded just like me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) He immediately got out his screw-driver and started adjusting things and five minutes later I sounded much better (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) My return from England corresponded to a huge rise in temperature and fall in humidity levels and this must have been enough to upset all the screws.

I was so pleased to discover that it was the oboe and not me that I was much more relaxed than usual and so my playing was better too.

[MrsB]

Thethread is getting rather tatty on my current reeds, nearest to the cork, and I'm a bit worried it's going to come loose, especially on my 'awkward' reed (that has a tendency to randomly refuse to sound), which I can actually see part of the cane where the threads have moved. Is there anything I can do to stop this getting any worse?

[Roseau]

Thethread is getting rather tatty on my current reeds, nearest to the cork, and I'm a bit worried it's going to come loose, especially on my 'awkward' reed (that has a tendency to randomly refuse to sound), which I can actually see part of the cane where the threads have moved. Is there anything I can do to stop this getting any worse?

Put some nail varnish on the bit that looks like it is unravelling (but this would usually be for a loose end down the bottom). Otherwise, you can cut the end of a roll of cling film and wind this around the thread and slightly above.

That said if the reed really is "randomly" refusing to sound (ie it's the reed, not you that is at fault), then either it needs re-scraping or it is "dead".

[MrsB]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Thanks, I'll give that a try. It is the reed as it's done it since day one but I couldn't be bothered to send it back.

[MrsB]

Thanks again Roseau. I did some diy on my reeds and they look much neater and the 'awkward' one is airtight again so hopefully it'll play a little better now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Roseau]

Thanks again Roseau. I did some diy on my reeds and they look much neater and the 'awkward' one is airtight again so hopefully it'll play a little better now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Glad it's playing better (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Does your teacher look at them at all? When I first started my teacher asked me every lesson how my reeds were and used to get me to do a long note on each reed to make sure they were working properly. He would adjust them either if I said I was unhappy with them or if he felt I was struggling with them. These days he no longer asks and encourages me to adjust them myself but if I insist he will do it for me.

[MrsB]

I've not had a lesson for a while. I don't actually have regular lessons; can't afford them, especially with orchestra subs to pay! Will try and get one booked in the next couple of weeks though to work through orchestra pieces and possible solo piece for the performance evening (although am not convinced i'll go through with that).

[flobiano]

Hope you manage to get a lesson booked in Mrs B.

I'm finding practising in the heat a bit wearing - though I do like the sun so don't want to complain too much. I had a very pleasant couple of hours in the garden on Saturday tying on oboe reeds and doing some initial scraping. I'll post about that in the other thread though! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Roseau]

I had a 40 minute rehearsal with an accompanist for Morceau de Salon this afternoon and have some what mixed feelings about it. She is a much better accompanist than the usual one and it was glaringly obvious that I am not cut out to be a soloist. The usual accompanist just thumps things out which forces me to play fairly loudly just to be able to hear what I am doing but this one followed my dynamics so things just got quieter and quieter to the point where even I felt they were too quiet but I couldn't do anything about it. In the end she suggested that rather than following me, she would play a bit louder and see if that gave me a bit more confidence. That did help but, as she pointed out, she is not the one who is supposed to be leading (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[Barry Toner]

I picked up my oboe today for the first time in ten days, following a very pleasant holiday. I was rather afraid that it might be a bit of a disaster, but was actually pleasantly surprised that the technique, lip stamina and muscle memory seemed to have enjoyed the break too!

I missed one lesson for my holiday, my teacher will be on holiday for our next scheduled lesson and we couldn't find another mutually convenient date, so I am basically on my own for six weeks, during which time she expects me to master the first movement of the Cimarosa Concerto. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) A lot of work needed, methinks.

[floboe]

Not been on here much, I have been busy revising (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) . I had a lesson yesterday, it wasn't too bad, I just have to work on double tonguing... Any advice would be appreciated, I do do it on the flute, but that is much easier because there is no reed in the way!

Unfortunately, I havent had much time to practice recently, though I did buy 4 reeds today, I probably should be making them but I havent got time and I need some reliable ones for a course at the beginning of July. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[MrsB]

After playing terribly in orchestra this week and then not being able to practice due to to work, I just had a great practice session in which I made some noticeable improvements to my pieces through proper focused playing. And then treated myself to a couple of disney tunes at the end as a reward (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[MrsB]

Can I ask how people warm up when playing in orchestras etc?

When I'm playing at home I spend a fair while warming myself and oboe up, playing scales and exercises within scales (all from a book as my memorising skills are rubbish) and then usually play through a few short studies of G1-3 standard before starting on more complex stuff. I feel it takes me about 15-20 mins to settle into my playing.

At orchestra we only get about 5 minutes in which to warm up before playing and all I can usually manage is a handful of scales and a few long notes. As a result I'm often not yet quite in tune myself to lead the orchestra in tuning and I don't feel that I play very well at the start of the session. The conductor comments every week that he wants us all to work at playing better at the start of the session, but I'm a bit at a loss as to what I can do to improve this without getting there 15 mins early and finding a room to play in by myself!