Where Are All The Oboists These Days? Options

[notmusimum]

After having no oboe news for ages and ages......

Emsoboe is off tonight to rehearse with a local Symphony Orchestra. I think it's mainly adult but know little about them other than that. It's a bit nerve wracking as her oboe playing opportunities have been few and far between over the last few years and she has moved towards sax. Fingers crossed she is good enough, just having a potential opportunity has encouraged her to get oboe out more.

[katica]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/goodLuck.gif) to emsoboe!!! Hope it works out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My oboe practice has been pathetic over the last few days. I was too physically wasted at the weekend to do very much at all: first full week back at work following traumatic music week and - the main culprit, I suspect - ferocious low-carb/low-fat diet. Weekends are usually my time for catching up a bit on oboe practice so it was really annoying not to be up to it.

Since the weekend I don't think I've managed more than 15 mins! Just long-note / warm-up practice. It was short but productive, though. Good concentration and found a couple of things to correct. Maybe it's good just to go back to basics for short bouts from time to time.

[flobiano]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thereThere.gif)

Hope you feel more yourself soon Katica - hopefully your body will adapt to the new diet and you'll feel less tired. I find it really hard to play oboe if I am hungry or physically tired, it just doesn't work. Keeping little bits going will help though. So keep going.

Hope EmsOboe enjoyed her Symphony experience. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I had a much better lesson yesterday. I should have been more stressed as I was held up at work and had to go in as soon as I'd parked up - probably one minute late! I usually sit have 5 minutes to sit in the car. But I had sorted out my bag so the right music was easy to get to, I had sorted out in my mind what order I was going to get things out in. And I felt much more relaxed - my study was much closer to how it was in practice, rather than my fingers getting all caught up with each other and refusing to move. It was very good. We are racing through Richardson's Frech Suite - now on piece 4, having spent only a week each on pieces 2 and 3. I'm also looking at the Telemann Fantasia in D minor (no 6? I don't have music with me to check the number). I really love it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[notmusimum]

Thanks Katica!

I hope you are feeling better soon too.

This has been one odd week.... I'm waiting for someone to offer Em a seriously interesting playing opportunity on flute as she's had something on each of her other instruments (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Roseau]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/goodLuck.gif) to emsoboe!!! Hope it works out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The same from me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My oboe practice has been pathetic over the last few days. I was too physically wasted at the weekend to do very much at all: first full week back at work following traumatic music week and - the main culprit, I suspect - ferocious low-carb/low-fat diet.

I hope you'll be back on form soon. I do know another oboist who followed a very strict diet due to cholesterol problems. He lost a lot of weight but it didn't seem to affect his playing at all (at least in the long term - I didn't see him until some time after he had started the diet).

Since the weekend I don't think I've managed more than 15 mins! Just long-note / warm-up practice. It was short but productive, though. Good concentration and found a couple of things to correct. Maybe it's good just to go back to basics for short bouts from time to time.

I'm sure lots of long-note practice must be good for you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (probably a bit like your diet).

I should have been more stressed as I was held up at work and had to go in as soon as I'd parked up - probably one minute late! I usually sit have 5 minutes to sit in the car. But I had sorted out my bag so the right music was easy to get to, I had sorted out in my mind what order I was going to get things out in. And I felt much more relaxed

Sometimes I think a bit of stress from something else takes the pressure of playing for a teacher (as long as there's not too much stress).

I had a good lesson too, although he did tell me to stop trying to intellectualise everything and just to play (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) And a bit later on that I would find things much easier if I didn't always think I had to have everything perfect all the time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

Anyway, I discovered that, after several weeks of very slow practice, I can play most of the last page of the Morceau de Salon really fast (I didn't know I could play that fast) but it is like riding a bike - as soon as I think about what I'm doing, the whole thing falls apart - but I'm not yet confident enough to completely trust my fingers. My teacher claims that the piece is not that difficult and it's really just about showing off and tricking the audience into believing that it is a really hard piece.

My instructions for this week are to stop playing little bits and individual bars and to play whole sections. I am not "allowed" to stop and correct a mistake, I have to go all the way to the end of a section and then I can come back and work on the bit that went wrong but then I have to play the whole section all the way through again.

[katica]

Hope you feel more yourself soon Katica - hopefully your body will adapt to the new diet and you'll feel less tired. I find it really hard to play oboe if I am hungry or physically tired, it just doesn't work. Keeping little bits going will help though. So keep going.

Thanks flobiano, Roseau, notmusimum for your kind thoughts. I'm beginning to adjust now. Reincorporating exercise is taking priority in time and effort at the moment. I'm sure this will have great benefits for the oboe too and I'll eventually work out a better balance.

I can't reduce oboe practice too much, though. A major project for the wind ensemble when we get back (early Feb but I will miss first rehearsal) is to put together a programme of "symphonic salsa" to close a local annual cultural festival on April 1st. We thought this was going to be a joint project with our more numerous and advanced colleagues from the town in the south (the youngsters who so overwhelmed me!) but it turns out that we are to be largely on our own. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Our conductor (my oboe teacher) hasn't wanted to let us loose on salsa music up to now because he thought it was beyond us (played properly it is quite complicated). No doubt a few capable extras will be roped in too and we are to be joined by a couple of prominent Costa Rican salsa musicians as soloists (trombone/voice). Basically we will be their backing group.

Glad you're enjoying the Telemman. I love No.6 (and No.2... and No.3 and........) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

This has been one odd week.... I'm waiting for someone to offer Em a seriously interesting playing opportunity on flute as she's had something on each of her other instruments (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ill.gif)
That's me green with envy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
I can hardly cope with one instrument!!!

I had a good lesson too, although he did tell me to stop trying to intellectualise everything and just to play (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) And a bit later on that I would find things much easier if I didn't always think I had to have everything perfect all the time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

... sounds very familiar!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

You're obviously managing the "just play" approach very well with the Morceau de Salon! I'm amongst that supposedly easily-impressed public. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Roseau]

You're obviously managing the "just play" approach very well with the Morceau de Salon! I'm amongst that supposedly easily-impressed public. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Unfortunately I'm not managing the "just play" that well (that's why he kept telling me to stop intellectualising (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ). And I think that part of the problem is that I'm still in the "easily-impressed public" category (ie I still think it's difficult to play).

Your salsa sounds fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
The conductor of the music school orchestra (where I played Gabriel's oboe) is Argentinian. Every other year the music school organises what they call a "mad afternoon" where everyone plays and there are lots of mini recitals going on at the same time all afternoon. This year's theme is "Dance" and the conductor said that he had eventually let himself be talked into writing us a Tango. He told us he wasn't convinced that this was a good idea as Europeans have no idea of how a Tango is supposed to be played (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[notmusimum]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ill.gif)
That's me green with envy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Yes but you play your one instrument very well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Emsoboe struggles with more than one too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I think it's easier because she has been juggling for a long time. She hasn't really known anything other than what she has now.

[katica]

The conductor of the music school orchestra (where I played Gabriel's oboe) is Argentinian. Every other year the music school organises what they call a "mad afternoon" where everyone plays and there are lots of mini recitals going on at the same time all afternoon. This year's theme is "Dance" and the conductor said that he had eventually let himself be talked into writing us a Tango. He told us he wasn't convinced that this was a good idea as Europeans have no idea of how a Tango is supposed to be played (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Oh, fun!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Whether or not you have any idea of how it's supposed to be played. (Nor do I, come to that.)

Is that the orchestra in which you've been competing with the accordion? If the conductor is Argentinian maybe he misses the bandoneon and it's the nearest thing he can get to its sound...

[Roseau]

Is that the orchestra in which you've been competing with the accordion? If the conductor is Argentinian maybe he misses the bandoneon and it's the nearest thing he can get to its sound...

No, it's not. This is the only orchestra I play in where there is no accordion (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif). And the conductor considers me to be one of the best players so writes little solos in for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[katica]

Is that the orchestra in which you've been competing with the accordion? If the conductor is Argentinian maybe he misses the bandoneon and it's the nearest thing he can get to its sound...

No, it's not. This is the only orchestra I play in where there is no accordion (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif). And the conductor considers me to be one of the best players so writes little solos in for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Well that's a lesson to me about not making simplistic assumptions. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

How lovely! To be so well considered and to have a creative conductor. So does he compose quite a bit and you get to play new music? Or just arrangements?

[Roseau]

How lovely! To be so well considered and to have a creative conductor.

It is yes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And makes a very nice change from my other wind bands/orchestras.

So does he compose quite a bit and you get to play new music? Or just arrangements?

He does a bit of both. If you're interested I can PM or e-mail you a link to his website.

[katica]

How lovely! To be so well considered and to have a creative conductor.

It is yes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And makes a very nice change from my other wind bands/orchestras.

So does he compose quite a bit and you get to play new music? Or just arrangements?

He does a bit of both. If you're interested I can PM or e-mail you a link to his website.

Yes please! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[flobiano]

stuff oboe players say

obviously nothing here that I've ever said... *cough* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

made me smile this afternoon.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Arundodonuts]

stuff oboe players say

obviously nothing here that I've ever said... *cough* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Of course not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)