During high school, he learned how to play flute, which led to him appearing as an oboist and baritone saxophonist on several Frank Sinatra recording sessions.
… because of course that’s what playing flute leads to. Right?
Hmm. Okay then.
I don’t know much about a lot of composers. In Carl Orff’s case, I didn’t know anything. Until now. Mr. Orff doesn’t sound like a great guy.
How important is it to know this? I wonder. Will I ever hear Carmina Burana and not think of what he was? I suspect so.
I know, I know, a lot of composers were scoundrels. Bad people can write good music (although I’m actually not a huge admirer of Carmina Burana). But when does one draw a line — or does one — about a composer. If Hitler had been a composer and wrote a good tune, would we play it? I rather doubt it. But he didn’t write a good tune, so that is merely a guess.
I’m just rambling, and I know this has been hashed and rehashed. But still ….
Yesterday Dan and I celebrated our 33rd anniversary. We went out of town. Does this tell anyone where we went?
We did a good amount of walking, and it was great fun. We were joined by two of our children, Brandon and Jameson, and Jameson’ girlfriend, Megan. I wish Kelsey and Mel could have been with us too, but I guess I can’t have everything, eh?
Due to things I’ve run into these past few years, I’ve decided that I should really write to prospective and current college students. It seems some things aren’t common knowledge and should be. I’ll start with this brief post, and perhaps add to it later.
Advisors aren’t gods
I know that high school students often rely on advisors. Please, students, don’t assume your advisor knows everything. Many know very little about what it takes to major in music, and many haven’t a clue about oboe. Some think playing oboe is a guaranteed way to get into any university. It’s not. Some suggest music degrees they know nothing about, simply thinking that it’s a major that is less common, therefore the student will get in. Ain’t necessarily so. Please verify anything your advisor tells you about deadlines and application requirements. Don’t take the advisor’s word for it; they advise an awful lot of students, and they make mistakes.
Visit the music department website
First, check for scholarships! It can’t hurt to try, eh? Not all schools require that that scholarship applicants major in music, so check on that too. Get the deadlines in your brain and don’t send things in late. Don’t make apologies for your CD. If the recording is poorly done I really don’t want to be told … believe me, I’ll know. If you made mistakes don’t point them out and don’t make excuses. Before you make that recording please study the music and if you don’t have an accompanist at least know how the accompaniment goes. (I’m puzzled by students who have never listened to the works they work on. Ever. I understand not wanting to listen constantly, but not at all? Hmmm.) Play the correct tempi. Play the correct style. And do check your pitch. (I’m weary of sharp sharp sharp!)
Contact the private instructor
If you are thinking of majoring in music with an emphasis on a particular instrument (or voice), contact the appropriate instructor(s) at the university, college or conservatory. Some won’t respond (which tells you something right there, eh?) but many will. Don’t start your email with “Hey”. I know that’s how most of you write, but you don’t know who the heck you are “heying” and it might be seen as rude. Do you want your first encounter with someone to come across as rude? I doubt it. If the instructor responds, reply with a thank you. Don’t just disappear. If the teacher offers you a sample lesson and you take the instructor up on that, follow up with a thank you note. I highly recommend a sample lesson, even if you have to pay for it (I do them for free, as do many). Someone might be a great player but a poor teacher. Sometimes you just don’t click with a teacher.
If you aren’t planning on majoring in music you need to ask the instructor if you will be able to take lessons, and how long those lessons will be. (Some schools only allow 30 minute lessons for non-majors. Some allow no lessons at all.)
Visit some classes, hear some ensembles, do some “homework”
Really. It’s a great idea to get a feel for the schools you are interested in. It’s a very good idea to hear some ensembles and talk to current students. Find out if you have to be a music major in order to play in the ensembles.
Oh … and a word of advice to parents: let your child do the communicating. I’m guessing other instructors feel the way I do. Once a student is preparing for college he or she should be doing the correspondence, rather than mom or dad. Really.
Okay. Enough for now. I’ll put this and more up permanently at the site at some point. And I’ll be posting some about mistakes I’ve witnessed once students get into a school as well. One of the most frustrating for me is the lack of correspondence; when an instructor emails you, students should respond. Sometimes I think I’m writing to the walls, as I only get silence in reply. Funny thing is that when a student needs my attention it’s expected that I get back to her or him immediately. Go figure.
If The Oboist Goes Nuts Or Doesn’t Show Up For A Performance?
Or the oboist sneezes and splits his only reed and can’t provide the standard A440?What other instrument would normally be used as a back-up for the orchestra to tune itself to?
Hmmm … several things to say about this one:
1) Oboists are already nuts. We can still give the A. Really.
2) If the oboist doesn’t show up the oboist should be fired except in a dire emergency. Like death.
3) An oboist simply can’t have only one working reed.
4) IF there is no oboist in the work (yeah, it happens) then sometimes the concertmaster gives an A. Sometimes the clarinet. Sometimes a piano. Depends. But nothing beats the oboe A. ;-)
I’ve got some ideas for music that I might have to put together. It might mean getting my son’s oboe and the dumbeg out…you need a double reed instrument and someone banging on a dumbeg to create the right mood.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The University of New Hampshire’s Double Reed Day (UNH DR DAY) is a day-long event held each January for double-reed players of all ages and skill levels. Over 100 participants come each year sometimes braving snow storms, ice storms, power outages and floods both outside AND inside. More often than not, however, the sun does shine on this day. Janet Polk, UNH bassoon instructor and Margaret Herlehy, UNH oboe instructor organize this event with the able assistance of the music service fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi.
So a lot of folks are posting links to their favorite blog entries (from their own blogs). For instance, here is Horndog’s entry and here is Jason Heath’s. Dan posted his favorite photos (many of which are mine as well, but he has others that I love too).
Me?
My favorite blog entries are the ones I never wrote. So there.
But they sure would have been great. Trust me.
I used to play oboe for the Anchorage Symphony and the Anchorage Opera. I stopped because I actually made more money as a short-order cook than as an oboist.
Mrs. T and I were chatting about the decline and fall of Western civilization while driving from Smalltown to St. Louis the other day, and I offered the following Universal Explanation of everything bad about the world: Most people are stupid. She agreed, reluctantly.
-Terry Teachout (I read it here)
Oh dear. Here’s a fear of mine: I fear my stupidity. I fear I’m not as smart as I think I am … and I already think I’m not all that smart.
I also fear I’m actually a horrible musician and no one has the heart to tell me.
And I fear that people are being nice to me — pretending to be my friend — because they feel so sorry for me. I know at some point they’ll come clean and explain that.
A puzzlement:
At the same time I think I’m smart (or at least not-so-dumb), a good musician (or at least not-so-bad) and that my friends like me (at least a little).
How stupid is that??
I think folks here know that I subscribe to emusic. It’s handy, and I find a lot of music. But here’s the thing: I have so much music, between all the emusic downloads, some iTunes things I’ve downloaded, and all the CDs I’ve purchased. I can’t even imagine how many days of music I have.
Just how much do I need to own? How much will I really listen to?
So maybe it’s time to drop the emusic subscription. Some months I can’t even figure out if there’s anything I want. So far the pop music I’ve tried ends up leaving me empty after a couple of listens.
I haven’t done the New Year’s resolution thing in the past, but perhaps I’ll change that and resolve to simplify this year. I can drop things like emusic. Lessen what I have. Or at least not add more.
I’m also not renewing my Opera News subscription. If they would have an online subscription only, that would be fine, but I don’t read it enough to continue getting the mag in the mail. I also dropped MUSO; it just wasn’t meaty enough. Sure had gorgeous musicians it it, though. But I’m done with hard copy mags … I’ve minimized my catalogues via Catalogue Choice. The less paper, the better. I’m nearly fed up with a few charities, too; they continue to send me renewal notices, and I can’t believe how much paper they spend on me when I pay up once a year, period.
Will this actually be a year I resolve to do something. Write about it. And then do it? It could happen.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(For whatever it’s worth; I think more by school year, as that’s how the symphony and opera seasons work, along with the university. Go figure.)
If any registered folks are reading this could you try to leave a comment now? Dan thinks he fixed the problem we were having and we need to see if it works now.
Thanks! :-)
Whether you’re at home sitting by the fire, or out and about with your iPod, here’s a list of five classical music CDs that will take you to that calm and cultured place.
Ah yes … calm and cultured. That’s me in a nutshell.
