oboeinsight

MacInMusician

Jef Raskin died of pancreatic cancer yesterday at the young age of 61. When I heard this on the radio this morning I recognized the name, but that was all. They said “the inventor of the Mac has died.” That caught my attention, of course, being a MacPerson all the way. While getting breakfast I asked my husband, Dan, if he had heard that news (knowing he knows much more than I about all things Mac). He had.

Later Dan sent me a link to Raskin’s unpublished work The Merry, Exciting Life of the Musician! with the comment: “I did not realize that he had extensive musical background.” I didn’t know this either.

Indeed he did. Check out the article. It’s worth your time.
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Oops!

Update:
I just heard from Terry Teachout and he clarified: that post at About Last Night was written by his co-blogger, Our Girl in Chicago. My sincere apologies to OGIC and to Terry as well!
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Reading & More

I just finished reading Norman Lebrecht’s The Song Of Names and was wondering what to pick up next. (I still have Eco’s The Name of the Rose sitting on my night stand. It’s been there for years. And still I’m not in the mood. Go figure.)

But anyway, I went to read Terry Teachout’s blog, and I guess I’ve missed a few days, because he wrote about a new novel that deals with music a few entries down from his current post. You can read his blog here. The book is called Beautiful Inez. San Francisco Symphony is the orchestra in which the main (?) character plays.

So I’m going to have to look this up. I enjoy reading novels about music, or that include music. (Robertson Davies has some of the best stuff when it comes to the arts, imo!) I also like reading novels that take place somewhere nearby.

I did enjoy Lebrecht’s book, btw; well worth the time, even if there was no talk about the superiority of oboe players and no daring descriptions of the wild world of reed making. ;-)
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Music Quote

What every true artist wants, really wants, is to be paid.

-Terry Pratchett, Soul Music

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The Concert

After I finished with my small portion of today’s concert, I headed on up to the top of the balcony where they seat latecomers. (WHY do they seat people in the middle of a movement though, I wonder? And why do the ushers go in and out of the hall, allowing the door to shut noisily behind them?) I was able to hear a wonderful performance of Mozart’s Flute & Harp Concerto. Maria Tamburrino (flute) and Dan Levitan (harp) did a beautiful job. The instruments carried all the way up to where I was sitting … no need to try to “listen hard” to hear them. They were very musical. The second movement was really stunning.

I had a very enjoyable time, although I confess that the woman who was dressed in perfume, sitting in front of me, was a tad annoying. (Why, oh why, do these women douse themselves in this powdery, strong scented stuff anyway? I’m thinking we should have some sort of device that the audience walks by before entering a hall that causes phones and pagers to automatically shut off and de-scents them at the same time. But what to call it? Hmmm. NoRingDeScent or something like that I guess.)
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Only Dreaming

In my dream last night (or, more likely, this morning, since I usually dream right before I wake) I dreamt that I was playing in Carnegie Hall. So I was thinking, “Oh good, I can add that to my bio.”

Oh well.

I seem to recall, too, that I was playing something very funky. I think it was with a high school group. But I figured that that didn’t matter. My kids’ high school has had groups perform there, and I’m sure if any of them go on they’ll use that in their bio!

Have you ever read a bio and realized that things can be interpreted in several ways? Same with when someone uses a small snippet from a review. My kids and I often play a game with these. For instance, when someone has “imaginative and fiery” as a quote, we figure it probably said “The reviewer wished he could say the performance of Carmen was imaginative and fiery but, alas, it was merely dreary.”

But anyway, I cannot add Carnegie Hall to my bio.

Oh … but if I go there and bring a Gameboy (no, I don’t own one, but I could borrow one, right?) and I play it while in the hall then I guess I could say I’ve “played in Carnegie Hall” … can’t I? ;-)
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Being Known & A Ramble

There are things I wish I could write about. But I can’t. Things I’d grumble about. But it’s not possible. Things I’d tell you, but, well, it “wouldn’t be prudent.”

I suppose I should have made this blog anonymous. Then you all would be getting an earful right now.

But on to other things …

I had a symphony concert tonight. It began at 8:00. I was home by 8:45. Yes, there are nights like these, although not very often. I actually don’t care for them all that much (although no one heard me complain as I walked in my front door); I don’t feel very connected to the orchestra when I’m there and gone so quickly.

Normally I play second oboe in the symphony. This year I’ve been playing principal on every other set (which gave me the opportunity to play, along with other works, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, the Corigliano Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra from The Red Violin, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 and (most importantly, to me, anyway) Stravinsky’s Song of the Nightingale). It’s been a great opportunity for me, and I’m very grateful to Pam for allowing me these sets.

But this week I opted for English horn. Normally I like to play the EH chair because we often get such fabulous solos. But not this week. I’m guessing, in fact, that most of the audience was wondering if that woman sitting there with the funny looking oboe even played one note! (I did, and I even had 8 measures that might be considered a soli, with flute, if anyone was paying close attention.) We were playing Sullivan’s Pineapple Poll, a piece I would suggest would be more appropriate for a Pops concert, but maybe that’s the snob in me speaking. We’ll see what the reviewers say!

Anyway, I chose it this week just to keep my EH brain in gear. It’s not the same as playing oboe. Besides, I do love my EH! I’m hoping that some year we do the Ravel Piano Concerto again. I miss that solo.
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Music Quote

In our street, we have friends with lots in common. We discuss new books, films, popular culture, politics – everything except serious music. That shuts everyone up. I don’t think they even know what I do.

-John Adams (American composer)

(I found this quote here.) You might want to scan the article while you’re at it.)
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A Shorter Bit Of Ramble (maybe)

Yes, I’m supposed to get ready to teach … give me a minute, would ya?

Because Drew drew (hah!) my attention to Jeff Tsai’s site, I’m reading more of it. There’s one post where he talks about his new iPod. In that entry he writes:

Obviously, any concert/playlist with unrecorded music is incomplete (my playlist for the 1.7.05 New Jersey Symphony concert only has one song on it when four were performed). These playlists help me not only build my collection of music (easily and conveniently) but they also help me expand my knowledge of repertoire.

My students will read this and know exactly what my gripe is going to be.

It’s that darn word “song”. Unless Tsai is speaking of a song, I think he really means “work” or “piece”. But is this just the evolution of language? Will I have to relax on this one? Am I being a snob? Am I alienating everyone in the world? Is it time to jump off this dusty planet?

I remember when Penderecki was here, and he talked at my husband’s college. Someone asked him where he got his ideas for his songs and Penderecki nearly bit the poor student’s head off. It obviously bugged him as much as it bugs me. Probably even more.

Sidebar: I love my iPod too. But getting classical works from the iTunes store can be a problem: if a movement is split into sections, or if two movements should actually not have a break, you’ll have a break between them, no matter. When you put your own CDs on, you can choose to delete those breaks … but only if you remember before you transfer them to iTunes. This means you have to be attentive every time you add an opera, a Mahler symphony … etc., etc.. I’ve written to Apple about this, but so far I haven’t seen that they’ve changed the store to allow “join CD tracks”, as they allow with your own music. (Guess I should check again — maybe they’ve heard me by now?)

And of course on the iPod and on iTunes they call every track a “song”.

Sorry … this ramble was as long, or longer, than the earlier one. ;-)
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A Short Bit Of Ramble

Dreq McManus wrote some very encouraging words about my post on what I do. Thank you Drew; the voices of insecurity were very loud and reading your post helps keep those guys quiet. At least for a while.

He also wrote about musicians not really understanding manager’s duties and vice versa. This isn’t quite the case with me; there was a time when I worked in the San Jose Symphony (RIP) box office and I was also symphony librarian for a good amount of time. So I actually did see the manager (and everyone else there) work, and understood their long hours and, in most cases, their dedication to the organization. (We had one woman who worked there who didn’t like symphony music at all. She never came to a concert. She was the one who was to romance folks into giving us money. I couldn’t figure out how or why she wanted to do that for music she didn’t even like!) But anyway, maybe I’ll write on my experiences on “the other side” some time soon. We’ll see.

terminaldegree wrote a post about “musical hangovers” … yes, I experience those two. It’s especially bad if I’m doing a long run of something that requires so much of my heart. When the run is over, I’m a wreck, and those particular hangovers last very long unless I’m moving directly into something new that is equally fulfilling.

And now it’s time to get myself up and ready to teach.

See, here’s another thing; I work a good number of days. Let’s see … mostly I work every day of the week when I have rehearsals, performances and teaching on the calendar (which is most of my weeks, although March is looking a bit sad because there’s a hole in my performance schedule.) I tried to leave Mondays free, but that just didn’t work this quarter. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t appear to be full time work … many of us have our work spread out like that.
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Music Quote

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are as dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus;
Let no such man be trusted.

-William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice. Act. v. Sc. 1.)
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Just a Little More Rambling

Okay, I’ve been home for a while and I still am not sure where to start on this whole “part-time” job thing. Maybe partly because it doesn’t ruffle my feathers, and partly because I joke so much about playing for a living.

Music is my job. It is full time (or at least close to it), I believe, if I put together all that I do: I drive “over the hill” to teach at UCSC one day a week. I sometimes go over there again because I like to attend my students’ concerts and recitals. (Not all “lecturers” – which is my title there – go to the concerts but I think it’s very important so I attend when I’m able.) One day a week I go to SCU and teach there for a somewhat brief time. I have eleven private students. I play in the symphony, the opera, the ballet (infrequently) and I freelance. I also have to practice and make reeds. (Whenever someone writes and suggests that 17 1/2 hours is all some symphony musicians spend in rehearsals I want to scream! That’s the time they all spend together rehearsing. Do people honestly think we only take our instruments out of their cases when we have a rehearsal? The reason we have to have the rules about the number of hours for groups such as the ones I’m in is so that we are able to have at least a general idea of what our calendars will be like so that we can put everything together in some way that won’t drive us entirely insane!)

So when I say I don’t have a “real” job I’m being sarcastic. I have a real job! I just don’t have all the real stuff that comes with it. I have no benefits. No medical or dental insurance. No vacation days, aside from the two that Opera San Jose now gives us. We are allowed a couple of emergency/sick days in the symphony, but we have to have a true emergency or be sick to take them, and we can’t carry them over. Mostly I play if I’m ill; I can’t remember when I last took sick days — I think it was about 15 years ago when I came down with pneumonia. I’ve played when I was so feverish I couldn’t remember how I played (doing the Poulenc Sextet of all things). I’ve played when I’ve had to run to the bathroom to throw up, only to come back to the rehearsal. (My colleagues weren’t happy with me then!)

So no, we don’t have “real jobs” where we can say “Gee, I’m not focussed today so I should probably wait on this project so I don’t totally blow it” and we rarely say “I have a fever so I think I need to leave now, so just count this as one of my sick days please.” Oh, and we work weekend nights. A lot.

So there. Am I defensive or what?!

I have a shirt that reads “Quit Work Play Music” and most people see it and give me a thumbs up. When I’m up to it I tell them it’s actually a bit ironic in my case, but mostly I just let them laugh about the witty t-shirt because everyone knows it would be great to not work and just sit around and make music all day. Besides, I like to make people laugh! (Right, Drew?)

BUT … I’m not bitter. Honest and true. All that I wrote above, in defense of who I am I suppose, might sound that way. But I’m extremely content. Most folks I see out in their “real worlds” are bitter. Or depressed. Or angry. Or envious of someone else’s job. Or simply burned out. And I’m not. (I remember a man once saying to me, after realizing I was getting paid for what I do, “But you like your job!” as if that meant I shouldn’t be paid. A women (a realtor) was furious when she heard that I made money playing the oboe. She told me she was going to dust of her high school clarinet and join an orchestra too. She was actually angry!)

So if I make a bit less money, and if I don’t get benefits (yet) at least I love what I do! So there. I’m hopeful that someday at least one of the performing jobs will grow to a point where some benefits can be offered. We had a few (minimal) benefits in the San Jose Symphony (RIP) and that was good. Especially for the two-musician families. (We had several couples in that symphony, and still have some in the newly formed symphony.) I’m hopeful. Because being hopeful is healthier than being hopeless. Although many people think I’m entirely hopeless. But that’s another story. :-)

Sometime over a year ago I was having horrendous hand problems. I finally went to see a doctor and he carefully checked me out. Especially when I told him I was a musician and played oboe. After telling me I was going to be fine and I probably had tendonitis (and telling me to go easy on the housework which was fun to hear) he asked, “and what do you do for a real job?”

I replied, “music.”

I could tell he didn’t believe me.

Sometimes I don’t believe it either, but I sure am glad it’s the truth!
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Part Time and “Real” Job

Drew McManus writes that another blogger, Jeff Tsai, calls the members of a ROPA orchestra “part-time musicians” here. Drew proceeds to write about why using the term part-time musicians is not a good idea. Both his post, and Jeff Tsai’s response to that post are worth reading.

Me?

Well, I suppose I’m guilty of something similar. I have joked about those on the “outside” having “real jobs” while I have my playing job.

So I’m going to write about this after I get home from my rehearsal. (Right now I’d better leave or I won’t get parked and into the hall in time!)
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Before You Select A College

Just a few notes, since some of you readers out there are getting those college acceptances!

• If there is more than one oboe instructor at the school (generally this is at conservatories) find out how you are assigned a teacher.
• Take a lesson from the oboe instructor if you are able to.
• If you can’t take a lesson, at least converse; most instructors have email addresses listed at the college site.
• Listen to the orchestra! Please. If the orchestra is beneath your level, you should think twice before attending the school if you are going to major in oboe. Odds are you are required to be in the orchestra and playing in a poor group can be a bad experience.
• Contact the orchestra conductor and see if you can even sit in on a rehearsal. Some allow that.
• Is the orchestra by audition only? (It should be if you care about quality.)
• See how many performing groups there are at the school, and see how often they perform.
• Do they do opera with full orchestra?
• Is there a reed lab? Not all schools have them, but it sure is a nice thing!
• How large is the department?

I’m sure I’ll think of more things to add to this list.

Right now I have to race out the door to teach!
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Becoming a Member

Okay … here’s the story. You simply have to become a member to utilize the discussion option. Sorry, but there you go. If you are concerned that I would sell your email address (I would never do that) or bombard you with emails (nor would I do this), then you’ll have to email me privately or find me on AIM (patioboe).

Seriously, though, it’s no biggie to join. I won’t make you clean the bathrooms, tune our horribly out of tune piano, make reeds or even the do the yard work that is so desperately needed in our back yard.

Oh … but reeds are gladly accepted should you choose to send some. ;-)

***UPDATE!!

For some reason you may get an error message after you enter your information. Odds are that the error message is the only error! If you come back to this page and click on discuss, you’ll probably see the box where you can enter text. This means that you are registered. (And thanks, Nina, for alerting me to this problem!) I’ll see what can be done to nix the erroneous error message. (Which, translated, means: I’ll see what my husband can do to fix the erroneous error message!)
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