oboeinsight

Yes, this site was down from sometime shortly after 11:00 PM until I reset things this morning after 8:00.

Dan … Kelsey … I need to switch to WordPress. Help!

I’m losing reeders and readers, I’m sure. I do apologize, folks. It shouldn’t be this way. Really.

In Other News
Three students (one new!) and two services today. (Music lingo: one service is a rehearsal or performance) It’s Play! time. (No, not the movie, which I do happen to own.)

We had one rehearsal yesterday, and today we move on to the stage and work with the video. I have to remember to bring my camera … I’m hoping some of the costumed attendees will allow me to take their pictures. We’ll see!

It seems to me that as performers, we need to be reminded that we have an obligation to take risks, to push ourselves to be better, and, especially, to try to do things that we’re not sure we can do.

-Matt Albert of Eighth Blackbird (read here)

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Read at another musician’s site:

My latest *bells and whistles* in the purchasing department

*scoring a new pair of shimmering green cloisine-like camper sandals that have lemonade-colored rubber wedged heels

Now would this be an oboist? Brass player? Just what instrumentalist would be excited about these sandals?

Wanna guess? ;-)

(Yes, I do stereotype. Sorry. It’s what we oboists do.)

Next year I am required to perform in a recital at UCSC. I’m fine with that. I’d be happy to be in one every year, in fact. I like playing chamber music, and recitals keep me working. Hard.

But planning? Ugh. I absolutely hate planning!

To begin with some of the adjunct faculty decided we’d try to do a WWQ. Now WWQs are not my favorite things … I love brass quintets and I love string quartets and quintets, but I think the timbre variety and problems with balance just turn most WWQ music into a big messy problem. But still, it would just be fun to work with my colleagues and, besides, I just want to get things going.

We were given four recital dates from which to choose. All Saturday evenings. Yikes! Out of the five of us, we play in at least six different orchestras. Why are they offering only Saturdays now? Last time it was Sunday evenings, and while it was a stretch for us to play an afternoon performance and race to a recital, it was at more doable than this. But eventually I did think we actually found a Saturday night that worked. We would be able to join in on a joint faculty recital. All American composers. Cool.

Heh.

Too easy, too. I knew it would have to be more difficult than that!

Turns out two players (bassoon and horn) have gigs.

So now we have to figure out where to go from here. We have flute, oboe and clarinet. We can add outside players for bassoon and horn, but finding money to pay them might be a problem. We could do a trio, but one of us says, “The hall is too large for a trio!” We could add bassoon only, which might make it easier, but of course that limits music choices.

OR … we could change things a bit and do something for flute, oboe, clarinet and … and what?! Anyone want to offer up suggestions? Anyone want to write some works for us? I’ll even take WWQ advice, since we very well might go that direction. Also on the program are violin and piano. (I wondered about the Stravinsky* Pastorale arrangement, but that doesn’t use flute and does use bassoon. Rats. It also uses English horn as well as oboe, but I know someone who would probably be willing to join in the fun, so I wouldn’t have worried about that.)

Thoughts? Anyone? Anyone?

*Yeah, I was turning Stravinsky into an American composer. He died here, so I think I’m allowed. Sort of.

These days, listening to music means hearing the gorgeous and inexhaustible power of strings, winds, brass, and percussion. If I want to hear the sound of guitar and drums, these days I simply play a show with my band.

-Carlos D of Interpol (read here)

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