I love seeing and hearing children sing. I hear so often that children don’t do this any more. Well, check this out … it’s great!
And there are more videos … I’ll put another up now … because I am moved by these …
it’s pretty cool. (I have one student – Hi Tim! – that I think will truly enjoy this, too.)
Using “tinnitus” and “oboe” in the same sentence is redundant…
-Tom Listmann
Practicing oboe in the morning the WORST possible warm up. My chops feel like someone took a razor blade to them.
And the answer is: Labyrinthitis.
Yes. I have a balance disorder. Why does this very sick mind enjoy reading that and nearly laugh (but I refrain, because I still ache).
And yes, I have tinnitus. And I hate it. I’ve had hearing issues for a while which is no surprise with my job, but this is really miserable.
So back to web silence for now. Some of you have written and I do thank you for your concern!
Just decided that I’m gonna force my kids to learn to play the oboe and the bassoon. No fruity loops and 808s in my house.
The career is important and often intoxicating, but nothing is as valuable as family and friends. Life is never in balance, so give up trying to keep it in balance, and accept the chaos. Family first.
-Frederica von Stade
I read it here.
For the first time in my career — at least as far as I can remember — I had to call in sick for a performance. It takes a lot for me to do that. But … if a person can’t walk without throwing up, and that walking looks like a drunk walk, it’s probably best to stay home. And stay home I did. Last night was one of the worst nights in my life.
I called a good friend and wonderful musician to line him up so our personnel manager didn’t have to stress too much. I hate stressing people out. I hope things went okay … I’m sure they did, what with Mike playing!
Today I’m still suffering from vertigo and I’m still not well, but at least I can walk a few steps and back.
Now it’s back to bed with me. Any blog posts you see here were scheduled earlier (I can’t remember if I scheduled some and I can’t take the time to check … I have to close this computer before it makes me ill; the screen make my stomach feel yucky, believe it or not.)
So Brandon has something up at emusic now! He had a track before, but you had to purchase a variety of folks to get his. This time it’s his and his alone. And there’s a picture of him … an interview … fun stuff!
Yeah, I’m a proud mama. :-)
It’s part of the emusic selects stuff, and the album is Dark Energy.
What fun!
Oboe reeds are evil.
Poland’s Krystian Zimerman, widely regarded as one of the finest pianists in the world, created a furor Sunday night in his debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall when he announced this would be his last performance in America because of the nation’s military policies overseas.
Before playing the final work on his recital, Karol Szymanowski’s “Variations on a Polish Folk Theme,” Zimerman sat silently at the piano for a moment, almost began to play, but then turned to the audience. In a quiet but angry voice that did not project well, he indicated that he could no longer play in a country whose military wants to control the whole world.
“Get your hands off of my country,” he said. He also made reference to the U.S. military detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
I read it here.
Some people are unhappy with this. Some audience members booed and left. Some stayed but booed.
So should performers do something like this? Would this ruin your evening? If you agree with his thoughts does it then make it okay? What is a performer’s responsibility? What are his or her rights?
I’m just pondering. I won’t say what I think … because, to be honest, I can go back and forth on this one. Audience members pay to be entertained. I don’t know if they should be subjected to a lecture or not. I really don’t.
Thoughts?
This one is from the Milpitas Post. It’s quite favorable. There’s a nice mention of our principal flutist, Isabelle Chapuis, too. :-)
Mr. King liked to pick his uke at his neighborhood Starbucks, where he said he did not feel nervous, because people had no expectations.
I know that feeling. There’s really something about playing freely, comfortably, in a place with no expectations, where folks are just enjoying things. You get in a concert hall and there’s this incredible tension that can eat you alive. Not fun. I really do try to remember that we are playing because it’s a wonderful thing to do. It brings us joy. It brings others joy. Sometimes it’s very difficult to remember.
But I ramble.
Mostly, I wanted to share this with you. The musician, John King, died at the young age of 55 this month and I just read about it … and him. He played ukelele. And I think this is beautiful:
I just read about a few free (!) concerts SSV will be playing in August. That’s always a nearly barren month for me, so this is good news (as long as they need two oboists; I’m not first call, being second oboist). Looks like one of those concerts is with a group called the Classical Mystery Tour. One guess who these guys are pretending to be, eh?
Or just watch and listen:
Thank you, Target, for your continued support in the arts! (And for being a store I tend to visit. A lot.)
Now to get work in earlier August … and July … oh yeah, and June ….
one should not make “do you play the oboe?” a mandatory field in a software order form
