One Busy Week

03. February 2010 · 5 comments · Categories: A Musician's LIfe, Opera, Ramble, Teaching

This is the sort of week I try not to look at as a whole. Instead I look day-by-day, so that things seem a bit more manageable. And busy means 1) employment and 2) I’m not bored! “Better busy than bored” is something I’ve been known to say, and I’ll stick by that, even as I whine.

But here I am, saying I’m busy, and yet I’m still in my robe and pjs. Ah, the musician’s life! And I’m not nearly as busy as my friend and colleague dk, who holds down a “real” job and still manages to be one of the best musicians I know. Go figure.

Here’s what’s on my schedule for the week, running from this past Monday through this coming Sunday:

  • 12 private students (five lessons canceled due to conflicts either on my side or theirs)
  • one morning (through to 1:00 PM) at UCSC (which means an hour + on each side for commute)
  • six opera services (at least 3 hours and 15 minutes each)
  • one 4 1/2 hour job in Santa Cruz (ditto the one hour of commuting time from above)

Hmmm. When I look at it that way it doesn’t look nearly as difficult as I was thinking! How ’bout that? And most of my colleagues have to drive much further to and from opera. What a baby I can be! Of course this doesn’t include any practice or reed making time (I’m not sure I’ll find any of that, actually). Nor does it include errands/chores/meals (and I’m not sure I’ll actually get lunch today, to be honest). So there’s that. But really … I think I am fretting over a whole lotta nothing. Some things never change eh?

I absolutely love Marriage of Figaro. It isn’t exactly a breeze for principal oboe, but it’s not a killer, and I love the little solos and duets I have. What lovely things he wrote for us, don’t you think?

“And another one gone, and another one gone…

14. January 2010 · Comments Off · Categories: Ramble, Teaching

… another one bites the dust.”

Yes indeed.

I wrote earlier about my students canceling. Alas, another has canceled this week’s lesson. That’s six canceled students this week. Last weekend I thought I had fifteen students this week. I have two more students schedule this week. We’ll see if I actually get to teach them!

Blogger Silence

05. June 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Links, Ramble, Teaching

Gee, I haven’t posted anything here but a TQOD today. So sorry! Did ya miss me?

This morning was my second to last UCSC morning for the year. The final day has been moved to this coming Monday since finals week doesn’t include a Friday meeting. The three oboists I have this quarter are meeting together to do trios, which should be a blast. I’ll bring the donuts. For after the class, obviously. I’ll also be giving at least one of them an abbreviated lesson to make up for one missed due to illness. I’m just that nice. (And that’s the extent of my niceness.)

After teaching — and enjoying each of the students, I might add — I met with Jameson for lunch at Erik’s Deli Cafe. Ah, tomato bisque and green salad, how I love thee!

And now? Well, I’m back at The Abbey after quite a long hiatus. It’s as calming as ever. Once Jameson is done with his class we pick up his bike and laundry (always laundry to be done on weekends!), head home, and I get home with enough time to grab dinner and get to the dress rehearsal of Symphony Silicon Valley.

I left home at 8:30 this morning. I’ll be back home at about 10:45 tonight. Many of my colleagues have much longer drives and days, so I consider this schedule to be bearable.

But I’ll probably still whine. ;-)

I Don’t Know About You …

23. January 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Ramble, Teaching

… but I can’t seem to travel light.

Today I have my Wiseman case, since I wanted to have both my oboe and my English horn with me. In addition I have to carry a tuner, metronome, reed equipment and music with me. Oh, and a water bottle. Of course I also need my purse, my toothbrush and toothpaste, and obviously my computer. So I have a somewhat large bag that acts as both purse, carryall and computer bag.

If I could leave some equipment at the school I would. If we had a reed room I’d at least not have to carry all my knives, as I’d use what we have in the reed room. But we have no reed room.

(Oooh … I am just realizing, though, that I could use the online metronome and online tuner I’ve found. That would save … what? … some ounces? Every little bit counts!)

As I looked at myself in a mirror a short time ago I saw that I was pushing the bag to the limit. It looks as if it’s about to burst! I’ve broken a number of bags this way. And the bag is so incredibly heavy it’s difficult to hoist (yes, hoist) on to my shoulder. (Really.)

Besides, I look like a bag lady.

So I guess I’m going to go back to the embarrassing case on wheels I bought last year if I can make that work. It’s really a computer case on wheels, so I hope it can hold all the things I need to hold, or I might have to get an even more embarrassing, large case on wheels.

I’ll move from bag lady to nerd. But what can ya do? The bag is saying “no more” and my back is echoing that sentiment. So there you go.

Besides, I’m sure my students all think I’m a wacky old lady anyway. So I’ll just give them more fodder for that. I’m nice that way.

That Explains It!

22. October 2008 · Comments Off · Categories: Listen, Teaching, Videos, Watch

Concert Tonight

16. October 2008 · 3 comments · Categories: Symphony, Teaching

The concert went well. Or at least the Debussy went well; since I don’t play the rest I only heard it with “half an ear” or so.

The Debussy really worked well. George Cleve is pretty darn great with Debussy, and I hope the audience enjoyed it as much as I did!

I was able to offer my students and their families complimentary tickets this time. Not one came. It kind of makes me sad. Some have never been to a professional concert. Ever. I hope I can get them to change that at some point. But I guess I can’t force them to go.

Or can I? Hmmm. ;-)

Starting Oboe

14. October 2008 · 10 comments · Categories: Teaching

I occasionally like to post about things to think about when beginning oboe. It’s not an easy instrument for many beginners. It is not cheap. If you purchase an oboe without consulting an oboist or reputable store that specializes in oboe you will probably wind up with a not-so-great instrument. Reeds are frustrating and cost a lot of money.

Sounds discouraging, doesn’t it?

I don’t like to be discouraging, and while I complain frequently about reeds, I do love the instrument, and I especially love teaching the younger students. It’s so much fun to watch them figure things out and finally get that great oboe sound!

But please, here are just a few bits of advice:

  • Find a teacher that actually plays the instrument. If your instructor isn’t ever playing for you and with you, you might be dealing with someone who doesn’t really play well. The teacher doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional musician; sometimes the top players aren’t even the best teachers (especially for beginners). But the teacher does need to be able to play the oboe. It’s rather important.
  • Get a good oboe. It doesn’t have to be a professional model. In fact, for the younger student, I recommend a resin (plastic) oboe at first. But it really should have the left F and low B flat keys. (I actually prefer that it also have the articulated C#, but I know I’m picky.) A Fox Renard 330 (better than a 333 even though the number is lower) is a good place to start. There are other good instruments as well, and I’m happy to help you with that.
  • Know that you will go through reeds quickly. Expect to spend money on reeds. Good reeds aren’t cheap, but cheap reeds aren’t good.
  • Oboe can be frustrating at times. There is a lot of back pressure and that takes some getting used to. We all have our bad days. Oboe requires patience and diligence.
  • If you are a beginner and you can practice for an hour, odds are you are doing something wrong; it takes time to build up those mouth muscles.
  • Practice regularly. (I do allow one day off each week, but I require my students to practice six days a week. They usually choose the lesson day as their day off, so they are actually playing every day.)

    I’m sure I could come up with other things, but that’s enough for now. After all, it’s nearly lunch time! :-)

And He’s Not Even An Oboist!

16. September 2008 · Comments Off · Categories: Links, Opera, Teaching

But he began to feel the pressure: Classical music is, as he says, “a perfectionist field”.

He became neurotic, depressed. He was very sensitive to noise. He decided he did not want to perform any more. Then he stopped practising. And then he stopped playing altogether.

I read it here.

I wonder how often this happens. It seems to me that being a child prodigy would come with a ton of baggage.

I’m thankful that my prodigious moments are still ahead of me! ;-)

In Other News
UCSC begins next week. I feel as if I’ve been away for eons, and I’m looking forward to getting back. It appears I may have more oboists desiring lessons than I’ve ever had before. I do hope we can accommodate them all. (And if there are any more out there you’d better contact me soon!) Today I move our son back to Santa Cruz. (It’s a quick drive, so it’s not anything like when we moved our other two to SoCal.)

Opera tonight. Third to last performance of EO, but we also have the gala this week!

Using a Tuner

12. September 2008 · 11 comments · Categories: Oboe, Ramble, Teaching, Technique

I have my students use a tuner. One thing about oboe; you can really manipulate pitch. So students need to check in on occasion to see just where they are. (Generally students are sharp, although I’ve had a few who were pretty darn flat.) I also have students do long tones on A-440 with a tuner. We have to tune an orchestra to an A, and I think getting that A firmly ingrained in one’s ear is a good thing.

But here’s the thing: some students use a tuner, but forget to look at the name of the note the tuner is hearing. They think they are flat because the tuner needle is a bit on the low side and they bite to get themselves higher, and actually wind up lipping the pitch up to an A sharp! So students, do be sure and verify that what you are playing is being heard as an A!

If pitch is wrong, it’s either your embouchure, your reed, or your oboe. So check those out. Yes? If it’s embouchure, you may be pulling the corners of your lips back rather than thinking “ooh” (or ü — “umlaut u” as I call it). You also might be taking in too much reed. (I don’t like to swallow the reed, although I know some who do. This is something you can play around with a bit to see what works for you. I also like a flat chin, not a “orange peel” chin.) If it’s your reed (crow it … is it crowing Cs?) and you can’t take anything off of it you’re sunk. Did you make the reed long enough (mine are generally 70mm)? Are you using 47 mm staples? If it’s your oboe, and it’s just ridiculously sharp, you’re probably sunk there too.

But I also want to stress something else about pitch. I suggest these policies:

  • When playing at home, be true to the reed. This means that you don’t alter your embouchure (if you know it is correct, so this is for more knowledgeable students, of course) to get that needle in the right position.
  • During lessons, continue to be true to the reed as well. But of course have a reed that is in tune! <
  • When playing in a group, be true to the pitch. You have to play with the proper pitch. This means you may have to manipulate your embouchure in order to keep the pitch correctly. Obviously this isn’t a great thing to do, so really … get reeds that are in tune! Get that embouchure figured out! (And oboe position might change things a bit too … play around with that. I prefer my oboe to be rather close to my knees when I’m sitting — and keep that head up! — it’s as if there are magnets in my knees and they are keeping the oboe somewhat close. I know other oboists don’t agree with that, so take that as you will.)

If you aren’t at a level to really know for sure if your reed is in tune, have your teacher check your reed. If you are a student oboist and don’t have a teacher, get a teacher. And make sure the teacher is an oboe player. Preferably one who will make you learn left F when you are learning your B flat major scale. ;-)

Frustration

12. September 2008 · 4 comments · Categories: Grumble, Oboe, Ramble, Teaching, Technique

I can’t tell you how many times I have to correct new students due to some misinformation. (A simple word for “teaching the wrong things”.)

So here, for you to read, are some suggestions from yours truly. And yes, I suspect some oboists might disagree with me. But this is my site!

When teaching the alternate fingering for F, please teach left F if the student has the left F on his or her oboe when the right hand fourth finger is occupied before of after the F. Really. Why teach forked F (and with the E flat key, doggone it!) and then make the student learn the left F later. It’s just silly.

Obviously in the instance a forked F is the only possibility please don’t have the student use an E flat on the forked F.

Please teach the students to the use of the half hole, bottom octave key and side octave key. I can’t tell you how many students arrive not knowing which is used when, and some students seem to think you can switch it all around at their whim.

Please don’t skip over pages of the Rubank or Gekeler. They are in order for a reason. Having a student begin in the middle of the books means some things may be missed.

Please explain to the students that the Rubank and Gekeler fingering charts aren’t perfect.

Please don’t let students write the name of the notes over every single note. What a silly thing to do. If you want to quiz them, do that separately from their lesson book.

I realize some teachers don’t mind if a student uses both octave keys when only the side octave key is necessary, but doesn’t it seem like an extra movement when it isn’t necessary. Ask you student to play octave As and watch as their thumb moves to that unnecessary bottom octave key. How silly is that?

If the notes aren’t slurred, don’t let them slur. If they notes are slurred, please have them slur. I can’t tell you how many students ignore articulation and make it up as they’d like.

Yeah, I’m just a bit frustrated sometimes. I hate having to break the news to students that they have learned things so incorrectly. They are frustrated too, then, and that’s no fun.

I know I’m not perfect. I’m guessing some teachers who take over my students and find errors in my teaching methods too. Please let me know when I do that. And if you disagree with any of what I wrote above, you can certainly tell me. But I still stick to my thoughts. :-)

Weekend Statistics (Note change. Sigh.)

19. July 2008 · 12 comments · Categories: Links, Ramble, Teaching

Every weekend I get fewer hits. My numbers go down. Sometimes way down. If you look at my site meter link you can easily see that Saturdays and Sundays are the lowest. (Does that link work? If not, scroll to the bottom of this page and you’ll see a link. Then click on “This Month’s Visits By Day”)

What is it with you people? Do you go on vacations or something? Do you actually go out and have fun? Do you only read this when you are at work?

And why did I have a dream last night that included a bunch of people dressed up in Renaissance costumes, headed off to sail across some ocean? And why did an elephant freak out when the horses rode by, nearly stomping me to death?

Just wondering.

Ah well. Time for ME to get ready for work; I teach on Saturday mornings!

Too Far?!

23. May 2008 · 5 comments · Categories: Ramble, Teaching

When my oboe teacher moved from San Jose to Pleasanton, my mother drove me to the lessons. I never heard her complain. Pleasanton is about 40 miles from where I lived. She also drove my brother to his bassoon lessons in San Francisco, which is about 50 miles away.

I just received a phone call from someone who wanted oboe lessons. But I am too far away. They live in Saratoga, which is about 9 miles away from here.

In some ways our world has gotten a lot smaller, but to a lot o parents I live too far away when the drive is only about 15 minutes. Go figure.

I wasn’t at all rude to the woman, but I did laugh when she said I was too far away. It just burst out—I couldn’t help myself.

Oh well.

She then asked for other recommendations. Heh. As if there are oboists 5 or 10 minutes away from anyone who wants lessons. Ya think?

It does make me thankful for my La Honda student and her parents (somewhere around 35 miles). No complaints from them, and the come here nearly every Saturday. In addition I have a student who lives in Morgan Hill (23 miles or so). Thank you to Hannah and Alex and your parents for nary a complaint and for your diligence! :-)

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