I’m working with an adult oboist who can play beautifully but tends to melt down as soon as anything at all doesn’t go her way. And because it’s the OBOE,Continue readingThe Element of Surprise
The Magic of a PLAN
My student’s issue is that she loses her focus during long pieces and stops being able to play well. She starts out great and then her mind wanders and thenContinue readingThe Magic of a PLAN
Why Do We Practice?
Why do we practice? While I am actually practicing, I don’t always enjoy it that much. Like running, I prefer HAVING practiced to practicing. Many days, in my practice, nothingContinue readingWhy Do We Practice?
Maybe Believe the Science
I had a session recently with a very intelligent, very self-aware guy, an oboist who largely has his act together. He challenges me and my teaching in a way IContinue readingMaybe Believe the Science
What Do You Do in a Bad Gig?
What can you do when you’re stuck in the crappy groups? I was on a call with a client the other day. She was discouraged because she was finally ableContinue readingWhat Do You Do in a Bad Gig?
Harder Isn’t Better
Harder doesn’t mean better. It is not the case that 12-year-olds need a certain EASY kind of reed, that high-schoolers should step up to MEDIUM, that adults all play onContinue readingHarder Isn’t Better
What if it was EASY?
What if the oboe was easy? I speak about this constantly. We spent a lot of time last week in my first Invincible Oboist class talking about strategies to keep our air low, conversational,Continue readingWhat if it was EASY?
Don’t Wait For It
Don’t wait for it. The lowest notes on the oboe are notoriously difficult to play. They don’t want to speak, they MIGHT splatter, they are SLOW to respond, they feelContinue readingDon’t Wait For It
The AIR is the Sound
It’s never wrong to go back to basics. I was working with some college freshmen and we were playing two-bar phrases. I talked about arcing the air over the barline.Continue readingThe AIR is the Sound
Micro Rests
For oboists, endurance is a huge problem. We can play an endlessly long phrase, because of the way the instrument is constructed, but we can really only do that aContinue readingMicro Rests