Zoom has been a necessary evil this year – but emoting through it has been an obstacle that turned into an opportunity. It’s liberated my playing, and I invite you to let it liberate yours! … Continue readingZooming Back to Work
The Element of Surprise
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 spend a lot of time in The Invincible Oboist class talking about strategies to keep our air low, conversational, easy, so we don’tContinue 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 a college freshman and she was struggling with two-bar phrases. She kept getting stuck halfway through. I talkedContinue readingThe AIR is the Sound