Classical musicians are trained to make it perfect. To make all the notes correct, to make it sound like the CD, to do it the way everyone else has doneContinue readingOn the generosity of Instagram practice accounts
COMMUNICATING Through the Mask
I was just trying to pick up my kid’s prescription at the pharmacy. No, it’s INGLE. EYE ENN GEE ELLL EEEE. Between the mask covering half my face andContinue readingCOMMUNICATING Through the Mask
When to Cheat
I got an email from an oboist a while ago, back before COVID. After thanking me for the reeds I had sent, and complimenting the warm tone they had, theyContinue readingWhen to Cheat
Separating it Out
Last semester, my student came in with the Hoedown from Copland’s Rodeo. Let me guess, I said – the low tonguing passage? Of course she assumed that she had aContinue readingSeparating it Out
Resonance
When my students get too MOUTHY with the oboe, I put them in a corner. Really. They tend to play the oboe only from the TOP of their body, northContinue readingResonance
Fun to Practice
I LOVE practicing West Side Story. I realized today, as I was working through the fugue portion of “Cool” in the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, that I wasContinue readingFun to Practice
A is for Abs
I’ve had five different concerts in a row this past four weeks, and for three of them I was not playing principal. Which meant that I got to sit backContinue readingA is for Abs
Memorizing SLOWLY
I had a breakthrough with one of my younger students last week, and it reminded me of one of my favorite practicing tricks – one that I had forgotten asContinue readingMemorizing SLOWLY
The Pleasure in Doing It
Sometimes I just like having run. After your shower and your coffee it feels good to have run, earlier in the day, and to feel that gentle ache and tirednessContinue readingThe Pleasure in Doing It
Projection
I heard a student’s sophomore recital last week, and noticed that although she played all of the notes and technique well, chose appropriate tempos, and used her own reed –Continue readingProjection