“Art lives from constraints and dies from freedom” -Leonardo da Vinci “The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self. And the arbitrariness of the constraint serves onlyContinue readingMy Favorite Things: Printer Edition
New Tool!
Happy New Year, everyone! I know I fell off this blog at the end of the year – the schedule got overwhelming and getting my CD released took up aContinue readingNew Tool!
Never Trust an Oboe
So this happened. We were playing a quintet concert in a library the other day, and I didn’t quite like the way my oboe was aligned. Some of the keysContinue readingNever Trust an Oboe
Setting Up for Success
When it comes right down to performance time, what do you do to get ready to perform? What are the notes that you play or the things that you think?Continue readingSetting Up for Success
Preparing Your Reed Case
I had a huge performance this past weekend – the Rouse Oboe Concerto on my orchestra’s final Masterworks concert. We all know that reeds can be unpredictable and that theContinue readingPreparing Your Reed Case
Knife Sharpening
I’ve gotten a lot of questions on this topic, and the most recent querent prompted me to make a video to demonstrate. You can find that HERE. Knife sharpening seems toContinue readingKnife Sharpening
Cleaning Your Reeds
Updated: I’ve posted a video of my plaque cleaning technique HERE! Oboe reeds are made from organic material, and over time it is inevitable that they will age and change.Continue readingCleaning Your Reeds
Reed Pro Tip: Rotate!
Does this sound familiar? You have a favorite reed. It feels great, and you play it all the time – at school, at home, in lessons. The response is rightContinue readingReed Pro Tip: Rotate!
Music and Movement
I’ve been re-reading through my collection of performance and teaching books, and remembered how much I love this one. Eloise Ristad writes beautifully about using movement, and acting, and theContinue readingMusic and Movement
Being Nervous for Solos
Hello, my name is [XXXX]. I’m kinda new at the oboe and solos are my biggest problems. I’m also a freshman in high school so I’m not used to theContinue readingBeing Nervous for Solos