Beginning Oboe Player's Care Package

October 24, 2012, 1:38 pm

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Today I'm sharing a handout that I give to budding oboists. It is a collection of some basic items students can use to protect their reeds and to keep their instruments clean in an good working condition. I keep all of these in my oboe bag too.

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Beginning Oboe Player's Care Package

The following supplies are inexpensive and easy to find but are SO IMPORTANT for developing good playing habits and to keep the oboe in good working condition. I’ve listed the items below and describe each in detail.

Small, sturdy reed case * Water container for soaking reeds  * Swab * Small cotton rag * Paint brush 

Travel size toothbrush and toothpaste *  Small bag for carrying these items

ONE: A STURDY REED CASE

I notice that student oboists often open their oboe cases to get reeds out of either plastic “coffin” cases or plastic tube “vials.”  These cheap plastic containers are usually used to ship commercial reeds, but don’t do a great job at protecting a student’s reeds on a day-to-day basis.  Why?  Because “coffin” cases often don’t stay shut and it is easy for students to crush their reeds in the case while trying to snap it shut.  For the cylindrical vial cases, students often accidentally smash the ends of the reeds into the cotton or foam padding in the tube while putting on the cap to close them.  Reeds are expensive and fragile, but sturdy reed cases can be made inexpensively!

     (See my previous post on making a DIY reed case ,  or use the "recipe" below):

Materials needed to make a sturdy reed case:

1 empty Altoids container or other similar box

Weather Stripping for doors, size can vary,  but I use 3/8” wide X 5/16” thick (available at most hardware stores)

1.     Cut the weather stripping into short pieces ( 20 mm or so) and attach to the container.  Make sure that the stripping is placed close enough so that reeds can’t fall out.

2.     An extra rubber band helps keep the box from opening.

3.     Creative students can decorate the boxes with markers/paints for individuality.

TWO: A Water container for soaking reeds

Reeds should NEVER be soaked using just saliva.  The saliva that our body produces contains enzymes that break down the fibers in a reed. Since we want our reeds to last as long as possible, I encourage you to use FRESH water to soak reeds for 5 minutes or less before playing. Simply dip the reed in the water, then let the reed sit in the reed case for a few minutes.

THREE:  A Swab

Since playing oboe requires lots of air that is warmed and moistened from our bodies, a fair amount of moisture can accumulate in oboes over the course of a playing session.  This moisture must be swabbed from the bore at the end of EVERY playing session to keep the oboe in good working condition. I especially encourage you to buy a swab with string on BOTH ends.  That way if the swab gets stuck,  you have a string on either end to pull out.

FOUR: A small cotton rag

Although I encourage you to wash your hands before you play, silver oboe keys can still get dirty and tarnish over time.  For people with exceedingly acidic hands, they can even wear off the silverplating on the keys.  One way to keep the keys clean and dry is to quickly wipe the keys before putting the oboe back in its case. Only a small cotton rag is needed, so I recommend taking that old, once-favorite t-shirt and cutting a 4x4 inch square from it to use as your new oboe cleaning cloth.  Inexpensive, and a way to always remember that favorite shirt.  J

FIVE: A Small Paintbrush

No, the paintbrush ISN’T for creative decorating of oboe bells.  It’s to keep instrument keys dust and dirt free.  All that is needed is an inexpensive but CLEAN paintbrush--the kind you might use for watercolors in art class. Once a week brush all around and under the keywork, then BLOW the dust and dirt away. 

SIX: Travel Size Toothbrush and Toothpaste

Your dentist will love you for this one.  Food and reeds just don’t mix, so brush your teeth before playing.  You’ll be amazed at how much longer your reeds will last.  And fresh breath is always a bonus.

SEVEN: A Small BAG

Now that you have these small items to enhance your playing and the condition of your oboe, a small bag to keep everything in is a good idea.  A small, zippered cosmetics travel bag, or school supplies/pencil bag is ideal.  Make sure it closes tight and attach a small strap/tie that should be used to attach the bag to the oboe case’s carrying handle.  That way your reeds and supplies are always WITH the oboe case and won’t be left behind!

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I hope you find this helpful for you or your students.  Please feel free to ask questions or submit comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

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Three Shameless Plugs for a Sunday Afternoon

October 28, 2012, 2:10 pm

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Hi All-

Three quick, shameless, plugs for a beautiful Sunday.

First, a fun oboe (and more) blog to check out:

Oboeinsight  (http://oboeinsight.com)

Second,  an artist/ensemble that is new to me,  thanks to reading/linking in the Oboeinsight blog:


I've been listening to a lot of recordings by the countertenor Philippe Jaroussky this week.  What a lovely, velvety and soulful voice!  My favorite so far is Ohimè Ch'io Cado. View the following link to enjoy a "Monteverdi-meets-jazz" experience. It once again illustrates how similar Baroque and jazz styles can be.

Third is strictly for the oboists reading the blog.  I just received some Medir cane from Midwest Musical Imports. While I haven't made many reeds with it yet,  it seems pretty good.  Thought it'd be helpful to share a lead on good cane.  (Thanks, Steven Maijala!) 
And I'm always open to hearing about where you find good cane too!..... :)
Midwest Musical Imports
Ok,  I know the title mentions three plugs,  but I couldn't help myself to a fourth!
A shout out to Jacqueline and Chris Wilson on an absolutely fantastic performance today live on the Wisconsin Public Radio broadcast,  Live From the Chazen.   Bravo!!  So happy for my wonderful colleagues!

WilsonDuo

That's all for now.  Enjoy your day!

Oboe and out.

The Oboist.

Dynamic Sound Shapes

October 29, 2012, 3:38 pm

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In my very first lesson at Indiana University with oboist Marc Lifschey, an illustration of a long tone dynamic exercise was waiting for me on the music stand. As an eager and impatient freshman I thought,  “what am I doing with lots of long, slow exercises?  I want to learn how to play the really hard stuff!”  My youthful ignorance (and ego) took a U-turn as I soon realized that long tones were both the “hard stuff” and an essential foundational element of musical thinking. What Mr. Lifschey taught me is that careful shaping of single notes represents in a microcosm how to think about shape and scope in musical lines. I continue to practice expanding my dynamic range EVERY day with long tones, striving to be able to play a little softer and a little louder than the day before. As a performer, I practice shaping sound to develop technical control over the instrument for limitless choices for creative expression. As a teacher, I want to empower my students with these skills so that they, too,  can advance their artistic vision. Mastery of dynamic shaping control throughout the entire range of the oboe is technical skill, one of many important components of musical expression, but it demands thoughtful and frequent practice.

This long tone illustration is still a guiding force in my thinking and teaching about dynamic sound shaping. It is from Stevens Hewitt’s Oboe Method (p. 36a) and provides a graphic representation of how to shape a long tone (and an expressive musical line in general):

How many times have you heard from a teacher or conductor, etc. to not get too loud too soon, or not get too soft too soon?  This illustration trains the player to save the most change until the very ends of the top and bottom dynamic spectrums for the most impact. As Mr. Hewitt states on page 36 of his Oboe Method,  “Emotions do not progress arithmetically (1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6…) but rather, geometrically (1,2,4,8,16,32…) Therefore, save for climaxes.”

Marc Lifschey often compared sound shapes to cycles occurring in nature. For instance, the daily arc of the sun across the sky: the welcome emergence of the sun at sunrise, movement of the sun to its height in the afternoon, progressing to a gentle decline over the horizon towards sunset.  Or, the seasons, which in the Northern hemisphere transform from winter’s cold to the increased warmth of spring, the heat of summer moving to the chill of autumn that is transformed again back to the iciness of winter. We experience these shapes of nature on a daily and yearly basis throughout our lives while beautifully paced musical lines encompass the same ideas of change, but in sound. This sounds exquisite,  but how it is enacted on the oboe?

When practicing dynamic sound shapes, attention must be brought to developing the entire dynamic spectrum but especially when initiating a sound and then bringing it back into silence. To begin a note, prepare. Use a metronome to place your work into a time frame and to train yourself to be able to begin a sound exactly at a predetermined point in time. (Conductors and chamber music colleagues need this ability from you, so make it a part of how you practice!) Form your embouchure around the reed, place your tongue on the reed, start your air, then remove your tongue from the reed to begin sound.  Notice that it is the act of removingthe tongue that actually creates sound.  From here, everything else is air and embouchure work to shape your volume. If no sound is present when you remove your tongue, you likely do not have enough air support for your task. Try again, and make changes to your air and embouchure until you can reliably initiate sound at the very softest dynamic range possible.  I like to imagine the predawn sky, where there is only the slightest hint of light.  I want my volume to be so soft that a listener is drawn in, trying to notice if there is even sound at all. Or, as John DeLancie once told me,  “the sound should begin effortlessly, like a warm knife slicing into butter.” Once a sound is initiated, keep it going with your air!  I often hear students begin a note, then immediately let the sound falter. Keep the same air support that you used to create the sound out of silence, but instantly begin to energize the sound shape over the subdivisions of the metronome clicks to gradually grow louder.  As your sound shape travels to its zenith, monitor your body use so that you exclude tension from your actions.  Keep your forehead, back, hands, legs, etc. released as you constantly seek maximum resonance. The tone shouldn’t change as you move through your dynamic range; only the volume changes. I personally think it is OK to engage a free vibrato as you move through the highest points of your dynamic sound shaping, as it encourages a tension-free endeavor. As you move towards the nadir, still be aware of the subdivisions of the beat. Bring your sound to each new subdivision of the metronome click. Be constantly aware of what your air and embouchure are doing to initiate a gradually softer sound shape. At the end, be careful to not let the sound just stop where it wants to; with your air and embouchure takethe sound shape into silence.

Strive for absolutely even tone color throughout the entire dynamic range. Think of the volume control on a stereo (or ipod!)—a sound gets louder or softer,  but the tone doesn’t change.  Loud does not mean unruly sounding and soft should not sound muffled.  Keep a resonant tone throughout and adjust your embouchure and/or air as needed.  If the sound in the strongest dynamics is harsh sounding, make sure you are not blowing too hard. Use a little less air and notice if the sound improves. It is possible that a little more embouchure support on the reed could be necessary to control some of the unwanted overtones if the air seems to be working well. If the sound in the softest dynamic range is muffled, then use more air support to create the sound instead of embouchure pressure against the reed. Make a change in air or embouchure use, notice the change created, then either accept the action or continue to make further changes until the desired goal is met. Most importantly, don’t give up!  Work daily to expand your dynamic capabilities in all ranges. Seek out recordings of inspiring musicians and listen to them.  Great singers, string players, etc are useful here.  How do they initiate change in volume? Does it sound “effortless”? How can you imitate what they are doing?

I practice the Stevens Hewitt long tone shape first, then break down the shape into smaller elements that emphasize shaping the very softest and loudest sounds on a variety of notes.  I vary the notes that I play each day, but try to include pitches from my entire range. The exercises I practice might look like this:

 

I used to spend quite a bit of time working on these each day when I was a student.  Now I spend approximately 5 min or so each day “checking in” to see how my technique is faring. This is also a fantastic test of reeds.  If I can’t play these exercises as soft or as loud as I desire, then I go back to the reed desk for quickadjustments as needed. For the type of reeds that work best for me, I usually scrape the sides of the very tip for better response in the softest dynamic range, or scrape a tiny bit out of the heart or scrape for more definition on the sides of the reed between the heart and tip enable a louder dynamic level. These reed suggestions may not work for you if your reed style is different than mine, so I don’t want to dwell on this too much.  However, if you are not satisfied with your dynamic range, I encourage you to work with a reed maker to learn how you can adjust your reeds to better suit your dynamic shaping needs.

Once you've established what the scope of your dynamic range is, use it to give shape to your lines.  For example, if you're studying a Barret or Ferling etude, find the overall highpoint of each phrase and for the entire piece. Use your full spectrum of dynamic ability to express your ideas. Notice how you progress dynamically through phrases.  Think about the subdivisions that underpin a given melody and create dynamic changes through them as you play each phrase. Deliver one dynamic range to the next,  like an elevator ride; you don’t suddenly arrive at a new floor, you are taken there.  Move out of and into silence with control and conviction. To make sure that you are creating enough dynamic change in a line, play the phrase on just one pitch (such as the first note of the phrase).  Use that one note but still play the articulations and rhythms of the phrase. Did you hear sufficient change of volume?  If not, try again until you are satisfied. Then go back and add the pitches.  You might be amazed at how much better the piece sounds.

I wish you thoughtful and dynamically sensitive practicing in the days ahead! Feel free to post questions or comments. Also, I encourage you to sign up to follow this blog by clicking the link near the bottom right corner of this page.  That way you'll be instantly notified of new postings.

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

A secret

October 31, 2012, 8:36 am

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I admit it. The dynamic range of an oboe isn't really that large. Especially compared to brass instruments, percussion, and even clarinets. But there are a few secrets that I employ to sound louder.


Here's one:



Sometimes I’ll  dynamically underplay a really poignant passage in an orchestral rehearsal to make sure that others are listening and not overpowering.  I liken this to giving a speech and suddenly dropping your voice volume to say an especially meaningful statement.  Everyone draws nearer to pay attention to what you have to say.  During a performance I play out and make sure that my volume is in keeping with the sound capabilities of the hall, but have more leeway because my orchestral colleagues have practiced balancing with me... instead of me trying to play over them.

(I hope they don’t read this secret! J )

Thoughts?  Is this wrong?

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Articulation at a Glance

October 31, 2012, 11:28 am

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The next series of posts will delve into teaching and learning articulations on the oboe.  We'll look at the basics of creating articulation, useful pronunciations for expressive nuances (with some musical examples), and rapid articulations and double tonguing. Today's post describes the basic elements of creating articulations on the oboe and how I teach it to beginning students and budding oboe teachers.

Oboe Articulation at a Glance

The action of articulation is a collaboration of the air, tongue, and the reed.

To create the basic process of beginning a note from silence:

1. Breathe and form the embouchure around the tip of the reed

2. Place the tongue on the reed

3. Begin blowing

4. Remove the tongue from the reed to produce sound

5. Replace the tongue on the reed to initiate the next articulation cycle

Strive for perfect beginnings of notes without “dirt” in the sound. Each note should have a distinct attack, duration, and release.

Articulation is created by withdrawingthe tongue from the reed--not from the tongue touching the reed. When the tongue is on the reed, the reed is incapable of vibrating and thus produces no sound. This was revelatory to me when I figured this out, because as a beginner I thought that the tongue on the reed was what createdthe beginning of sound. My thinking was all backwards!

What part of the tongue is used?

For the most part, the top of the tongue just behind the tip of the tongue touches the reed. Only a tinyportion of the tongue is needed to touch the reed!  Students often use too much of their tongue to touch the reed, creating loud, heavy sounding articulations.  I have never heard a student use too little a portion of their tongue to touch the reed. Because of this, I teach my students that only one taste bud is needed to create an articulation. It’s impossible to use only one taste bud, of course, but it is a helpful visualization.

Where should the tongue touch the reed?

The tongue usually touches the underside of the reed, very near the tip. An exercise for students is to have them visualize using only one taste bud to touch the very corner of one tip of the reed.  This can be helpful to produce even, light articulations. In all cases, the tongue should touch the reed to create articulations. A habit that I would discourage is when the student touches their hard palate (just above the back of their top front teeth) instead of the reed.  This can create a “popping” sound to articulations and isn’t always accurate. Note that this can be a very hard habit to break!

How to end a note into silence.

This is especially important and usually not taught!!! When ending a note, the tongue only needs to go on the reed to create the next articulation. If there is a silence after the note,  end the note with the air, THEN gently put the tongue on the reed.  Do NOT end the note with the tongue--otherwise, the sound that comes out is  tuT, tuT, tuT. Unfortunately this sound is ubiquitous in beginning band programs! Sigh. The same careful attention that is used to learn how to initiate a sound from silence must be taken to learn how to bring a note into silence.

Below is a good exercise to develop an ear for both beginning and ending articulations. Practice it slowly and thoughtfully. 

It should sound like: tah tah tah tah

NOT: tuT tuT tuT tuT

That's the very basics. Enough to get a beginning player on the right track,  but not too much to overwhelm in the first go.


As always,  I welcome your questions and comments!

Oboe and Out,

The Oboist

Articulation in More Detail

November 5, 2012, 8:24 am

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Like the orator who studies elocution to clearly enunciate words, we as oboists  practice to refine our ability to properly articulate notes.  We must understand both how articulations are formed as well as how to execute them efficiently. In addition, we can develop a sizeable vocabulary of articulation qualities that can be used effectively for expressive ends. Beginning with the basic process of sounding a note from silence, we will review basic articulations, then explore a variety of articulation pronunciations for musical expression.

The process of articulation involves careful collaboration and application of the tongue, the air and the reed. The air is the fuel that propels that reed into vibration and sustains sound production through the use of air support. The tongue functions as a tool that punctuates the air moving into the reed. When combined, each articulated note consists of an attack, duration and release.

Beginning a note from silence involves a basic five-step process. First, form the embouchure around the reed. The lips should surround the reed, but the reed must be inserted just far enough into the mouth to allow the tip to be free of lip flesh. Second, place the tip of the tongue on the reed. Third, start blowing air. By contacting the tip of the tongue with the reed opening before the air is set in motion, uncontrolled and unreliable articulations are avoided. To prevent a hissing sound before the note is heard, the oboist must be certain that the air is not blown through the reed before the tongue is placed on the reed. Next, remove the tongue from the reed while maintain steady air support. Finally, the tongue is placed on the reed to create the next articulation. Note that articulation is created by withdrawing the tongue from the reed, not the movement of the tongue onto the reed.

The following is a useful exercise to practice how a note is articulated from silence. Advanced players: don't skim through this without testing--you may likely find room for improvement!  The goal: to create an even sound from initial creation through the entire duration of the note. The beginnings of notes should be noiseless and take nothing from the tone. Seek a full-spectrum tone at attack with no explosive sounds at the beginning of the note. A small portion of the tongue, combined with a steady stream of air and an unconstructed throat are essential components to success in creating articulations. The notes in the exercise that are followed by rests should end gracefully with the air, not the tongue. The tongue can be placed on the reed as soon as the air has closed off the sound of the preceding note. The embouchure may need to be adjusted as the intervals become larger. For instance, more of an “eee” embouchure may be needed for the higher notes, while more of an “oooh” embouchure for the lower notes may be necessary. Never pinch or “chew” the note with the embouchure or jaw and make sure the articulation happens clearly at the metronome click.

Use of the Tongue

Enunciation of the first note immediately provides the presence and spirit of a work. Much like the varied strokes from a painter’s paintbrush, by acquiring the ability to create different lengths and qualities of articulation, an oboist can add variety and subtle shadings to a musical line. The forcefulness, amount, and region of the tongue used to contact the reed determine the quality and length of articulation. To learn the myriad of qualities possible in oboe articulation, pronunciations are a helpful starting point. I suggest first practicing the pronunciations below by saying the following sounds out loud, without the oboe.

"t" and "d" articulations:

"tEE" as in the word "teeming"

"tAAH" as in the word "Taj Mahal"

"tOO" as in the word "tool"

"dEE" as in the word "deep"

"dAAH" as in the word "daughter"

"dOO" as in the word "doom"

  "t" and "d" articulations are the most frequently used articulations for playing oboe. For notes that begin with a "t" articulation, the tongue is slightly curved and pointed and should lightly touch the reed and quickly spring away. "t" articulations are particularly useful for short and rapid notes. Try the above exercise using "t" articulations.  With "d" articulations, the tip of the reed is touched with a portion of the tongue that is slightly further from the tip than with "t" articulations. "d" articulations can be useful for smooth, legato articulations and should have a less "explosive" beginning than "t" articulations. The "d" pronunciation should be smooth,  but never dull or heavy. Now try the above exercise again, but with "d" articulations. 

In each case,  the tongue will no longer be articulating against the teeth and hard palate as when pronouncing "t" or "d", but instead on the reed, so it will feel slightly different. This is because the  tongue will be touching the reed (which is of course inserted between the lips and teeth) and is therefore placed lower than when articulating speech. In every case the tongue should move freely and lightly without tension. Only the front portion of the tongue is needed to create articulations. To make sure that the jaw is not moving,  practice in front of a mirror or place a small mirror on your stand and observe what is happening.

Two special pronunciations: "th" and "tum" 

(with thanks to Elaine Douvas for teaching me this!!)

"tH" as in the word "than"

"tum" as in the word "tumble" or "teem" like the word "team"

The "th" pronunciation is for "silent" articulations. The tongue is less pointed than with "t" articulations and allows for a more diffuse beginning to the sound. This articulation is particularly useful for smooth connections between notes in a slow tempo. Try the above exercise now with "th" articulations.


The "tum" articulations are most commonly incorporated with these rhythms:

The "m" sound is created by surrounding the reed with the lips at the end of the note.  It should be used at the end of notes to give them a sense of "travel"at its closure and prepare for the succeeding short, lifted note.  This pronunciation can be experienced in the following excerpt from the slow movement in Beethoven's Symphony no. 3. The opening rhythm is most expressive (and convincing!) with the syllables "tum-tah-taah":

Here's a recording of the Beethoven Symphony No. 3 with absolutely exquisite playing by oboist Marc Lifschey and the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting:

Listen carefully to your articulated notes. Notice if the short notes have the same quality as the longer tones. The best tone quality on the oboe is achieved by the air flow of a pure vowel. For this reason, practice to minimize the pressurized "t" or "d" at the beginning of the sound and emphasize the sustained vowel sound (created by the shape of the oral cavity and back of tongue) instead. The vowel sounds in the above pronunciations are capitalized for this important reason.

 All of the above pronunciations are a teaching tool to learn how different positions and portions of the tongue can affect articulation. Once these qualities are mastered, they can be used to cultivate variety in articulated passages. In the next post I'll explore ways to practice articulation variety for expressive ends. Until then, I wish you thoughtful, patient, and creative practicing.

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Steps and Leaps to Expressive Playing through Articulation

November 6, 2012, 8:01 am

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Steps and Leaps to Expressive Playing through Articulation

Music is a language of action and emotion. It can dance, laugh, love, sing, weep and communicate feelings from deepest mourning to unmitigated joy. To be able to express all of this and more with our oboe, we practice technical skills that we can put to use for our expressive ideas. With regards to creating expression with articulations, we first must practice to be able to produce consistency. If you can't consistently create and recreate a desired articulation quality,  then you do not yet have mastery over your technique to produce various articulation qualities at will. How to get there?  With steps and leaps, my friends.

For the first step, use the exercise below (a blast from the last post) to develop control in creating consistent, very short staccato notes. For the next step,  practice the same exercise with accented staccato notes, then light staccato, etc. Then step it up! Move the tempo much faster,  play in various keys and octaves, etc. Don't stop until there is ease throughout your entire range and at any dynamic level.  The same goes for legato notes, then marcato or heavily accented notes. Spend a few minutes every day with these ideas.  Use your imagination and have a sense of play.

Now comes a leap...


We practice for the ability to produce consistent notes, but then must utilize variation for expression. As the pianist Gyorgy Sebok explained in one of his profoundly moving master classes at Indiana University, we are not carpenters who are building something with a hammer. With a hammer you need mechanical precision and should use exact repetition to complete your action,  but in music there should instead be variety of length and inflection to bring out your creative ideas of the musical line. If you are unsure how to do this,  listen to great singers. Notice how a gentle nuance or enunciation of an word can have added poignancy and   enhance the meaning of  aria. Then play those arias on the oboe.  Do your best to create articulations that have the same variety as if sung. Imitate speech with your oboe. We don't have words under out notes, but we must enliven them as if there are!


Listen to these arias, study them carefully, then play on the oboe.

The following is an excerpt with Renee Fleming singing "Dove sono i bei momenti" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.  Pay special attention to the aria which begins at 2:00.  Listen carefully, then try your best to imitate the sung words with your oboe.  Each note with need a different stress or articulation quality to fully bring out the meaning of text:

Or another:

In this aria from Mozart's Magic Flute, Papageno and Papagena engage in virtuosic rapid passages.  Notice how the passages always have direction and clarity. Try the same on your oboe.

Here's another leap:


To turn this idea on its head, here is a vocalist singing a Bach Partita for Violin. Listen to Bobby McFerrin's choices for pronunciation syllables and how he emphasizes certain notes/sections. He doesn't have words to sing, but he certainly doesn't let that limit his ability to express the music!

Now a smaller leap with some steps:  continuing with Bach.

Now let's look at a purely instrumental work by J.S. Bach, the Partita in A minor  BWV 1013 (originally for flute, but also grrreat on the oboe). Below is an excerpt from the first movement Allemande. There are no words underneath the notes and no articulations written in the score,  so you seem to have many options for articulation choices. For the first step I encourage my students to do a bit of sleuthing on the meaning of the word Allemande.  Bach's  Partita is a collection of movements with titles that all refer to dances. While this piece may not have been used for someone to actually dance to, Bach wrote each movement to embody the rhythms  and character of the given dance name in the  movement's title. Once you know what an Allemande is,  you can begin to make personal decisions on the overall spirit that you want to convey from this work. I'm not going to give you the answers here,  because if you don't know what an Allemande is, I really want you to search this out for yourself and begin your new journey of discovery.  Choices of both tempo and articulation will be strongly affected by your research into the meanings and history of the dance terms!

For the next step, listen to the examples below to hear how other musicians shape the phrases and use articulation for expressive ends.  What you won't hear in any of the examples are notes that are all exactly the same in duration and emphasis!  Listen carefully and find things that you like from each of the players, and use it to inform your interpretation. Also notice things that you don't like in some of the examples.  Use that to inform your playing as well,  just don't put those ideas to use in your own interpretation. I didn't provide any examples by modern oboists on purpose; I encourage you to listen to other interpretations and not limit your ears to what you hear from fellow oboists. Expand the capabilities of your playing beyond what you previously thought was possible!

Next,  if you've studied music theory already, do a harmonic analysis of the piece. I'm not writing this just because I teach music theory in addition to oboe studies at my university. Chords and the progressions are clearly outlined in this solo piece and by understanding the harmony,  we can make better choices for deciding which notes need more emphasis and which are less important, harmonically speaking. The harmonic structure will have a huge impact on how we decide to articulate notes. Bach is essentially handing us a road map and it is up to us to read the map and take our listeners on a journey.  We lead our audience on a twisting path through A minor, through sequences, to the dominant, and eventually back to A minor at the very end,  but there are numerous surprises along the way. :) (Thank you, Prof. Steve Bruns for instilling the importance of using harmony to understand how to bring out the expression and meaning inherent a work!!!)  Listen to the examples again and see if you can hear how the performers are bringing out certain notes with stronger emphasis or longer articulations to outline the harmonic structure (this is especially apparent in the guitar arrangement).  Careful analysis will both underpin and empower your creative choices and will certainly enhance your listening experience. You may find that your favorite recordings/performers change as you learn more!

We've covered a lot of ground in this post.  There's a lot to listen to and numerous ways to incorporate new ideas of articulation (and more!) into your playing. First practice and master the basics, then listen to a variety of styles and performers. Try to imitate what they present to broaden your abilities. Then add what you like to your own playing to challenge your existing capabilities/boundaries and develop your own individual style and voice as a performer. Remove what doesn't work for you. Rinse, and repeat.

I hope a new door to musical expression has been opened. I hope you step in and enjoy some new experiences.

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Small Muscle Athletics: Increasing single tongue articulation speed

November 12, 2012, 8:38 am

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As an oboist, have you ever considered yourself to be a small muscle athlete? I heard this term used during an Alexander Technique workshop years ago and it seemed kind of shocking at first.  I wanted to stubbornly protest,  "but I'm an artist-musician." Well, yeah,  that's true too. But the incredible precision and coordination needed for excellent technique means we have to pay careful attention to the physical elements of our work just like an athlete. So in reality we're BOTH small muscle athletes and artists all mixed into one.

One example of this is how we use our tongue. Our tongue is one of the most important muscles in the body with the primary purpose to both swallow food and articulate speech. But for us oboists, the tongue plays the role of a champion athletic muscle for our articulation technique. For optimal technique it's our responsibility to both know our maximum articulation speed and maintain or increase that speed through dedicated practice. In essence, tonguing rapidly is an athletic endeavor for the small muscle athlete musician. So to improve fluency and speed it's useful to think like an athlete and train like one too.

Step one: determine how fast you can single tone

How fast can you single tongue? It's important to know your current limits so that you have a baseline measurement for improvement.   If you don't know,  here's a simple test.


Set metronome at quarter=60, then play the following exercise:

Move metronome up one notch and continue until you can no longer articulate evenly and clearly with the metronome clicks.  That's your max articulation speed. Now write that number down and write down the date. I realize that most teachers/performers measure the maximum speed by how fast one can articulate 16th notes,  but I like to take things a step further and measure the quintuplet grouping. Why?  Because I feel it's a better indicator of how fast you can actually play 16th notes comfortably in a performance situation. The average maximum single tongue speed varies greatly between players, but most fall within the range of M.M= 112-130. If you're satisfied with your maximum articulation speed,   then practice this exercise a few times a week to maintain your technique.  Otherwise,  if you don't practice challenging articulation exercises regularly,  your speed will diminish over time as the muscles atrophy.


But what if you want to increase your articulation speed?
Then read on...

Step two: Exercises to improve your articulation speed

Want to increase your articulation speed? Try to approach the challenge like an athlete attempting to improve performance. For example, a runner who wants to increase speed will use interval training or track workouts to practice in short, repeated bursts of concentrated effort followed by recovery segments. The interval training must push current boundaries and be repeated over days and weeks for optimal improvement. A similar exercise can be used to to increase articulation speed for the oboe. No running track needed, but a metronome is essential. :)

This "interval training exercise" can increase your oboe articulation speed, only takes 5 min per day,  and can produce steady improvement over time with persistence. First,  play the above exercise (in any key/ series of pitches that you want) at half your previously identified maximum speed (PIMS). Then repeat the exercise at your (PIMS). Next play it again but at 75% of your maximum speed,  then back up to your PIMS. Then at one metronome mark higher than your PIMS,  then at 90% of your PIMS,  then again at one notch on the metronome higher than your (PIMS), then at the (PIMS), then again at one notch higher than the PIMS, then one last time at half of your NEWLY Identified Maximum Speed.

For example,  if M.M=120 is your PIMS for the above exercise,   practice an interval training exercise such as this:

1. First time through at quarter= 60

2. Second time at quarter=120

3. Third time at quarter=90

4. Fourth time at quarter=120

5. Fifth time at quarter=126

6. Sixth time at quarter= 108

7. Seventh time at quarter=126
8. Eighth time at quarter=120
9. Ninth time at quarter= 126
Final time at quarter=63

Practice this for an entire week,  then next week your new PIMS will be quarter=126

Again,  think like an athlete in training: use only the effort necessary for the given task and pay careful attention to what you are experiencing physically. As you practice this exercise, think about putting only the very tip of the reed in your mouth, use light motions of the tip of the tongue, and play in short practice intervals with short recovery breaks too (otherwise your tongue will get tired quickly!). Make sure that neither your jaw muscles nor the back of your tongue are tense. Maintain proper flexibility and openness in your embouchure to allow lower pitches to speak with clarity.  Constant mental subdivision is also (of course) essential for accuracy.

You can practice this exercise for a number of weeks to slowly yet solidly increase your articulation speed. Make sure to keep track of your maximum speeds attained and write it down so you don't forget where you left off at your last practice session. Add variety and challenge yourself  by practicing these rhythms on scales or triads, etc instead of single pitches each measure. I've had students use this structure over the course of a semester and really be astonished at how much they've improved! However, after a point,  you will find that you just aren't able to increase your articulation speed.
And that brings us to two more articulation techniques:  double tonguing and ricochet tonging (which is a really useful and easy to learn technique I learned from a lesson with oboist Rebecca Henderson many moons ago). Stay tuned for the next post that will explore these two special articulation techniques.

Until then, wishing you mindful, challenging articulation speed practicing!

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

---

Ricochet Tonguing: Rapid-fire Articulations and Skipping Stones

November 21, 2012, 8:51 am

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It must be some sort instinctual habit, because a universal thing happens when kids (of all ages! :) ) are standing near a body of water where rocks are strewn about.  With almost no thinking, the child picks up a rock then throws the rock into the water. With a splash and a thunk,  the rock is gone. The next actions,  however,  build upon the experience learned from that initial throw.  The child might try to pick up a larger rock to create a bigger splash,  or a smaller rock to see how far it can be thrown. And if they're really lucky,  they have an older child or adult teach them how to skip rocks over the surface of the water. The teacher immediately reigns as "coolest person in the world" in the child's eyes,  seemingly able to create magic tricks out of water and rock.  A whole new quest ensues for the child:  finding the perfect skipping rock (flat), learning how to consistently throw the rock at just the right angle (about 20 degrees,  I think),  and how to make the rock skip over the surface many times before sinking.
             
Where I live in Wisconsin we are fortunate to have numerous rivers, ponds, lakes, and even two of the Great Lakes on our borders that are absolutely perfect for the irresistible activity of rock throwing and skipping. It's as if the water is calling us to come near and spend some time leisurely honing our instinctual habits. Rock skipping, like music, is a skill that requires lots of practice, and technique is much more important than brawn.

This got me thinking about the oboe (of course),  specifically about articulation. The initial idea came from a great lesson with oboist Rebecca Henderson (oboe faculty at University of Texas at Austin) many years ago. I've found the articulation technique she taught me to be immensely helpful in my own teaching and playing,  so I thought I'd pass it on.  The technique is called "ricochet tonguing." And apologies to Rebecca if I don't teach this exactly as she does--this is how I've modified the original idea to suit my work with students.

With ricochet tonguing the tongue produces a strong initial articulation,  then creates light and fast secondary articulations that are propelled from the air and action of the initial articulation.  In a sense,  the tongue rebounds on the reed just like a skipping rock bounces over the water after the initial throw. Ricochet tonguing is primarily used in rapid passages using a light,  single tonguing technique. I usually use this for passages that feel too slow for double tonguing, but awkward for "regular" single tonging.

Here's how:

First, say "Ta-da." Now say it REALLY fast, and with much more air on the TA.  "TA-da"
Let the tongue ricochet or bounce off of the first "TA" to create the "da" articulation. Practice this several times just saying the sounds,  without the oboe.  Then try playing the pattern on the oboe, always using a metronome to ensure a steady beat and subdivision:

Next,  say TA-da-da.  One strong "TA" with enough air to support two "da" articulations that lightly bounce off of the reed.  Again,  practice this without the oboe by saying it aloud several times. Once it feels comfortable and you are able to produce clear, light, articulations,  try it on your oboe.

Third,  say "TA-da-da-da." Again practice this without the oboe by saying it several times.  Once it feels comfortable and you are able to produce clear, light, articulations,  try playing it on your oboe. Make sure that the initial "TA" articulation is never harsh; focus on using a lot of air to propel through the ricochet notes instead of at the first "TA". Try to minimize an accent on the first TA articulation to create an even sound throughout the pattern.

If possible,  try for "TA-da-da-da-da"--one strong initial articulation,  then FOUR rebounds. The more rebound or "ricochet" notes that are added,  the more difficult this exercise becomes.  Make sure that the initial "TA" articulation is never harsh, and use a lot of air to propel through the ricochet notes. The articulation quality at all times should be light.  Try to minimize an accent on the first TA articulation to create an even sound throughout the pattern.

Once you feel comfortable with these exercises,  try adding ricochet tonguing into your scale practice,  etudes, and solo work. I've found that it's a fairly simple technique that can significantly improve both the speed clarity of rapid articulations. And, it is almost as fun as skipping rocks on a shore. :) I hope you find this technique useful as well.

Please feel free to write comments and questions below.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time...


Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Giving Thanks

November 22, 2012, 8:53 am

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A summer photo of the flock of turkeys that wander through our yard twice each day.  Too beautiful to eat for Thanksgiving, we've officially "pardoned" them. :)



For a few years my parents lived in a college town.  While there, they took part in an organization called "Worldwide Friends."  The organization provides a voluntary pairing of the university and community,  where participating international students are "paired" with individuals or families in the community.  The international students don't live with the community members, but are invited to the community member's home for occasional dinners, or out to social events, etc. It's a great way for  the many, many, international students to experience a bit of American life outside of the dorms and university. For the community members,  getting to know these students provides an invaluable "window to the outside world" on different cultures and customs.

Over the time that my parents were a part of Worldwide Friends,  countless students were "paired" with our family,  from countries literally ALL around the globe. My mom is a particularly fine cook and LOVES to feed a crowd,  so the students who were paired with our family really lucked out!!! The students were always encouraged to bring extra friends with them to dinners we hosted. Word got out  about mom's delicious food,  so the crowds seemed to get larger every year.  Walking into a home with the smells of freshly made bread,  a roasted turkey, etc may have been foreign to some, but an expertly and lovingly home-cooked meal in an accepting and comfortable home,  no matter where on the globe, was a welcomed change from dorm food and college living for a day.

 Some of the most memorable dinners with the international students were at Thanksgiving. The extensions to the dining room table were added, along with extra chairs, and on occasion extra folding tables were necessary to accommodate all of the guests. Forks and knives sat next to chopsticks at each place setting to make sure that every guest felt at ease dining.  Menus usually featured a huge roasted turkey,  fresh bread, homemade dumplings, veggies, pies,  and even "Sandy's World Famous Apple Pie," a title given to mom's apple cake by one very appreciative student. The over-the-top title made my mom feel so special that it was sure to be on the menu whenever the student was there--ingenious student! :)  Mom and Dad loved to feed the hungry guests and the students in turn always did their best to appreciatively consume astounding amounts of food.  Looking around the table crowded with young adults from places literally spanning the the globe, we sometimes joked that it was like a model United Nations meeting--all colors, creeds, and backgrounds coming together for a shared meal, lively conversation, and goodwill.

Most of the students coming to an American Thanksgiving meal for the first time didn't quite know what the holiday was about.  The first year some of the international students brought gifts, understandably misinterpreting the "giving" that makes up part of the word "Thanksgiving."  We began informing the students beforehand that this is a secular holiday and gift-giving exchanges aren't a part of  Thanksgiving. This likely relieved some of the students who were unsure of what to expect, for those who subsisted on very limited budgets, or for those who might have fretted over what to give as a gift.  Instead,  we wanted the students to realize that they themselves were always the gift,  something no amount of money could buy. We shared with them that Thanksgiving is a holiday where families and friends come together,  often traveling great distances to be together.  The purpose of the holiday was to give thanks and have gratitude for that which means the most to us. As a family we were thankful to get to know our new friends and to be able to share a meal with them.

This year,  and every day of every year,  I have so much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful family,  full of the very most loving, accepting, supportive, interesting, and FUN people in the world.  I also have the most wonderful husband, whom I love dearly, and we are fortunate to live comfortably and peacefully with a secure roof over our heads and plentiful food at all times. I have fantastic friends with whom I can rely on in good times and bad, share meaningful experiences, adventures and great meals together. I'm also lucky that some of my best friends are also colleagues with whom I get to collaborate with,  to challenge and inspire one another daily with honestly and sincerity. For all of this,  I have profound gratitude.

This year I'm also thankful for YOU, dear reader.  I've been fortunate to have readers from over 40 countries in the last month alone! That alone has absolutely amazed and humbled me. I'm thankful to share my thoughts with you and hope you find them helpful to your musicianship, learning and teaching. The opportunity to share some of my sabbatical ideas in the form of blog posts has helped me connect with you and given me hope that my writing has interest and relevance to my profession.

The daily news reports remind me that our world is far from perfect.  But if we can realize, value and celebrate our shared humanity, respect and honor our differences, and act with integrity from these principles, then there is certainly a lot to be thankful for.

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

AIR Assignment #1: The Pavarotti Sing Along

November 29, 2012, 12:31 pm

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We've covered lots of pedagogical topics so far,  but now comes the really, really, big one. Probably the  most important aspect of playing the oboe:

AIR USE

For the first steps,  we aren't going to use the oboe at all.  Stick with me here!  By now I hope we've developed some trust,  so we will get to the oboe eventually.  :)

Your first assignment is to sing.  REALLY sing! Full-throated, uninhibited, vibrato-laden, over-the-top,  FUN singing.  Be that person singing at the top of their lungs in the car next to you.  Or maybe you'll find your perfect resonance in the shower,  or if available, go out to the woods/remote area near you and really belt out some great tunes.

For practice,  here's are some folks you can sing with. I think they're pretty good. I've included both Youtube clips and Spotify recordings. 

http://youtu.be/TYl8GRJGnBY

or even this for those wanting to be in the holiday mood:

Hopefully one of these will suit your tastes.  Sing along,  but REALLY SING.  Lots of air!! Less tension!  Produce the biggest sound you can!!  Practice this over, and over, and over,  and over, then we'll be in touch soon with another assignment.   

Until next time,  I wish you blissful singing!  

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Interested in Studying Oboe at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire?

January 2, 2013, 9:36 am

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Are you considering studying oboe in college?

There are still a few audition dates left for anyone interested in studying music at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire beginning Fall 2013:

Thursday, January 17th, 2013
Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Saturday, March 9th, 2013

For more information,  click on the link below:

 UWEC Audition Application

 As a faculty member at UWEC, I'd like to tell you a little more about our program. While I am interested in the possibility of having you join the UWEC Oboe Studio next fall, my primary goal is to help you find the right school for YOU.

The University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire is an internationally recognized university of about 11,000 students overall and the music program is the largest is the state, with 375 undergraduates. We do not have a graduate program,  and there is a wealth of performance opportunities for all oboe majors including orchestra, two bands,  and numerous chamber music ensembles. We have a select group of 9 oboe students at UWEC and while the studio is large,  it is a very supportive group of fun, talented, and creative people! In addition to weekly lessons,  there is also a weekly studio class and reed making class for all oboe majors. Because I am a full-time faculty member,  I am always here to answer questions and help with last-minute reed and instrument fixes as needed. We also have a reed room where oboists/bassoonists can make reeds (and they seem to enjoy hanging out there too!). The reed room was outfitted with over $10,000 of reed making equipment several years ago,  so students have access to a number of shaper tips, a gouging machine, etc, etc for reed making.  We also regularly bring in guest artists for masterclasses,  and arrange trips to the Twin Cities for concert experiences as opportunities arise. In addition, I encourage students to take opportunities to study abroad and explore the world during their time in college. Recent students have studied abroad in Sweden, Austria, Italy, and Scotland.

Several years ago a former UWEC graduate donated 3 Loree oboes to the studio. This allows students in need of purchasing a new oboe to have a professional model oboe to play while they save up money. Or, if your own oboe is in the shop for repairs,  there's an instrument to use in the meantime. We also have several English horns available for student use as well.

Recent success stories of current oboe students include 3 students collaborating with me on an article that was published this fall in the International Double Reed Society Journal, and  2 oboists chosen for last year's UWEC Orchestra Concerto Competition performances  (performing the Mozart and Strauss Oboe Concertos, respectively).  A student was just selected to participate in the Walt Disney internship program in Orlando, FL. UWEC oboe graduates are successful performers and teachers throughout the region and internationally in China and Hong Kong. Some have also gone on to graduate studies in both performance and education. My students work hard,  but they achieve great goals and enjoy the process along the way. 

I maintain a very active performance schedule both on an off campus to promote oboe playing and to demonstrate what I teach.  I perform solo recitals each year on campus, present performances on campus with the UWEC Faculty Wind Quintet, perform in the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, the Chippewa Valley Symphony,  and perform as a member of the Virtualosity Duo. I continue to perform on the national and international level to build recognition of the program at UWEC and to foster relationships with musicians and audiences around the globe. I'm also currently developing an oboe method for beginning oboists and have a great interest in oboe pedagogy (the study of teaching the oboe). If you are interested, you can find sound excerpts of my playing can be found at http://www.uwec.edu/Mus-The/faculty/garveycn.htm (scroll to the bottom of the page to find the sound links). 

The music education program at UWEC is an absolute standout in the state and Midwest region. Our graduates are HIGHLY sought after and our placement rate for recent graduates is still close to 100% (even in this tough economy). A large percentage of music majors at UWEC are seeking music education degrees and our department highly values the special needs of education majors and seeks to foster an inclusive yet challenging environment. Our graduates also hold prominent positions in the WMEA (Wisconsin Music Education Association) and are outstanding leaders in the field. 

If you are considering UWEC,  I highly encourage you to visit campus during the week when classes are in session.  You could observe a music theory class, sit in with one of the bands or orchestra and have a lesson with me to get a feel for what the department is like.  Or,  if travel is prohibitive,  contact me for a Skype meeting/lesson. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can assist you with your college decisions. I look forward to hearing from you!

Warmest regards,

Dr. Christa Garvey

Swimming With Sharks..AIR Assignment #2

January 2, 2013, 10:15 am

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Steve "interviewing" a curious young sea lion pup

My husband is an amazing videographer. The bulk of his work is for an eco-expedition small ship (40-100 passenger ship) cruise company that travels to unique locations around the globe from the Arctic to Antarctic and everywhere in-between. He chronicles the wildlife and the adventures of the travelers (hiking, snorkeling, kayaking) and produces a video ready for passengers to take home at the end of the trip. The guests always think he has the best job in the world.  Except for playing oboe,  I mostly concur!

I had the special opportunity to travel with my husband while he was on assignment for 2 weeks in the Galapagos Islands at the beginning of December.  The Galapagos Islands are a remote and special place in the world, just off the coast of mainland Ecuador. 97% of the area is designated as Galapagos National Park and the land/water are strictly regulated and protected.  Sea lions, marine and land iguanas, giant tortoises, sea turtles, magnificent and great frigate birds, flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, several species of intrepid and gregarious mockingbirds, the ubiquitous yellow warbler, and of course the blue and red footed boobies abound on the enchanted volcanic islands and in the surrounding waters.The animals living in the islands have mostly never been in contact with humans over the course of their species development and consequently have no fear of humans.  One must be careful to literally not step on sleeping sea lions, nesting boobies or sun bathing iguanas, because they aren't going to run away. They are used to being watched with binoculars and camera lenses, but have no experience of the horrors of being seen through a rifle sight.

 One of the many highlights of the trip was the opportunity to go snorkeling nearly every day. The waters were cool (70F or 21 C) and the sea was full of schools of brightly colored schools of fish.  I had never snorkeled before,  but am a comfortable swimmer and found the whole experience to be absolutely incredible.  Swimming through schools of thousands of fish, watching rays, sea turtles, penguins a mere foot in front of me, the twisting and turning play with young sea lions seemed like we were dancing a pas de deux together. It was all fantastic.

And we also snorkeled with sharks.  Black tipped and white tipped reef sharks and large hammerhead sharks. It was at this point that I had to throw out my memories of the movie Jaws and realize that the sharks were not likely to bite. I had to remember to not panic,  and gain control of my breath (which had become shallow and rapid due to those terrifying Jaws movie memories). Once I gained control of my breath, everything became magical again.  With steady breathing and a calm mind,  it occurred to me that I wanted to actually look a shark in the eye,  not just watch them from above.  So with an unconstricted throat, I took in lots of air quickly then submerged to explore the ocean depths and look for more sharks.  Turns out the shark was slightly curious, but mostly scared of me! (An important lesson learned.) After swimming underwater for as long as I could (think long oboe phrases here), I blew out the water from the snorkel,  took in several large breaths of air, then again gained control of my breath. It turned out that breathing evenly, with an unconstricted throat, was the key to a great  snorkeling experience

Instead of this:

And, not surprisingly,  this snorkeling experience got me thinking about the oboe. (I wisely left my oboe at home during the trip, but thought about it often!) In particular,  the best breathing for snorkeling is similar to our work as oboists:


 Breath evenly, expanding your abdominal wall and back, with an unconstricted jaw and throat. Do not panic,  gain control of your breath. Put aside self-created fears (or memories of the movie Jaws! :) and repeat the mantra:  Do not panic, gain control of your breath, and breath evenly, expanding your abdominal wall and back while maintaining an unconstricted throat.


Of course, a snorkel isn't needed to practice oboe breathing.  However,  a "Breath Builder isometric exerciser" is an inexpensive and useful tool to develop well-supported and unconstricted breathing.  I purchased my Breath Builder  from Hickey's Music ,  a great music store to know about, but they can also be purchased at many online sites as well. The Breath Builder consists of a plastic tube with a ping pong ball inside. You can attach tubing of various resistances to the tube to practice inhaling and exhaling.  The challenge is to keep the ball at the top of the tube and a good amount of air volume and support is needed to do this. All of this should be completed with an unconstricted throat, and a LOT of air. I find this is a great breathing "warm up" exercise while my reeds are soaking. Or,  if I'm having trouble with a long phrase,  I step away from the oboe and breathe through the Breath Builder a few times. I'm always amazed at how much better the phrase is when I pick up the oboe again.

Breath Builder isometric exerciser

Breathing isn't something you should bring awareness to ONLY when you play the oboe.  Think about how you breath during quiet times,  standing in line at the grocery, or when engaging in active endeavors such as walking, running or ...snorkeling. Notice how much air you intake, and if you are allowing your abdominal wall and back to expand with an unconstricted throat. This awareness of breathing habits will help you consciously use good air use when playing the oboe.

In the next few posts I'll be writing more about air use and the oboe,  our anatomy, and even tying in the previous AIR assignment #1 "sing along" post into all of this.  So,  for now,  breath deeply,  breath with an unconstricted throat--both with and without the oboe.



Oboe and out,


The Oboist

There is no such thing as a flattering close-up snorkel photo :)

A music video to share from Copenhagen

January 9, 2013, 2:45 pm

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I heard this today and thought I'd share.  It's the Royal Danish Orchestra's oboe section performing the Beethoven.





Expressive playing, fantastic blending and pitch. Lovely playing, all!

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

What Marcel Tabuteau and 4-year-olds can teach us about the oboe

January 14, 2013, 9:12 am

≫ Next: Breathing..the nuts and bolts. With cool pictures.

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Last week I began a volunteer stint with our local cross country (nordic) ski organization.  Even though I'm relatively new to skiing,  there was a huge need for teachers to the 140 or so eager young skiers who signed up for lessons. And, due to my great sabbatical this year I have more flexibility with my time and thought it'd be a great way to serve my community and combine my love of skiing and teaching.

So in my volunteer role,  I'm an assistant skiing teacher.



To a class of 30 or more beginners....



All 4-year-olds.



Seems like the perfect job for a childless oboist/college professor, right? I amusingly decided that it would be just like teaching beginning reed-making to college students.  Ha!


The first class was an organizational nightmare of a smallish space crammed with 140 kids, their parents, registration sheets, determining age groups and ability levels for the kids, name tags, skis, boots, ski poles, gloves, missing gloves, etc, etc, etc. One of the first things I did as a "teacher" was to assist one little girl who needed a name tag.  Her father was in charge of (and swamped at) the registration table and she otherwise needed an adult to help her find what she needed. In the midst of all of the confusion we managed to find a name tag (let's call her "K") and then headed out to be with the other beginning skiers. On our short ski over to the rest of the class members, K cheerfully declared,

  "I might fall.  But that's OK,  because I know how to get UP!"

Her comment portended that I was about to learn something important from this experience. It also cemented my belief that in every teaching situation I always learn more from my students than what they likely gain from me.

Our 90-minute class began in rapidly-diminishing daylight and balmy 20 F (-7 C) conditions.  Our great lead teacher enthusiastically took the budding skiers through warm-ups, drills, etc.  In my role as "assistant"  teacher,  I mimicked the lead teacher's movements and tried my best to keep the students attentive, moving (to stay warm) and away from eating snow. Then, as darkness fell we learned to FALL down. The students were already quite practiced in this endeavor! But more importantly,  we learned how to GET BACK UP. There were NO tears, NO frustration, just  determination. Of course,  there was some distracted now eating too...


As we headed back to the warming hut/ ski chalet,  I was the "leader" of the ski train,  the engine who would lead this squiggly line of young skiers back to their parents.  I looked back and watched as most of the kids glided on their skis for a few steps,  then inevitably fell. But as soon as they were down,  they immediately GOT BACK UP and took a few more ski glides before the next fall and rise that would continue their learning endeavor.  The cute little skiers on the trail reminded of a hot pan with popcorn cooking. At unexpected moments, you'd see the sudden POP of a skier going down and bouncing up JUST as quickly.


In my next oboe practice session,  the ski experience was still swimming (skiing?) in my head. It reminded me a of story about Marcel Tabuteau, my oboe "grandfather"  who was the inimitable former oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra and teacher who is credited with creating the US-American school of oboe playing. According to my fuzzy recollection of the story, he was having a conversation with a student who was having difficulty learning a new concept or was having a low moment in their playing. Tabuteau says (in his wondrously thick French accent): my, friend,  the difference between you and me is that when things get difficult,   I know how to pull myself up faster.

That story has always stuck with me,  because it reminds us that falling or failing is a natural part of learning.  Frustration and despair doesn't have to be a part of the equation if we don't let it. More important than the fall is the drive to GET BACK UP. The faster we get back up, the sooner we may fall again,  but the sooner we can get to that warming hut!

 We WILL fall,  but know how to GET BACK UP.  Thanks, little "K."


Oboe and out,

The Oboist

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Breathing..the nuts and bolts. With cool pictures.

January 22, 2013, 4:15 pm

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It's comforting to know that at the unconscious level,  we're all expert breathers. Or,  at least we're good enough breathers because...we're alive. In most circumstances, our bodies complete our breathing cycles with an involuntary respiratory system initiated in the brain stem, so we're usually not even aware of what we're doing.  This is pretty cool stuff!

However,  to play the oboe (and any other wind instrument or to speak, swim, etc), we must use conscious control of our breathing. The air is the mechanism for our sound,  so we must discipline our bodies to breathe at specific intervals to play phrases and to initiate proper air support to create our desired sounds. The anatomical parts engaged in consciously controlled breathing include the lungs, intercostal muscles,  and muscles of the abdominal wall, and the diaphragm is engaged but involuntarily controlled.

Let's take a field trip trip to your body to figure out where all of these parts are and learn what they do, to see how we might improve with this knowledge. First,  your lungs. Find your collar bone and put one hand on it,  then put your other hand on the bottom of your rib cage. The top of your lungs extend to the top of your collar bone and when you breath in,  your lungs expand all the way to the bottom of your rib cage. The ribs essentially function as a protective "armor" for the lungs and heart, some of our most important organs.

Take a few deep breaths and notice how your rib cage expands and contracts as you breathe in and out. The ribs expand and contract thanks to our intercostal muscles, which run between the ribs. Now put your hand on the rib cage in the back and breathe deeply. Does your back expand as you breathe in? It should. If it doesn't you may be "holding" or unnecessarily tensing your back muscles.  This would be an example of TOO MUCH tension that you can learn to release.  Think of your body as being round, like an apple, instead of two dimensional with a "front" and "back." As you breathe in and out,  your entire ribcage should expand and contract your entire chest area.

Graphic of the intercostal muscles thanks to Gray's Anatomy and Wikipedia

By now  you've likely noticed that as you breathe in and out deeply, your rib cage expands and your abdomen also expands or enlarges. The skeletal muscle called the diaphragm, which is attached to the bottom of your ribcage,  pushes your abdominal organs downward as you breathe in to make way for the lung expansion. Note that our diaphragm is an involuntary muscle--you can't consciously move it; it expands or contracts as a result of the actions of the intercostal or abdominal wall muscles that expand and contract as you breathe.  (One of only times the diaphragm works on its own is when you hiccup,  which is a spasm of the diaphragm muscle.) As you breathe in, your lungs fill with air as the abdominal wall expands and the diaphragm contracts and moves the abdominal organs down into your abdomen. Over time I've heard so many well-intentioned music teachers say, "when you breathe in, breathe into your belly."  But they couldn't be further from the truth!!! Let me repeat: as you breathe in, your lungs fill with air as the abdominal wall expands and the diaphragm contracts and pushes the abdominal organs down into your abdomen to make room for the lung expansion. Anyone who says that you should breath into your "belly" is misinformed. Air can't go there...and if it does,  you have a serious medical problem!

Here's a really cool graphic, thanks to Wikipedia. This shows the lungs (in pink) and the diaphragm muscle (in green) that pushes abdominal organs down as the lungs expand and contract.

Graphic of the abdomen  (again, thanks to Wikipedia)

Here's a side view of the abdominal wall. When we breath deeply,  this area extends outward to make way for the organs that have been displaced by lung expansion. The lower muscles in the abdominal wall also play a key role in air support. AIR SUPPORT Now that you know what happens when we breathe,  let's explore the idea of air support. Take a big breath and blow it out quickly,  like you have lots of birthday candles to blow out. The act of consciously forcing your air out engages your abdominal wall to push air out of your lungs. Allow your throat to always remain unconstricted throughout this action.  Now extend your arm out and imagine you are holding a lit candle (or,  actually find and light a candle for the exercise if you wish). Try to blow air to the "candle" for 10 full seconds, but only enough to bend the flame--but not blow it out. To do this, you still need abdominal air support, and also more "focused" air,  likely from a smaller mouth opening and consistent abdominal support. Again, bring awareness to your throat and make sure that it is not constricted.  For a test of what NOT to do,  tighten your throat and try the same exercise. Not a good feeling, right? Realize that air support comes only from the lower portions of the abdominal wall. If you try to engage the muscles closest your ribcage (the top of your beautiful "six-pack" abs), it will also tighten the throat, as if you are coughing. This feeling of throat tightness should always be avoided.  Think of your lungs and wind pipe being an open column for your air, using the lower abdominal muscles to support the air moving out of your lungs. Another exercise: Find a balloon.  Take in a quick, big breath and blow up the balloon.  Keep the muscles around the cheeks and lips firm, like when you play the oboe, so no "puffy" cheeks.  As you blow up the balloon,  place a hand on your lower abdominal wall to feel the muscles engaging. Now pick up your oboe and play some long tones with the same abdominal muscles engaged.  Is your sound bigger than usual?  If so, keep some balloons near your practice space and blow them up as a daily warm up to feel the correct muscle engagement for good air support. AIR VOLUME + AIR SUPPORT It seems that 99.9% of my students consistently do not blow enough air through their instruments.  That .1% sound MARVELOUS though!  Using MORE AIR  through their instrument often fixes pitch and response issues and allows the player to utilize a wider dynamic range with more ease. If I had a dollar for every time that I asked a student to play a phrase again, but with 10X (or 100X or 1000X!) more air and was amazed at the improved results,  I'd be rich!  Notice that I mentioned blowing air through the instrument, not just at the reed. Take in a fair amount of air with an unconstricted inhalation, then put a lot of air through the instrument using consistent lower abdominal wall support. Support the sound all the way to the end of the bell.  Some teachers describe this is using "fast" air or "spinning" the air through the reed/instrument. In each case, there should be a lot of well-supported air volume that is moving through the instrument. I encourage you to go back to the Pavarotti Sing Along post to practice using a lot of air support and air volume. Then play some of the songs on the oboe. This is a simple concept, but takes a lot a awareness on the part of the oboist to develop better air support and use more air volume over time.  Ok,  we've covered a lot so I'll let you work with these ideas before I continue in the next post. In the meantime,  I wish you unconstricted, deep breathing coupled with great air support and air volume in your playing. Breathe easy, my friends! Oboe and out, The Oboist

Hear Kathy Greenbank perform Marcello this Thurs and Fri!

January 24, 2013, 2:06 pm

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≪ Previous: Breathing..the nuts and bolts. With cool pictures.

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News!

The musicians of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra are performing a concert tonight and tomorrow
(January 24th and 25th), performing Italian Baroque concertos.  One of the soloists is the extraordinary oboist Kathryn Greenbank, who will be performing the Marcello Oboe Concerto.  If you're in the region,  I highly recommend attending!  See you there on Fri?

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Click here for more information

Oboe For Everyone---Connecting Oboists with Online Lessons

January 29, 2013, 11:44 am

≫ Next: Reed Care 101

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www.OboeForEveryone.com

Oboists,  let's make our world a little better (and smaller) starting today.

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"But history will judge you, and as the years pass, you will ultimately judge yourself, in the extent to which you have used your gifts and talents to lighten and enrich the lives of your fellow men. In your hands lies the future of your world and the fulfillment of the best qualities of your own spirit"

-Robert F. Kennedy (speech at Berkeley, 1966)

Service to our communities and the world can come in so many beautiful forms.  Over the years I have volunteered at the local homeless shelter, given as generously to the food banks as my professor salary allows, support environmental causes, etc, etc.  These are things that most people in my community have the skill set to do as time and generosity allows. But when I considered how I might use my specialized skill set (including a doctorate in oboe performance and pedagogy and 12 years teaching at the college level) to serve others in the world, my brain started spinning with this question:

What if EVERY OBOIST who wanted to take oboe lessons with an oboe specialist had the opportunity to do so,  regardless of location in the world or ability to pay ?

I often take on students for reduced rates to serve my community. It's a small action on my part but I believe it is really important to the students and families I can serve. Currently this blog reaches readers from over 60 different countries, many of whom do not have access to oboe lessons in their communities. But proximity to a teacher is no longer an issue with the use of free online video communication tools such as Skype ,  ooVoo , or Google Chat  for online lessons.

So my question to you is this:

Would you like to take oboe lessons but either don't know how to find a teacher or can't afford the usual lesson fees?  Or can you think of someone who might be able to benefit from this service? Or maybe you'd like a lesson or two to work with a topic I've written about? 

If so,  I am here to help.  I have a amazing network of teachers willing to provide lessons to you on a "pay as you are able scale."  For instance, my usual rate is $30 per 30 minute lesson, but please know that I am willing to teach you at a price that accommodates your budget, including free lessons if there is demonstrated need.  If you sign up at the www.OboeForEveryone.com site, I can find a teacher for you (either near where you live or online) who can best match your needs.  For those are able to pay a full rate for lessons, I ask that you please do so--this will provide the resources to support teaching those who cannot.

contact me at: OboeForEveryone@gmail.com 
or
www.OboeForEveryone.com
 for more information

This brings me to the second question:

Can I facilitate a network of oboe teachers, reed makers,  repair specialists, etc. who might be interested in sharing their specialized skill set to those with limited financial resources?

Oboe teachers--would you be willing to take on a student either in person or online for a reduced rate in order to serve your community and profession? If so, I'd love to meet you!

contact me at OboeForEveryone@gmail.com or www.OboeForEveryone.com for more information

College oboe majors--would you like to gain experience teaching beginning players? Fantastic!  Let's connect:

contact me at OboeForEveryone@gmail.com or www.OboeForEveryone.com for more information

Reedmakers--can I use your name/contact information to give to oboists looking for reeds? Or a link to your website? What are your rates? Would be be willing to occasionally produce reeds for a reduced rate for those who cannot afford your full price reeds? Let's begin a conversation:

contact me at OboeForEveryone@gmail.com or www.OboeForEveryone.com for more information

To current oboe instructors:

First and foremost,  please know I have no intention of taking students away from their current teachers by undercutting the price of lessons. Many musicians make their living by the amazing work they do as lesson teachers, and in no way do I want to steal students away from their teachers.  It is my desire to provide the opportunity for lessons to those who, because of financial resources or current location, are unable to do so.  For those interested in lessons who are able to pay a fair rate for lessons, I ask that you please do so. It is my hope that this network will assist in pairing qualified teachers with students either in their communities or online.  

Let's do all that we can to connect with others to share our love of music and our oboe skills. And please forward this post to anyone else you think might be interested. Who's game?


"How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment; we can start now, start slowly changing the world!"    --Anne Frank (diary entry, 1944)

Oboe and out,

The Oboist
www.OboeForEveryone.com

Reed Care 101

February 5, 2013, 4:25 pm

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Here's some information I often give to young oboists and music education students learning how to teach oboe for the first time. If you want to use this as a handout for your students, please go to the www.oboeforeveryone.com site, click on the scroll to the bottom of the page and download as a PDF document. 

Reed Care 101

1. Always brush your teeth before playing. Food and plaque can clog up reeds and make your key pads sticky.

2. Always store reeds in a case that holds reeds securely in place. 

• Go to this post to learn how to make an inexpensive reed case
• The plastic 3-reed cases sold by Fox are also an affordable option
• Clear plastic tubes and "coffin" cases that commercial reeds are purchased are not study enough for long-term use

3. Make sure that your reed case is well-ventilated.  A completely airtight case (such as the clear plastic tubes and "coffin" cases) can allow mildew to grow on reeds.  You reeds should't be a "science experiment!" :)

4. Soak reeds in water for 2-3 minutes in FRESH water, not saliva. Our saliva has enzymes in it that will over time break down reed fibers. If you want your reeds to last as long as possible,  soak them in water!

• Only soak the cane part of the reed in water,  not the thread or cork
• Try dipping your reeds in water and setting them on your music stand or in your case to hydrate. This way they won't over-soak
• Reeds soaked longer than 5 minutes will become over-soaked and be more difficult to play 

5. After playing, return reeds to their case.

• If possible,  quickly rinse out reeds in water and let dry for a few minutes before storing in a reed case. This will remove some of the lip skin cells, etc,  that can collect on reeds and help your reeds last longer.

3 Signs That It's Time to Buy a New Reed

A reed can last anywhere from 2-3 or much longer, depending on how much it is played on and how well it is cared for.

1. If your reed is cracked:

    Very small cracks in the tip of the reed will usually be OK to play on. If the     crack extends beyond 1 millimeter and it is difficult to articulate notes and/or have sudden flatness or unstable pitch, then it's time to buy a new reed.

2. If the tip of your reed resembles Bart Simpson's haircut, has poor response (especially in the low range), and articulation is difficult, then it is time for a new reed. 

3. If the reed looks OK, but doesn't make any (or only very little) sound when you blow through it, try these tests:

• Soak it an extra 3 minutes in WARM WATER
• Run water through the reed to clean it out (hold the reed upside-down with the water from the faucet running into the cork section first)
• Pull a small pipe cleaner (Dill's  brand is best) from the bottom of the tube through the top of a well soaked reed to clean out an accumulated gunk

Try your reed after each stage. If all three suggestions don't help, consider the reed "dead" and purchase a new one.

"Don't have a cow, man! Just take care of your reeds!"

Ok,  that's all I've got for now.  I bet you never believed I could work in Bart Simpson to a blog post about reeds, did you? :)

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

Something to help get awesomeness flowing on a Monday

February 11, 2013, 8:27 am

≫ Next: It's HERE! Join The Oboe For Everyone Network

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Hi All-

Here's a link to brighten your Monday. It's a little pep talk,  from Kid President to YOU.



Enjoy.

Now,  get out there and use your oboe to give the world a reason to DANCE.

Oboe and out,

The Oboist

ps--please pass along this pep talk to others who might need it too.