oboeinsight

There’s an article about scholarships and our somewhat rare instrument (along with other less-popular-than-flute instruments). Yes, of course there is scholarship money for oboe. Heck, I think they should reward oboists with scholarships and unlimited reeds. Well … that’s actually a bad idea since college students should be scraping away. Instead let me suggest that the scholarship students’ teachers be rewarded with reeds, eh?

Anyway, the most important sentence in the article is this:

You want your child to “really love the instrument, be drawn to the sound,” he said.

Yes. … please.

But scholarships for oboists? It’s not a guaranteed done deal. It’s a maybe. And you need to know that.
—–

It’s Groundhog Day. The little beast saw his shadow. More winter.

Truth be told, it feels like we’ve had even less winter than we usually have here in the Bay Area. I wouldn’t mind a few more good storms. It does look like it might rain today; it just has to wait until I’m parked and in the hall for the 11:30 Boheme rehearsal. I don’t think that’s asking too much, is it?

Last night’s rehearsal was orchestra only, and today is our first sitzprobe. Rehearsing Boheme without singers is actually a challenge, as I go by vocal cues most of the time. I even messed up one solo because I am so unused to having to count measures beforehand, and I’ve played this opera more times than I can count, I’m sure (although I’m not sure how high I can count anyway, considering I couldn’t count something like 10 measures of rest!). Ah yes, I’m not a number queen and math and I don’t mix. I’m looking forward to hearing (oh please make it so we can hear them!) the singers today. This is a favorite opera of mine … maybe just because of past memories. I wonder. But I am anxious to hear them … and more anxious for any readers out there to send me some reeds so I don’t have to make any. Pretty please? If you make me some reeds I’ll … um … write a reed poem for you. Or something.
—–