I just read this (the writer is commenting on the narrow bore of the oboe) at a blog: I can attest to this, having gotten a swab and a finger stuck in the oboe in separate occasions
Now, if the writer of the above reads this blog, please tell me how in the world you got your finger stuck. That is just too funny! 🙂
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The above is about Alex Ross. Yes, this Alex Ross.
It says so right here.
I knew there was something about him ….
Heh, no, I’m not going to elaborate! You can decide if “something” is a good or bad thing. I suppose it depends upon what you think about us oboists, eh? 😉
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And I ask back, “Will sneakers sell Mozart?” In other words, with the popularity of the ad, might some folks say, “I like that “song”, and I want more!”?
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I was so ready to play my “difficult excerpt” and we never got around to it! Shoot. I didn’t realize we’d be playing every student’s work for flute, oboe and clarinet in the orchestration class. So I had about 5 minutes to talk (at the end) about the oboe and English horn, and no chance at all to demonstrate. Such is life.
It was fun to read the student’s works. Some were very pretty. Some were inventive. One sounded as if the student was in orchestra where they are playing New World Symphony because I could easily have played the English horn solo from the second movement right over what we were playing. Hmmm. Some students didn’t realize that we have to be able to see notes and accidentals and that we also like dynamics and articulations. They are, of course, just learning. So we play what is on the page, and if we can’t see the light pencil marks, play some wrong notes, and never do anything but tongue every note since there are no articulatons marks they learn. I hope.
But anyway, I really enjoyed the class. I only wish we could have more time with them!
Earlier this morning I was listening to the radio … except I wasn’t truly listening so I don’t even know what the segment was about … but a politician said this:
We do believe we can be successful because we have to be successful.
Hmmm. One sure can’t think that way with music … we actually have to not only believe. It takes something more than that. Go figure.
In Other Important News
I was at Mission City Roasting Company (until I had to leave to come home and restart our server) and the “Mysterious Man” was in the place. Seriously. If you don’t know Into the Woods you don’t know what I’m talking about. But this guy … he looked exactly like the MM should look: long white beart, thin, wearing appropriate clothing although maybe not as worn looking. I should have taken a picture!
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