If anyone still wants to sing along with Mitch, by the way, they still can. The bearded conductor, classical oboist, record producer and television personality is still very much with us at the age 98, living in New York City and doing guest symphony conductor dates from time to time.
I read that, and more (not all complimentary), here.
Starting a new year at UCSC is always a bit of a confusing muddle. I usually don’t know how many will show up for oboe lessons. I am to meet and hear them the week prior to the start of classes to determine who I can accept, but not all oboists know this. In addition, students who take lessons are required to be in a major performing ensemble. So I meet with some, decide who I can accept, only to find out later that another student wants lessons, or to find out that one I did accept isn’t in a performing ensemble. I can only take a certain number, so it’s often “back to the drawing board” to attempt to figure out how it can all work. I try to coach the woodwind quintet as well; finding a day and time for those five students is a tremendous challenge. I can only come to campus one day a week, so whatever day works for them must also work for all the oboist. ACK! Looks like this year is just as difficult as past years … perhaps even more so.
Right now my head aches from all this craziness. I’m hopeful that by next week it’ll all be sorted out and I’ll know what the story is. Unfortunately that requires that students respond to my email. Not everyone does. Double ACK!
Advice to students: please answer emails from your pesky teachers! Pretty please!?
i forget to breathe while i play oboe, because im so darn excited
We believe strongly that the arts aren’t somehow an “extra” part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life. It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings, and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways.
-Michelle Obama
