We’ve all seen the lists. So frequently the same old, same old. Mozart Oboe Concerto. Or Richard Strauss if we get more creative. Then a bunch of music from the past centuries by a bunch of dead men. Brahms, Ravel, Beethoven, R. Strauss, Debussy … and so many more. All worthy. All excellent works (okay, maybe nearly all … I have my opinions!). But HO HUM.

I’m not opposed to music by dead men, I promise, but isn’t there more? Shouldn’t we be working on more than that music? And shouldn’t we ask folks who audition to show that they can do more than all that standard rep that they’ve probably played since they started seriously studying oboe? I’m putting together a list at the moment and I’m so very frustrated.

What about music by women? What about music from people of color? What about newer works?

But there’s a problem. And it can be so frustrating.

Finding music other than the DWG (dead white guy) music isn’t always easy. Finding music we can USE is often nearly impossible. So much is under copyright and we aren’t allowed to share it or print it out or anything. Some is just doggone hard to find at all.

So I have a suggestion for living composers: go ahead and share some things with us for our audition lists. You don’t have to share an entire piece, so you don’t have to worry about us stealing your works. Just send a few excerpts that you think worthy of an audition list. Maybe, just maybe, someone could set up a site that would have these excerpts readily available for orchestras to use. Heck, I’d be happy to do that, in fact. But I’m rather small potatoes and a Big Potato would get more attention.

For music by the no-longer-living, maybe a page could also be set up? If publishers hold the copyright might they be generous enough to share a few excerpts? (Doubtful, but I can dream.)

And can’t we oboists, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, ask for something other than the Mozart or Strauss Oboe Concertos?