Well, my playing has suffered a lot in the last 3 weeks because I’ve had this winter crud that won’t let me go. My daughter finally dragged me off to the doctor, so now I am on antibiotics. I still don’t have my voice back. I still have a sore throat. I still have trouble breathing.
The breathing is better, though, so maybe tomorrow I can do some playing on my d’amore. At the doctor’s office, I could hit 200 on the breathing meter thingy. Not so good. On the third try I got to about 300 - almost normal - but it hurt my lungs. Tonight I hit 300 on the first try, so that’s a good sign. I just hit over 350, so things are definitely looking up!
To make matters worse, I had two new crowns installed on Wednesday. It has take a few days for my mouth to settle down. So, oh, woe is me! All of these things affect my musical progress. At least they are pretty good excuses. Maybe giving my mea culpa here on my blog will help me get off dead center musically speaking and back into doing some playing!
I have been playing it for worship team, and that is a lot of fun for me. There are no oboe d’amore parts for praise and worship music. In fact, there are no parts at all, just a lead sheet with words and chords.
I don’t really need the lead sheet anyway, or the chords since the progressions are really simple. I do need to know what key we’re in, but that’s pretty much it.
From there I just improvise. Sometimes I play parts of the melody. Other times I play a harmony part or a little counter melody. Sometimes I just play sustained tones, adding some oboe color to the ensemble.
I keep asking for a mike, since sometimes I can’t hear myself all that well. It is especially hard to hear when I am in the middle of the stage between the drums and electric guitar on my left, and the keyboard and bass on my right. I feel like I’m playing inside a paper bag!
So, I got myself moved to the end of the stage farthest from the drums. Now I can hear everyone and try to fit my part into the sound of the group. I love the drums and electric guitar, but somehow my sound just gets absorbed into their sound if I am too close to them. Since I am not playing from music, but just by ear, I really do need to hear what I am playing!
The sound guys - and my daughter - tell me I cut through just fine and don’t really need a mike. In fact, she told me that she could hear me all the way down the hall, outside the sanctuary. Hmmm. She’s my best or worst critic! The d’amore is pretty powerful, I grant them that.
People tell me it sounds good. Our director likes it, so that’s good. A person does not want to be on the outs with the director. He is a young guy, but has had excellent musical training and knows his stuff.
Of course, for me this is a different kind of experience - to play on a worship team. It’s fun for me, and something new and different. I’ve learned a lot about improvisation and playing by ear. I do have to think ahead some. Improvisation takes some planning and thought.
Besides that, I purchased the A Major concerto for oboe d’amore by Bach. It’s really a transposition of one of his works for harpsichord. It’s such a nice piece of music and quite playable. It does require air, though.
I also got the Oboe I part for the Mass in b minor by Bach, so I get to play along with that. I just ordered part II as well.
Oh, and my husband confiscated one of my gig bags for his clarinet. I have one for my d’amore and HAD another one for my regular oboe. So, I purchased a new oboe case. It’s pretty sweet, with room for all my oboe junk as well as printed music.
I quit making reeds years ago. I wasn’t all that good at it in the first place, so I just gave it up when ready made reeds became more available. I can even get ones that are unfinished and finish them off to my liking.
So, I guess that’s it on the musical update.
Music is so good for the soul and for one’s health - as long as the air holds out!
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Thursday, December 25, 2014
An Oboe Merry Christmas!
Last Sunday I debuted the oboe d'Amore at church on worship team and for communion.
Our team was short an electric bass, an electric guitar, and vocalist because of out of town family commitments. So, the team members included myself on d'amore, Ben on the grand piano, Janet on her bass viol, and Josh on drums. It was more acoustic sounding, except that we were miked.
We got a lot of good complements, and people even clapped several times. The songs were all traditional Christmas hymns with a more contemporary setting. I improvise - that is make up - my parts with an emphasis on sustained tones with some embellishments and a few fancy noodly stuff thrown in. Fun. I also throw in the melody at times.
Everything is recorded, so in awhile, Ben will give me a recording of everything I have played in the last couple of months. Then I will see if it really sounded as good as we all felt it sounded! Reality check.
My daughter said it sounded good - which is high praise coming from her! She's pretty picky. She also noticed that I was having a little trouble with breathing, which no one else noticed. I was. I had to use my asthma inhaler just before we played, and my lungs hurt just a wee bit. While my breathing on the d'amore is much more comfortable than it was a couple of months ago when I started playing her, there is still some discomfort.
So, I'm going to have to finally admit that my asthma is a bigger problem for me than what I want to face up to. Off to the doc. in the new year. I'm so much better than I was even a year ago - actually Sept. of 2013 was the last time I had bronchitis. That is a long stretch for me! Maybe I can make it to be never having bronchitis again, let alone the flu or pneumonia! Music must have healing properties at least to the extent that playing a wind instrument makes a person want to have more air! It motivates me to get the help I need so I can keep blowing for many more years. :-)
My husband and I also did communion music. We played Of the Father's Love Begotten and Thou Who Wast Rich. Thou... uses the French melody Quelle Est Cette Odeur Agréable.
Here's something I wrote about the hymn Thou Who Wast Rich. from last year. When I wrote this blog post last year, I had just returned from Honduras a few weeks before. My pastor friend and his family were really trying to change the church culture in the area where he lived. The prosperity Gospel with its emphasis on giving to wealthy preachers was something he abhored. In fact, in his church, he didn't even talk about tithing! His people were poor, so how could he ask them to give up what they themselves needed to live on? He and his wife were the ones being generous and encouraging true generosity, not giving in order to become rich or to make others rich.
It is something I had been thinking about a lot as well. So, this hymn expresses a lot of what I believe to be who Christ is and then who we are expected to be as followers of Christ - generous and giving, not greedy and taking. I want to live that way, myself. Christmas is a good time to remember Christ's sacrifice and the sacrifices we are to give in His name.
It is one of my favorite Christmas hymns, or maybe one of my favorite hymns of all kinds.
Our team was short an electric bass, an electric guitar, and vocalist because of out of town family commitments. So, the team members included myself on d'amore, Ben on the grand piano, Janet on her bass viol, and Josh on drums. It was more acoustic sounding, except that we were miked.
We got a lot of good complements, and people even clapped several times. The songs were all traditional Christmas hymns with a more contemporary setting. I improvise - that is make up - my parts with an emphasis on sustained tones with some embellishments and a few fancy noodly stuff thrown in. Fun. I also throw in the melody at times.
Everything is recorded, so in awhile, Ben will give me a recording of everything I have played in the last couple of months. Then I will see if it really sounded as good as we all felt it sounded! Reality check.
My daughter said it sounded good - which is high praise coming from her! She's pretty picky. She also noticed that I was having a little trouble with breathing, which no one else noticed. I was. I had to use my asthma inhaler just before we played, and my lungs hurt just a wee bit. While my breathing on the d'amore is much more comfortable than it was a couple of months ago when I started playing her, there is still some discomfort.
So, I'm going to have to finally admit that my asthma is a bigger problem for me than what I want to face up to. Off to the doc. in the new year. I'm so much better than I was even a year ago - actually Sept. of 2013 was the last time I had bronchitis. That is a long stretch for me! Maybe I can make it to be never having bronchitis again, let alone the flu or pneumonia! Music must have healing properties at least to the extent that playing a wind instrument makes a person want to have more air! It motivates me to get the help I need so I can keep blowing for many more years. :-)
My husband and I also did communion music. We played Of the Father's Love Begotten and Thou Who Wast Rich. Thou... uses the French melody Quelle Est Cette Odeur Agréable.
Here's something I wrote about the hymn Thou Who Wast Rich. from last year. When I wrote this blog post last year, I had just returned from Honduras a few weeks before. My pastor friend and his family were really trying to change the church culture in the area where he lived. The prosperity Gospel with its emphasis on giving to wealthy preachers was something he abhored. In fact, in his church, he didn't even talk about tithing! His people were poor, so how could he ask them to give up what they themselves needed to live on? He and his wife were the ones being generous and encouraging true generosity, not giving in order to become rich or to make others rich.
It is something I had been thinking about a lot as well. So, this hymn expresses a lot of what I believe to be who Christ is and then who we are expected to be as followers of Christ - generous and giving, not greedy and taking. I want to live that way, myself. Christmas is a good time to remember Christ's sacrifice and the sacrifices we are to give in His name.
It is one of my favorite Christmas hymns, or maybe one of my favorite hymns of all kinds.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Oboe True Confessions
Okay, so I did a newby kind of really embarassing thing last Saturday. It was something that I have told students, even, to never do. It's sick 'em in oboe cleaning.
You see, the top of the upper joint of the oboe is quite narrow. You have to run a kind of thin silk swab that is sown onto a strong string with a weight at the end through the bore of the instrument. It's a bit tricky, since if you're not careful or if the swab is too thick, it will get stuck.
The oboe bore is conical shaped. Anyway, I've never gotten a swab stuck. Ever. Until last Saturday.
It was really stuck. I had pulled really, really hard to get it through. Oh, my! Did I ever feel dumb.
I hadn't realized that the bore of the oboe d'Amore was even smaller at the very top than the regular oboe. The swab I use for my oboe is too large for the d'Amore. Duh!
So, on Monday I went into the local music store, and rather sheepishly confessed my transgression. The technician was in and was able to quickly get the piece of swab out. He told me that it was really jammed in there.
I knew that already. Anyway, d'Amore back in service. After Christmas, I'll take her in for a tune up. It's now broken in. He'll check it all over to make any adjustments that may be needed. Some of the notes aren't quite right pitch and response wise. It can't all be me or the reeds. Honestly, it can't!
Sunday I hope to debut the instrument for communion music at our church. We shall see. I'll play my regular oboe for worship as well.
I love this.
You see, the top of the upper joint of the oboe is quite narrow. You have to run a kind of thin silk swab that is sown onto a strong string with a weight at the end through the bore of the instrument. It's a bit tricky, since if you're not careful or if the swab is too thick, it will get stuck.
The oboe bore is conical shaped. Anyway, I've never gotten a swab stuck. Ever. Until last Saturday.
It was really stuck. I had pulled really, really hard to get it through. Oh, my! Did I ever feel dumb.
I hadn't realized that the bore of the oboe d'Amore was even smaller at the very top than the regular oboe. The swab I use for my oboe is too large for the d'Amore. Duh!
So, on Monday I went into the local music store, and rather sheepishly confessed my transgression. The technician was in and was able to quickly get the piece of swab out. He told me that it was really jammed in there.
I knew that already. Anyway, d'Amore back in service. After Christmas, I'll take her in for a tune up. It's now broken in. He'll check it all over to make any adjustments that may be needed. Some of the notes aren't quite right pitch and response wise. It can't all be me or the reeds. Honestly, it can't!
Sunday I hope to debut the instrument for communion music at our church. We shall see. I'll play my regular oboe for worship as well.
I love this.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Oboe D'Amore Update
Something very exciting arrived today. Well, I suppose not everyone would find it all that exciting, but I do. It's this!
Da L'opera Omnia Di J. S. Bach (Tuttii "Soli-duetti-trii E Passi Tecnici" Per Oboe, Oboe D'amore, Oboe Da Caccia, Taille (II Volume))
Very cool. It's from Milan. This volume has oboe, oboe d'Amore, and English Horn parts to the Christmas Oratorio, the Easter Oratorio, and a bunch of other things. Fun.
Bach was very kind to the oboe, all of them.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Oboe Update
Well, I did a crazy thing last month. I purchased an oboe d'Amore.
What do I want to do with it? Well, try to tame it in the first place. There's the breathing issue and the reed issue and the fingers issue and all that.
Breathing:
I suffer from asthma, so a few years ago when I purchased a new oboe, I needed one that was free blowing and reeds that were kind of soft. Reed making was never my favorite thing to do, so I talked to a fellow oboe player who was also trying to return to the instrument. She was suffering from lyme disease. Because of her physical limitations, she had started to use ready made reeds and had purchased an oboe that was easier to play than her Loree from when she was actively playing.
I thought that was a great idea, given the amount of time as well as the amount of money I had to invest in reeds. Reedmaking takes about half of an oboe players time, and I wanted to just play and not whittle so much. I still have to adjust the reeds, but that's not so bad.
The Fox 300 I purchased is an asthmatic's dream oboe. Yes, you lose some projection and richness, but it sounds very nice. It has all the bells and whistles of any professional oboe. Also, I don't have to worry about it cracking, like my old oboe did.
Now the d'Amore is a different animal, but not too different. My asthma is much better than it was a few years ago. Our little Cocker Spaniel, Sam, has been gone about 3 years, now. Our parakeets died a year or so ago. So, we are pet free. They were our daughter's pets, but all parents know how that goes. I made some other changes in bedding and stuff like that, and it has made a huge difference.
So, I thought maybe I could fill up a larger oboe made of Grenadilla. Man, I have to work hard to build up stamina - which is a good thing. It's coming along, but that part surprised me. I never had problems with the English Horn when I played it in college, but that was how long ago, now?
This is very good for me in so many ways.
Reeds
I may have to break down and start making my own. The reeds I purchased for the d'Amore are not very well made. I have to practically remake them anyway. We shall see.
Of course, for an oboe player, it's always the reed, the reed, the reed... :-) What a bunch of whiners we are!
Fingers
Stubborn little things. They have to learn new positions, but not new fingerings. Old dogs always have trouble learning new tricks, but my sisu will prevail.
Sisu is what makes Finns sit in a hot sauna and then go jump in a frozen lake. So, it makes us do crazy things.
"Sisu is a Finnish word generally meaning determination, bravery, and resilience."
- Wikkipedia
My goal with all of this? Okay, so now comes the really weird part. I want to play Gospel blues oboe. My muse is Mahalia Jackson.
Also, I have been playing my regular oboe in the worship team at our church. I love that, since I get to improvise my own parts. It's getting so I don't really need the lead sheet, so I am slowly weaning myself away from the printed page. Of course, the worship songs are straight, so it is easier for me to get into it.
The blues are a different genre, of course. We shall see. I'm trying to record something every day on Sound Cloud. That keeps me motivated. Also, I can check my progress.
Another thing I want to do is learn the d'Amore parts to Bach's works. A book is coming in the mail and is supposed to arrive on Christmas Eve.
Never too late to dream new dreams and try new things. You never know where they may lead.
What do I want to do with it? Well, try to tame it in the first place. There's the breathing issue and the reed issue and the fingers issue and all that.
Breathing:
I suffer from asthma, so a few years ago when I purchased a new oboe, I needed one that was free blowing and reeds that were kind of soft. Reed making was never my favorite thing to do, so I talked to a fellow oboe player who was also trying to return to the instrument. She was suffering from lyme disease. Because of her physical limitations, she had started to use ready made reeds and had purchased an oboe that was easier to play than her Loree from when she was actively playing.
I thought that was a great idea, given the amount of time as well as the amount of money I had to invest in reeds. Reedmaking takes about half of an oboe players time, and I wanted to just play and not whittle so much. I still have to adjust the reeds, but that's not so bad.
The Fox 300 I purchased is an asthmatic's dream oboe. Yes, you lose some projection and richness, but it sounds very nice. It has all the bells and whistles of any professional oboe. Also, I don't have to worry about it cracking, like my old oboe did.
Now the d'Amore is a different animal, but not too different. My asthma is much better than it was a few years ago. Our little Cocker Spaniel, Sam, has been gone about 3 years, now. Our parakeets died a year or so ago. So, we are pet free. They were our daughter's pets, but all parents know how that goes. I made some other changes in bedding and stuff like that, and it has made a huge difference.
So, I thought maybe I could fill up a larger oboe made of Grenadilla. Man, I have to work hard to build up stamina - which is a good thing. It's coming along, but that part surprised me. I never had problems with the English Horn when I played it in college, but that was how long ago, now?
This is very good for me in so many ways.
Reeds
I may have to break down and start making my own. The reeds I purchased for the d'Amore are not very well made. I have to practically remake them anyway. We shall see.
Of course, for an oboe player, it's always the reed, the reed, the reed... :-) What a bunch of whiners we are!
Fingers
Stubborn little things. They have to learn new positions, but not new fingerings. Old dogs always have trouble learning new tricks, but my sisu will prevail.
Sisu is what makes Finns sit in a hot sauna and then go jump in a frozen lake. So, it makes us do crazy things.
"Sisu is a Finnish word generally meaning determination, bravery, and resilience."
- Wikkipedia
My goal with all of this? Okay, so now comes the really weird part. I want to play Gospel blues oboe. My muse is Mahalia Jackson.
Also, I have been playing my regular oboe in the worship team at our church. I love that, since I get to improvise my own parts. It's getting so I don't really need the lead sheet, so I am slowly weaning myself away from the printed page. Of course, the worship songs are straight, so it is easier for me to get into it.
The blues are a different genre, of course. We shall see. I'm trying to record something every day on Sound Cloud. That keeps me motivated. Also, I can check my progress.
Another thing I want to do is learn the d'Amore parts to Bach's works. A book is coming in the mail and is supposed to arrive on Christmas Eve.
Never too late to dream new dreams and try new things. You never know where they may lead.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Oboe
Okay, so my oboe and I have kind of an off again, on again relationship - a bit like a rocky love affair. Right now it's on.
We have a few gigs coming up - 1,) the wedding of the sister of our son-in-law; 2.) a Christmas program at a large church in the neighboring town. That involves a real orchestra my husband and I get to play in. Rehearsals start some time this month. ; 3.) some communion music for our church; 4.) and I get to play my oboe in the worship band at church - which is a bit odd, since I play along with keyboard, drum, vocalists, keyboard, and electric guitars. I call it a rock band, but my daughter reminds me it just worship music. No matter. I'm very excited - too excited, actually - about being able to play my oboe in a rock band. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Hey, if it involves drums and electric guitars, it has to be a rock band, right?
I'm also thinking of calling my old jazz teacher for some lessons. Well, actually he was our daughter's tenor sax teacher when she was in high school, and I took about a month's worth of lessons from him. He even had me play in one of his recitals. So, I learned K.C. Blues out of the Charlie Parker Omnibook and played it. Of course, his other students were all kids, but hey! He told me it sounded hip - and then we giggled. He even wanted to learn oboe himself, since he thought it was well-suited for jazz.
I got my oboe overhauled. I got new reeds. I got my Charlie Parker Omnibook. I also got my Bach b Minor Mass and pretend that the continuo is an electric bass guitar. I'm gonna' give Dave a call. Well, at least I'll have fun with this. It's good to try new things.
Maybe I'll get an English Horn. It might be better suited to jazz, even.
My daughter mocks me and is not impressed. Meh.
We have a few gigs coming up - 1,) the wedding of the sister of our son-in-law; 2.) a Christmas program at a large church in the neighboring town. That involves a real orchestra my husband and I get to play in. Rehearsals start some time this month. ; 3.) some communion music for our church; 4.) and I get to play my oboe in the worship band at church - which is a bit odd, since I play along with keyboard, drum, vocalists, keyboard, and electric guitars. I call it a rock band, but my daughter reminds me it just worship music. No matter. I'm very excited - too excited, actually - about being able to play my oboe in a rock band. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Hey, if it involves drums and electric guitars, it has to be a rock band, right?
I'm also thinking of calling my old jazz teacher for some lessons. Well, actually he was our daughter's tenor sax teacher when she was in high school, and I took about a month's worth of lessons from him. He even had me play in one of his recitals. So, I learned K.C. Blues out of the Charlie Parker Omnibook and played it. Of course, his other students were all kids, but hey! He told me it sounded hip - and then we giggled. He even wanted to learn oboe himself, since he thought it was well-suited for jazz.
I got my oboe overhauled. I got new reeds. I got my Charlie Parker Omnibook. I also got my Bach b Minor Mass and pretend that the continuo is an electric bass guitar. I'm gonna' give Dave a call. Well, at least I'll have fun with this. It's good to try new things.
Maybe I'll get an English Horn. It might be better suited to jazz, even.
My daughter mocks me and is not impressed. Meh.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Musical Update
Because of our daughter's huge wedding we recently staged, I have not had much time to play my oboe. The wedding went well, with about 400 guests. It was a stressful, but good time. I told my daughter that the wedding was important, but it's the marriage that interests me more. The kids should do well in their marriage, by the grace of God. They are in love, but they also really like each other and are good friends. Anyway...
My musical involvement is taking a bit of a different turn at this time. The worship leader in our church wants me to be involved in one of the two teams he has going. We are a small church, but we have some pretty fantastic musicians. Ben, our worship and youth pastor, is a classically trained pianist, and a fantastic jazz saxophonist.
So, this Sunday is my debut with the team. Ben wants me to sing harmony on two of the songs, which is fun. I have to make up an alto part, but that's not hard to do on worship style music. I am playing flute on 3 or 4 other songs, and also have to improvise my parts pretty much. It's a bit different reading off of a lead sheet that consists in the words to the songs and the chords. As long as I stay in the right key and play notes compatible with the chords, I'm Okay. I was able to find the music to some of the songs, but in a way, it's easier to just "wing it." I'm glad for the jazz lessons I took a few years back. I'm not being very adventuresome at this point in time, keeping it pretty simple.
I have to say that it is a lot of fun to play on a worship team. It is not what I am used to, but it is always good to branch out.
My musical involvement is taking a bit of a different turn at this time. The worship leader in our church wants me to be involved in one of the two teams he has going. We are a small church, but we have some pretty fantastic musicians. Ben, our worship and youth pastor, is a classically trained pianist, and a fantastic jazz saxophonist.
So, this Sunday is my debut with the team. Ben wants me to sing harmony on two of the songs, which is fun. I have to make up an alto part, but that's not hard to do on worship style music. I am playing flute on 3 or 4 other songs, and also have to improvise my parts pretty much. It's a bit different reading off of a lead sheet that consists in the words to the songs and the chords. As long as I stay in the right key and play notes compatible with the chords, I'm Okay. I was able to find the music to some of the songs, but in a way, it's easier to just "wing it." I'm glad for the jazz lessons I took a few years back. I'm not being very adventuresome at this point in time, keeping it pretty simple.
I have to say that it is a lot of fun to play on a worship team. It is not what I am used to, but it is always good to branch out.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Weird Music
The 20th century was known for its musical experimentation in every one of its genres. Music involving the oboe was no exception.
Way back when I was in high school, my oboe teacher gave me a piece of music that he thought I might like to play. It was a trio for flute, oboe, and viola - or clarinet - called Terzetto, and it was composed by Gustav Holst of The Planets fame. If you click on the word "Terzetto" in this paragraph, you will be able to see the score of this unusual work.
One of the most obvious quirks you will notice is that each instrument is to play in a different key.
When I was a freshman in HS, I played half of a nice little Handel sonata for oboe for our SW Washington regional solo and ensemble contest. It went very well. The judge loved it, and I got a I-. Okay, so when I was a sophomore, I tried the solo route again, but with disasterous results. It was a very bad experience.
I decided that I would never play a solo again, and would participate only in small ensembles and large groups. Of course, I played solos again, but never standing up in front of a group, depending on my memory to get me through!
In my junior year of HS I got a couple of friends to go in with me to play the Terzetto for contest. It went very well. The judge loved it and gave us a I - the highest rating. Luckily, we actually ended up together in that performance, and the fact that there were a lot of dissonant notes written into the parts was definitely in our favor.
When we got done, we went home. My friend the violist had a date that night, so she wanted to get home ASAP. Our orchestra director told us how great we had done, but he forgot to tell us one important thing. We had been selected to play for the evening concernt where the best performers played for all the music teachers and other musicians. Unfortunately we were long gone before we found out. We just wanted to play and get out of there as fast as we could, and home was 2 hours away!
Our director felt kind of bad that he forgot to tell us to stick around, so he arranged for us to perform our number in several different venues around our town. This included playing for the school's Spring concert.
Well, it was one thing to play in front of a friendly judge and a few students hanging around. It was another thing to play for an auditorium full of parents and peers. The violist panicked and started playing before the curtain was all the way up. Besides that, she could hardly get any sound out of her viola.
I don't think that we were ever together through the whole number, but when each one is in a different key, maybe that part doesn't matter so much. My rude oboe entrances heard over a whispering viola and a sweet flute drew more attention.
Oh, my! Never again... until the next time... :-)
We played again for the local Pro Musica group. They were a really nice, but rather small, group of mostly older ladies who loved music. Some of them were or had been music teachers. It went much better. We didn't end together, but we were together for most of the piece. I think that contest was the only time we actually ended when the music did. It was always hard to tell on that number, and we were just kids after all.
The Pro Musica people must have liked it because the next year, they gave me a pretty nice scholarship.
One famous musician was part of that group - the Cuban song writer and concert pianist, Nilo Menendez. Weird all around.
Oh, and the flute players hair piece fell off before we got up to play. Thereafter, she always referred to our performance at Pro Musica as a hair raising experience.
The violist graduated that year, so the next year we did a flute and oboe duet at contest - C.P.E. Bach, if I remember right.
Way back when I was in high school, my oboe teacher gave me a piece of music that he thought I might like to play. It was a trio for flute, oboe, and viola - or clarinet - called Terzetto, and it was composed by Gustav Holst of The Planets fame. If you click on the word "Terzetto" in this paragraph, you will be able to see the score of this unusual work.
One of the most obvious quirks you will notice is that each instrument is to play in a different key.
When I was a freshman in HS, I played half of a nice little Handel sonata for oboe for our SW Washington regional solo and ensemble contest. It went very well. The judge loved it, and I got a I-. Okay, so when I was a sophomore, I tried the solo route again, but with disasterous results. It was a very bad experience.
I decided that I would never play a solo again, and would participate only in small ensembles and large groups. Of course, I played solos again, but never standing up in front of a group, depending on my memory to get me through!
In my junior year of HS I got a couple of friends to go in with me to play the Terzetto for contest. It went very well. The judge loved it and gave us a I - the highest rating. Luckily, we actually ended up together in that performance, and the fact that there were a lot of dissonant notes written into the parts was definitely in our favor.
When we got done, we went home. My friend the violist had a date that night, so she wanted to get home ASAP. Our orchestra director told us how great we had done, but he forgot to tell us one important thing. We had been selected to play for the evening concernt where the best performers played for all the music teachers and other musicians. Unfortunately we were long gone before we found out. We just wanted to play and get out of there as fast as we could, and home was 2 hours away!
Our director felt kind of bad that he forgot to tell us to stick around, so he arranged for us to perform our number in several different venues around our town. This included playing for the school's Spring concert.
Well, it was one thing to play in front of a friendly judge and a few students hanging around. It was another thing to play for an auditorium full of parents and peers. The violist panicked and started playing before the curtain was all the way up. Besides that, she could hardly get any sound out of her viola.
I don't think that we were ever together through the whole number, but when each one is in a different key, maybe that part doesn't matter so much. My rude oboe entrances heard over a whispering viola and a sweet flute drew more attention.
Oh, my! Never again... until the next time... :-)
We played again for the local Pro Musica group. They were a really nice, but rather small, group of mostly older ladies who loved music. Some of them were or had been music teachers. It went much better. We didn't end together, but we were together for most of the piece. I think that contest was the only time we actually ended when the music did. It was always hard to tell on that number, and we were just kids after all.
The Pro Musica people must have liked it because the next year, they gave me a pretty nice scholarship.
One famous musician was part of that group - the Cuban song writer and concert pianist, Nilo Menendez. Weird all around.
Oh, and the flute players hair piece fell off before we got up to play. Thereafter, she always referred to our performance at Pro Musica as a hair raising experience.
The violist graduated that year, so the next year we did a flute and oboe duet at contest - C.P.E. Bach, if I remember right.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Me and My Oboe
It is very hard to put into words what playing the oboe means to me. For one thing, I am not as involved with music as I was at one time. My major at Western in Bellingham was music, so during those years I spent many hours every day both studying and playing music. Since then, I have gone on to do many things, including teaching music at Prairie Bible Institute in Alberta, Canada.
During the PBI years, I met and married my husband - a fine clarinet player. :-) We spent many years in Chile, South America as missionaries. Our only daughter was born there and thinks that she is a Chilena.
Music was always an important part of our ministry, but we did not have time to devote ourselves to music per se.
After we returned to the US, I returned to teaching music for several years. Our travel schedule at this time does not allow me to teach. What I have been able to do is return to actually spending time playing my oboe. About 3 years ago I was able to purchase a new oboe. The one I had served me well, but it has a couple of cracks in the upper joint. It is over 40 years old, now.
I began to look at new oboes to buy, wanting one that at least had a plastic upper joint. I did not want to suffer the disappointment of a cracked oboe again. I looked at Yamaha's instruments, which are very nice. Then, since they come highly recommended at least here in the US, I decided to try out a Fox oboe.
I fell in love with the Fox. It plays freely, which I need. I suffer from asthma, which makes blowing hard at times. Growing up with smokers, and then the years of living in some pretty polluted air took its toll on my lungs. The sound is beautiful. I lose some of the projection of sound that my old oboe had, but at this time, the playing I do is in church with my husband and in a local orchestra which is pretty small. I get lots of complements on how beautiful my playing sounds, so I guess that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Also, I hope to take it with me in Nov. when my husband and I, along with a larger team, go into Cuba for conferences. We would like to play some music. I have been able to help some of the Cuban church musicians that we know with their supply needs. Every time I go to Cuba on a mission trip, I take reeds for the sax and clarinet players, drum sticks for the drummers, and strings for the guitarists. I have also been able to provide a trumpet mouthpiece for one guy, and other repair items for the woodwinds.
My oboe is a Fox 300. The tropical climate may be a bit hard on it, but I know that the climate changes will not crack it.
So, even though music is still more of a sideline in my life now, it is still an important part of my life and ministry. God is good!
As far as reed making goes, I pretty much gave up altogether. I am able to get decent reeds at a low price. Even so, I have a bunch of reeds wrapped and ready to carve on, so maybe I'll go back to making my own reeds - and maybe not.
One fun thing that I got to do this year so far was send a back pack full of oboe supplies and music to a young player in Honduras. I met him through Face Book. It just so happened, in God's providence, that my husband and the new Latin America director of our mission were heading for Honduras to visit our workers there. They would go through the city where this young guy lives.
Since I am not teaching anymore, and since I am not studying oboe anymore either, I had a lot of books and materials just sitting around the condo not being used. I remember how it was being a young player and having a hard time finding music and materials. I had a good teacher, but everything had to be ordered from somewhere far away and was all pretty expensive.
So, I was able to pass on my blessing of ample supplies and music to another oboist just starting out. Isn't God good that way? I am still amazed at how that worked out.
During the PBI years, I met and married my husband - a fine clarinet player. :-) We spent many years in Chile, South America as missionaries. Our only daughter was born there and thinks that she is a Chilena.
Music was always an important part of our ministry, but we did not have time to devote ourselves to music per se.
After we returned to the US, I returned to teaching music for several years. Our travel schedule at this time does not allow me to teach. What I have been able to do is return to actually spending time playing my oboe. About 3 years ago I was able to purchase a new oboe. The one I had served me well, but it has a couple of cracks in the upper joint. It is over 40 years old, now.
I began to look at new oboes to buy, wanting one that at least had a plastic upper joint. I did not want to suffer the disappointment of a cracked oboe again. I looked at Yamaha's instruments, which are very nice. Then, since they come highly recommended at least here in the US, I decided to try out a Fox oboe.
I fell in love with the Fox. It plays freely, which I need. I suffer from asthma, which makes blowing hard at times. Growing up with smokers, and then the years of living in some pretty polluted air took its toll on my lungs. The sound is beautiful. I lose some of the projection of sound that my old oboe had, but at this time, the playing I do is in church with my husband and in a local orchestra which is pretty small. I get lots of complements on how beautiful my playing sounds, so I guess that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Also, I hope to take it with me in Nov. when my husband and I, along with a larger team, go into Cuba for conferences. We would like to play some music. I have been able to help some of the Cuban church musicians that we know with their supply needs. Every time I go to Cuba on a mission trip, I take reeds for the sax and clarinet players, drum sticks for the drummers, and strings for the guitarists. I have also been able to provide a trumpet mouthpiece for one guy, and other repair items for the woodwinds.
My oboe is a Fox 300. The tropical climate may be a bit hard on it, but I know that the climate changes will not crack it.
So, even though music is still more of a sideline in my life now, it is still an important part of my life and ministry. God is good!
As far as reed making goes, I pretty much gave up altogether. I am able to get decent reeds at a low price. Even so, I have a bunch of reeds wrapped and ready to carve on, so maybe I'll go back to making my own reeds - and maybe not.
One fun thing that I got to do this year so far was send a back pack full of oboe supplies and music to a young player in Honduras. I met him through Face Book. It just so happened, in God's providence, that my husband and the new Latin America director of our mission were heading for Honduras to visit our workers there. They would go through the city where this young guy lives.
Since I am not teaching anymore, and since I am not studying oboe anymore either, I had a lot of books and materials just sitting around the condo not being used. I remember how it was being a young player and having a hard time finding music and materials. I had a good teacher, but everything had to be ordered from somewhere far away and was all pretty expensive.
So, I was able to pass on my blessing of ample supplies and music to another oboist just starting out. Isn't God good that way? I am still amazed at how that worked out.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 - Yevgeny Mravinsky
"Dmitri Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, between April and July 1937. It was premiered in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky, on November 21, 1937. The work was a huge success, and is said to have received an ovation of at least 40 minutes, according to Mstislav Rostropovich.[1] It is still one of his most popular works."
- Wikipedia
Here is a good paper written about the 5th Symphony. I have included a brief quote from that paper.
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D Minor
"The third movement is one of the most despairing pieces of music ever written, a memorial for Mother Russia and all those sent to the labor camps. And of the finale, Shostakovich wrote in his memoirs (smuggled out of Russia after the composer's death):
What exultation could there be? I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth. The rejoicing is forced, created under threat... It's as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying ``Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing,'' and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, ``Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.'' What kind of apotheosis is that? You have to be a complete oaf not to hear that."
- Geoff Kuenning
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)