Note: this post was originally featured in my newsletter in January 2025. Last week (Wednesday 01/22/25), I auditioned for the second oboe chair with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera. I was unsuccessful, but played musically and got through the whole list. Of course I’m disappointed, but I’ve been trying to learn from the experience so I can do better at my next audition.  I realize that most of you reading this newsletter won’t go on to audition for a professional orche

I got a question from subscriber Emily. She describes struggling with stamina. This is a common issue for oboists, and right now I can think of at least 3 of my 18 weekly lesson students who aren’t happy with their stamina. I think our (oboist’s) stamina comes down to multiple factors which can be hard to pick apart from each other because they’re all so fundamental to playing. In this blog, I’ll endeavor to describe the factors I see at play in stamina issues, but I’d also r

One of the joys and sorrows of playing oboe is the variability in reeds. We’ve all had that one amazing reed that felt super comfortable, and seemed to play like magic! We’ve also had other reeds that are…close to feeling perfect, but just a little bit off. Maybe a bit out of tune, maybe the tone is just not quite open enough.  Every reed has a “Goldilocks” amount of reed that needs to go in your mouth as you play.  The “Goldilocks” spot is the amount of reed in your mouth wh

Whether you are a student applying for All-State, an adult amateur, or a beginning oboist, you will need to make a recording of yourself at some point. Plus, recording yourself playing can be an amazing practice tool and reveal those things a private teacher or conductor might notice for you.  Plan ahead for your recording session:  Know the guidelines  This includes: total allowed length of recording, what repertoire is to be played, what order to play in, whether the record

We’re all so busy these days (students, and parents, and teachers), so today I’ll be sharing my top 3 strategies to make practice sessions really effective.  (These tips work for all musicians, not just oboists!)  Last week I challenged students to make a practice schedule, and be specific about the exact days and amount of time that they would dedicate to practicing, and write their practice schedule down.  If you're a student and you didn't write out your practice schedule

In April 2025 I played a run of “Turn of the Screw” by Benjamin Britten. If you’re not familiar with the opera, it’s a ghost story/psychological thriller with themes based upon a 12-tone row. Talk about fun and weird and spooky and hard! The orchestration is for a small orchestra, basically a string quintet (with bass), a woodwind quintet, harp, percussion, and piano/celeste. Although the show closed yesterday, I think I’ll have the melodies floating around in my head for the

Today’s quick tip is an answer to the question: Does it matter which blade of the reed is up?  The short answer is: Yes!  If you’re a longtime reader, you’ll know that I’m not happy with a short answer, so let’s get into it.  In reed making, we use a slightly rounded cutting block to clip the tips of most reeds.  Cutting block on my desk The subtly rounded top of the cutting block means that the reed is almost always held at a slight angle, making one of the blades ever so sl

I’ve found that choosing an anchor point for my reed has a huge impact on my playing, and I hope this concept will be helpful to you as well!  What is a reed anchor point? In this case, I’m referring to the spot on the player’s upper or lower lip that the reed presses into more strongly. When we play, we tend to press the reed into either the upper or lower lip, depending on our personal preference and the intonation of the reed. The anchor point that you play with can have a

Warmer temperatures and Spring days often mean changes in our schedules as concerts and final performances approach. Maybe there’s a...

The month of March kicks off Youth Orchestra Audition season in my studio. I’d say about ¾  of my students who are eligible for a Youth...

Let’s start by defining the range of the third octave on the oboe. I consider C#6 to be the first third octave note, and the highest...

Most oboes have silver-plated keywork, which slowly oxidizes and gathers dust over time. Yes, even if you store your oboe in your case...

Swabs come in all shapes and sizes: big enough for the English horn, small enough for just the top joint, double-ended, single-ended,...

Have you ever experienced pads randomly sticking closed? It’s so annoying - I’ve recently had a handful of students with the same issue:...

If you don’t have a private lesson teacher or oboe coach, you might know nothing about English horn! This is a quick-start guide to...

As we come deeper into fall weather, my students and I are experiencing more water-in-the-keys issues than we did during the summer. I...

I have a lot of fun playing English horn because of the different role that it plays in the orchestra. Sometimes it’s part of the...

There are so many different ways to support your instrument, some more ergonomic than others, and it’s important that you know what your...

I’ve noticed all summer that my students often go too long between putting cork grease on their oboes, and so this first newsletter of...

I recently toured Spain and Portugal with the West Valley College Band. During the trip I performed 4 times, and 3 of those performances...