When should you apply cork grease to your oboe?
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...
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- Jul 11
- 4 min
Tips for performing outside
I recently toured Spain and Portugal with the West Valley College Band. During the trip I performed 4 times, and 3 of those performances...
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- Jun 13
- 3 min
When should I toss my old reeds?
Since we just wrapped up the school year, you might have a bunch of old reeds in your reed case like I do! I kept a handful of old reeds...
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- May 31
- 2 min
What’s that plastic stuff around the base of my reed?
Do your reeds come with a bit of plastic around the thread and base of the reed? If so, please leave that plastic on the reed, it’s...
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- May 9
- 4 min
Oboe 101: How to get your sticky keys un-stuck
Earlier this week at a lesson, one of my private students had a dramatically stuck Db key. Like stuck down so hard we had to press the...
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- Apr 25
- 2 min
Air/embouchure balance
One of my favorite topics to work on with student oboists is the concept of air/embouchure balance. We know that both the air we blow and...
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- Mar 21
- 3 min
What oboe reeds do I recommend?
It’s been a while since I last shared my list of reed recommendations with links, so I thought I would update you today. You’ll notice...
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- Feb 29
- 3 min
3 new ways to spice up your warm up
We know that our warm up time at the beginning of a practice session is super important because it reinforces fundamental skills of...
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- Feb 8
- 2 min
3 Quick ways to improve oboe tone
Oboists are always searching for that optimal tone with the least amount of effort, right?! Before I share the 3 quick ways to improve...
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- Jan 26
- 3 min
How to get rid of extra air
Last week I talked about the feeling of back pressure that comes with playing oboe. As we play, we can’t blow all our air through the...
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- Jan 18
- 3 min
Is there such a thing as too much air?
Today’s edition was inspired by a question I got from Newsletter subscriber Glen last week. Glen is a multi-woodwind musician, and says...
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- Dec 7, 2023
- 3 min
Do you keep a reed log?
I’m excited to have a guest writer on the blog/newsletter today, my friend Jeff Padgett. I met Jeff at the beginning of my Master’s...
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- Dec 1, 2023
- 2 min
What’s on your pre-performance checklist?
This weekend begins the holiday season for me: I have my first concert of holiday music on Saturday with the Merced Symphony, and it...
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- Nov 16, 2023
- 2 min
Have I over-soaked my reed?
This edition is dedicated to the Redwood Middle School beginning oboe students. Last week at our sectional, I did some reed adjusting for...
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- Nov 9, 2023
- 3 min
How does the season change affect oboe reeds?
Last week I described how an oboe might change due to the change of season. You may have also been wondering about how oboe reeds might...
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- Nov 2, 2023
- 3 min
Does the changing season affect the oboe?
Here in sunny California the temperatures are starting to drop. Whether you’re a pro or a newbie, there are a few things you will most...
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- Oct 19, 2023
- 3 min
When should you use harder reeds?
Now that we’re in mid-October, I’ve been evaluating my students’ reeds to make sure that they are playing reeds that are appropriately...
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- Oct 11, 2023
- 2 min
The top 3 articulation mistakes to avoid
I’ve been making the rounds in middle and high schools, and one of the common issues I’ve discussed lately is how to properly articulate...
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- Oct 5, 2023
- 2 min
How (and why) to sanitize oboe reeds
A few years ago there was a lot of interest in sanitizing reeds to make them safe for another person to play. Reedmakers came up with a...
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- Sep 28, 2023
- 1 min
How to use a pipe cleaner to open your reed
Last week I showed you how to use a pipe cleaner to clean your reed and this week it’s time to learn how to use a pipe cleaner to open...
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