Oboe 101: How to make a great recording

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: 

1. Know the guidelines 

   1. This includes: total allowed length of recording, what repertoire is to be played, what order to play in, whether the recording can stop between elements, what format the recording should be in, and when it’s due.  

2. Plan ahead to record on at least two specific dates

   1. Committing to specific dates will help keep you accountable for preparing as well as ensure that you’re not in a rush to record the night before the recordings are due! 

   2. Plan to record twice because recording is hard, and you’ll inevitably experience mental and physical fatigue before you’re happy with the takes you’ve done. 

   3. If your preparations are going well and you’re ready to record before the submission deadline, go ahead and record early! You might be able to finish working on that repertoire early and move on to something new. 

3. Choose audio-only or video 

   1. This can be specified by the organization or it can be up to you. 

   2. If you choose video, consider your attire and the backdrop against which you record. Part of performing through a recording is looking serious and a graphic T with a naughty saying doesn’t look professional or serious. 

4. Make some test recordings with your gear in the space you will record (record a very loud and very soft section)

   1. In general, set up your recording device 4-10 feet away from you to allow the best dynamic range to come through in the recording. 

   2. Listen to your test recordings with headphones. The built-in speakers on devices won’t do your playing justice. 

   3. Make sure you hear the desired amount of dynamic contrast in your playing, adjusting your position in relation to the recording device based on what you hear. 

   4. If you have a lot of gear to use (ex: a video camera and a separate audio recording device), think about having a friend make the recordings for you. Plus you get a built-in cheerleader if you start to get frustrated with the process. 

      
      

During your recording sessions: 

1. Hydrate well during the day before you record. 

   1. I find that being thirsty makes concentrating and playing well really hard. 

2. Make at least 2 recordings of each element

   1. Having 2-4 options to choose from can make the decision of which recording to submit easier. 

3. Keep playing through the piece even if you make a mistake. 

   1. Making mistakes and then recovering is part of the musical journey you’re on.

   2. You don’t have infinite amounts of time to re-record, so get all the way through the piece before restarting. 

   3. Even if you hated how it sounded or think that you didn’t use enough dynamic contrast, your perspective will likely shift when you listen to the recording later. If you stop in the middle of a take, you might not be able to use your best sounding take! 

4. When you’re tired, stop and record again another day.

   1. At some point mental and physical fatigue will take over and you’ll start to have cascading mistakes in your takes. Be kind to yourself, and come back to record another day when you’re more fresh. 

      
      

After your recording session: 

1. Listen to your recordings and choose which one to submit. 

   1. This is arguably the hardest part of the process. 

   2. Look at the music while you listen so you can catch any details you might have missed. Take notes about what goes well and what doesn’t go well as you listen, keeping track of which file name you’re listening to. 

   3. When in doubt, ask a trusted friend or your teacher to help you decide which recording to use. 

2. Format your recording appropriately, and submit it early or on time! 

3. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. Even if you haven’t played perfectly, be proud that you challenged yourself to make and submit a recording! You’ve put in many hours of practicing, recording, and choosing your tracks. Well done! 

Good luck to those of you recording for All-State or College applications! You’ve got this!