One of the most important things about playing the oboe is knowing what it really sounds like. We live in a day and age where we can find music to listen to, and even music to play on the internet. The internet is a valuable tool for oboists, both student and amateur, to better their own playing. If you do not go on the internet and listen to great oboist play, then you are shortchanging yourself.
A number of years ago, was very privileged to have Ray Still who was retired from the Chicago Symphony to come to my studio to talk about oboe reeds and playing the oboe. He lived a very short distance away and in his later years, he would come here regularly for oboe reeds or for me to help him adjust his oboe since his vision was not as good as it used to be. This was such a privilege to have such an amazing performer and an amazing teacher right in front of me.
As a boy, I took a bus trip all the way to Chicago to take a lesson with Mr. Still. It was a tough trip for a 16 year old who never been away from Texas very much. And it was a very long bus trip from San Antonio all the way to Chicago. We don’t do those kind of things anymore with our kids, but my parents did. Eventually, I went to Indiana University and studied with Jerry Sirucek also of the Chicago Symphony, who was as Ray described him, “the best second oboe I have ever had!” Mr. Sirucek was an amazing teacher, just like Mr. Still. So now, I can go on the internet and do a search for Ray Still or even Jerry Sirucek on YouTube and there he is playing the oboe! (There is a rapper with the same name evidently, so search for Ray Still OBOE!)
Today we have at our fingertips the ability to find extremely fine players on the internet. So if you are not doing that, you are doing yourself a disservice. You need to know what great playing sounds like. And you say yes, I have a teacher, that’s great! But you also need to hear other players from other countries. There are incredibly fine players from France, Germany, England, and many other places. Just like our own accents when we speak, they play with a little bit differently than we are used to, but that does not negate the fact that they are incredibly fine and capable musicians and you can learn a lot from them.
So, listen listen listen to find Oboists play on You Tube! It is something that I would have loved to do when I was a young student.
Play Pretty
Kerry