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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000096.txt from 2003/02

From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] freshman principal oboist
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 10:58:58 -0500

The silent thing you describe is not a solution; you need a friendly chat
about her responsibilities and the fact that you are accepting of her
position. She probably feels a little threatened and, being a youngster, has
no experience.
Ask why she is unable to arrive a little early as is expected and ask why
she doesn't carry her own tuner and knife. Or... leave yours at home a few
times; how often do you really need it?
Herb

> From: Picchickel7@-----.net
> Reply-To: doublereed-l@-----.edu
> Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 10:35:11 -0500
> To: doublereed-l@-----.edu
> Subject: [DR-L] freshman principal oboist
>
> Hi,
> This is my 4th year in college, working on a BME. I am writing to ask for
> advice about a girl who is in her first year of college and was kind of thrown
> into being principal oboist in both our top band and orchestra. I don't have
> to much sympathy for her because she is a good musician.... she is expressive
> and has good technique. I have come to terms with always being 2nd oboe... I
> honestly didn't want the responsibilities of being principal. Anyway, the
> problem is even though musically we are on almost the same level (she's just
> more confident than I am), emotionally and chronologiclly I am years (really
> only 4 years) ahead of her.
>
> I don't know how to handle this situation because I have never had someone
> younger than me play above me. These are the kinds of things that happen
> during rehearsal: she does not own her own tuner so she borrows mine to tune
> the orchestra, she gets to rehearsal exactly on time so the principal
> violinist stands and waits for her to be ready to tune, after 2 months she is
> still messing up solos--every one of them, she borrows my knife to work on her
> reeds, when the conductor walks to our section to tell her she needs to work
> on the solos she whined to him...she's just not acting like a principal oboist
> should. Things have gotten so bad that we have the silent treatment going on.
> I think the conductors are being to nice to this girl and they're not teaching
> her to be the leader a principal player is. I know it has to be hard for her
> to come in and assume this role, but she knew she was coming to this school to
> sit first---she had the choice.
>
> Do you have any suggestions to make things better in our section? Is there a
> book or a website with "Responsibilities of a principal player"? I think maybe
> it's just that she does't know what she needs to be doing, but I know I'm the
> last person she'd listen to.
>
> Thanks for the help.
> Picchickel7@-----.net
>
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