 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: ibowl
Date: 2011-12-28 10:02
So Ive played clarinet for four years. Then stopped after my freshman year in high school. I got out of the music department till this year, my senior year. Im taking theory and piano. I suddenly have an interest in music again. My question is will I become profecient enough in oboe to major in performance in college ?( iam going to community college first)
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Author: HautboisJJ
Date: 2011-12-28 13:18
What a question. To be realistic, no. And starting late is nothing to be proud about, even if you eventually become very good. But you know, you can afford it financially, and you have all the determination in the world. By all means. It's your right, but whether people eventually say YES to your playing, is their right. I believe Ingo Goritzki started after his 20s and Jonathan Kelly was a literature/law student before he went into music professionally. But in both cases, they are extreme examples and oh boy can they play! With today's competition, one really has to be careful. Of course, i am not sure why you want to study music and especially the oboe, but it must be extremely clear, at least for yourself. Good luck!
Regards,
Howard
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2011-12-28 14:07
I have to agree with Howard. I am a "hobbyist" ... I play well; however, most of the serious players began their musical training quite early and by the time they have reached college are quite proficient and musically embedded.
Don't get me wrong ... if you want to study music and see it as an adjunct profession to something else ... then why not.
As I don't know you personally ... I am not sure of your inherent built in abilities. Some people are more wired for music than others.... sight singing, dictation, composition, etc....................... so its just not playing the instrument.
Furthermore, there are many highly talented and skilled players out there.
As for me when I retire full time .... I most probably will go back to school for a music degree ... however, I already have two graduate degrees and a doctorate in other professions.
One must be realistic about ones position ..... and abilities.
Mark
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Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2011-12-28 17:56
I can offer you a couple of stories...and a little advice as well.
I started oboe 5 years ago at the age of 24. This came about as I was interested in doubling, was an instrumental teacher wanting to expand my employability and because the clarinet which I had picked up a couple of years earlier was, frankly, not my cup of tea.
I m currently involved with the oboe studio at a prominent university, and in a recent round of mock auditions, placed about halfway. There are post-grads and extremely talented upperclassmen in this studio, so I was pretty proud of myself. The disclaimer here is that I was (am) a professional flautist with a music degree before this.
One of the students who ranked in the top 5 (of 25) in these auditions is a freshman who started playing in her sophomore year of high school. She is amazing. The disclaimer here is that she quite often forgets to sleep because she's so caught up practising and making reeds.
I hope these stories offer a certain perspective, but my main advice is to completely immerse yourself in everything oboe and music before you commit to anything. Attend every orchestra and band concert in your area. See if any recitals (oboe and others) are happening and attend those. Research main oboe works and listen to them until you have almost memorised them. Talk to college level oboists about their commitment. Get a really good teacher. Then after all that, ask yourself if you still want it.
I wanted to be a ballet dancer when I was in my early teens (I had been studying since 5), and the older I got, the more I experienced injuries, the cutthroat nature of competition, the cost, the physical demands...I realised it was more work than I was willing to commit (and besides, I was a much better musician anyway!)
Good luck!
Rachel
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-12-29 02:36
You ask if you can become good enough to do a performance major in college....
That begs 2 questions:
1. What level music program?
2. How long are you allowing to reach the goal?
By pretty well all accounts, oboe is much harder than the clarinet (though the little bit of clarinet I played, I hated the reed-response and back-pressure). But there is a difference between a performance major at the Curtis Institute or one from the Vanier College in Montreal! So if you want to play for the sheer enjoyment of it, GO FOR IT!
There IS NO SHAME whatsoever in starting late, if your goals are modest and/or if your talent+determination are through the roof. But pay close attention and balance well how ensembles respond to you versus where you want to end-up.
Also, as a young adult, it MIGHT (not convinced, but makes sense) be preferable to establish yourself professionally & financially in any solid field and then take up oboe as a hobbyist once your life and family are solidly grounded.
BEST OF LUCK!
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: Jeltsin
Date: 2011-12-29 06:36
Tecnically it is probably to late for you if you want to compete with best, so then you have to compete with something else.
A long time ago I was singing in an amature choir and compare to the best choirs in my country we were probably the best one, at least we were always asked first when a new interesting project was to be started, but I am sure that none of the singers in my choir would be accepted as a singer in the other choirs. The other choirs were tecnically far above our level but to listen to them was dull, because music is much more than just to do it tecnically perfect.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2011-12-29 17:21
Quite a bit of repsonses to sift through...
I would say, IF you have a natural thing going for the oboe, and IF you are willing to work both hard and diligently when it comes to practicing, and IF you have a sort of 'specialist' mentality (as opposed to 'generalist') and especially IF you have nothing major to lose by doing it...
THEN you can take this opportunity/risk.
The competent oboe player used to be a rarity; you could be good (not a virtuoso) and be in need. Not anymore. I just moved to a smallish town and there are other players here so I'm having to bide my time and work harder to just get my foot in the proverbial door.
It sounds idealistic to want to 'major' in oboe when you've played only clarinet so far. I guess you'll have to just try the instrument out and see if it is suited to you, or you to it. Then you'll have a better idea of knowing if this is something you can take up at this stage.
I wish you success, whatever you decide to do.
GoodWinds
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Author: plclemo
Date: 2011-12-29 18:52
It is not that difficult to learn the fingering from clarinet to oboe BUT the embrouchure is SO DIFFERENT that you may have difficulties with that. I played clarinet for over 40 years (I am 51 and have played it since I was 9). I picked up the oboe about 2 years ago because our church orchestra needed an oboist. At first it wasn't too difficult I had no problems getting the notes out and learning the few different fingerings, but as time progresses, I am finding more technical problems now. I want to "clamp down" on the reed. It does NOT work! I also occasionally have trouble making the instrument "speak" at the appointed times. Then there is the concern about always being in tune. Oboe doesn't stay in tune as easily as the clarinet (at least I don't think it does). But you are younger than me and maybe can pick up a new instrument quicker. However to MAJOR in that new instrument is scary at best. Best of luck to you.
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2012-01-03 01:29
Community college is very laid back. You should pick an employable subject that you have interest in and take courses for that and along the way you can also take music courses.
Your community college may have an applied music program that may give you free private lessons, so long as you declare yourself a music major and take required music courses that go along with it. You will need to be a little proficient in your instrument. If you were to play oboe in high school now and have private instruction throughout the semester I don't see why you couldn't get to an acceptable level to be accepted at a community college music program.
You do the course work, you pass the tests... you will eventually graduate even if aren't that good!
♫ Stephen K.
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