 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: valoboe
Date: 2012-02-02 17:42
Unless your eye doctor is a musician and plays the same instrument in a similar setting, he or she will never understand exactly what you need when you request "music glasses". It really isn't difficult to come up with a proper prescription for the "working distance" - simple math. The best thing a musician can do to help is to actually bring a sample of music and a music stand and demonstrate to the doctor what you need to see.
Because we all lose our ability to vary the distance we are able to focus as we get older, there will be compromises and each musician has different needs. My husband is a trombone player and has his music much further away and off to the side and is driven nuts when he can't clearly see the conductor's hands. I play clarinet mainly and am new to the oboe and am much pickier about being able to see all those little notes clearly. I sit close enough to the director that a little blur at distance isn't notieable at all. My husband uses less of an "reading add" or power than I do. He also uses bifocals and I prefer a weaker pair of reading glasses.
I can't tell you how many people voice their frustrations to me about their "presbyopia" (loss of ability to change focus from distance to near after age 45) once they find out that I am an eye doctor. Many times they wouldn't be so frustrated if their eye doctor just explained how the eye works and that this happens to everyone pretty much at the same rate. Also, once a doctor writes a prescription he or she should demonstrate and explain how the prescription will work for them. It would save all of us tons of time, energy, money and aggravation.
Tip for the day: Wearing reading glasses WILL NOT make your eyes worse or dependent on them!!!! You're eyes are gradually losing their ability to focus from far to near starting at age 12 no matter what you do. Once you experience clear comfortable vision, it is harder to accept strain and blur and that strain and blur is going to get worse no matter what you do anyway.
By the way, this is the first time I've ever responded to the oboe or clarinet bulletin boards. Usually I just read and learn. Its nice to get the chance to give back a little bit.
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cowtime |
2012-01-21 00:13 |
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sylvangale |
2012-01-21 08:14 |
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JRC |
2012-01-21 12:39 |
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GoodWinds |
2012-01-21 18:59 |
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cowtime |
2012-01-21 23:55 |
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jhoyla |
2012-01-22 13:21 |
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Old Oboe |
2012-01-22 22:16 |
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claire70 |
2012-01-23 19:04 |
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JRC |
2012-01-23 19:13 |
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GoodWinds |
2012-01-24 06:38 |
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valoboe |
2012-02-02 15:49 |
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claire70 |
2012-02-03 20:15 |
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RobinDesHautbois |
2012-02-02 10:51 |
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valoboe |
2012-02-02 14:57 |
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teroboe |
2023-01-29 23:24 |
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jhoyla |
2012-02-02 16:28 |
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Re: eyes and back pressure problems? new |
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valoboe |
2012-02-02 17:42 |
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ohsuzan |
2012-02-02 18:10 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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