Author: Dutchy
Date: 2007-08-23 03:52
Susan:
Quote:
Do you mean to say that they use oboes in her marching band? This would be very unusual, in my experience... I would just find it extremely unusual for anyone to march an oboe. DON'T let her use a Loree for marching band!!
I think you misunderstood. What it's saying is that the marching band instructor also happens to play oboe, not that they have oboes in marching band.
Oboes are not a marching band instrument. We all know this.
And I would hope that the marching band instructor knows this, too.
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I would like to address this part of it:
Quote:
...her teacher... has advised us to go with Loree ...
...her instructor is somewhat adamant about a wood oboe...
...the instructor has already indicated a dislike for fox...
Musicians, like all other human beings, can have very deeply rooted prejudices, and, like all other human beings, can occasionally be quite irrational on a particular subject. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
The important thing here is, to listen to the teacher's advice, but to understand that s/he is not God, that his/her personal prejudices either for or against a particular make of instrument are not graven in stone, and that you are free to make your own decision, based on your pocketbook and your daughter's abilities and goals.
And if the instructor does decide never to speak to you again because you bought the "wrong" oboe, well, that's not your problem.
On the subject of wood vs. plastic, this is one of the things that people tend to be quite irrational about, [ ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif) at Susan and Max ] but back in 1983, someone at the International Double Reed Society did an actual study, with participants listening to wood and plastic oboes being played behind a screen, and they couldn't tell the difference. The abstract of the study is here.
Their conclusion:
Quote:
The results demonstrate that neither oboists nor non-oboists are capable of aurally discriminating between plastic and wood instruments.
Loree and Fox are both highly respected instruments, and "wood or plastic" doesn't signify. Both wood and plastic Lorees and Foxes are played very successfully by reputable, talented oboists, and somehow your daughter's oboe teacher will just have to get over it.
I can personally recommend Fox oboes, as I play a 333 Protege model myself (amateur musician here), and found it an excellent intermediate level oboe, and good value for the money. They usually run about $2,000, more or less.
In addition to being an aspiring bedroom oboist, I am also a 50-something mother of three mostly-grown kids (the youngest is a senior this year), and since your daughter's level of commitment to the oboe is still somewhat unclear, I would advise against investing thousands of dollars in a high-end Loree or comparable expensive "professional" level instrument, even if it does cause her oboe teacher to have palpitations because you bought the "wrong" oboe.
This is because if she does decide to drop oboe, she'll feel really guilty about all the money you spent on it, and while it is possible to recoup some of the investment of a high-end oboe, still, it's kind of like buying a car--the minute you drive it off the lot, it depreciates in value, and even an oboe that's been played "only once! And then I put it back in the case and haven't touched it since!" will not be able to be sold as "used" for its complete purchase price.
MCW oboes, or Mark Chudnow oboes, are another high-end "professional" level oboe.
Whatever model you buy, the warranty that comes with it depends totally on the manufacturer and on the seller. Generally, reputable sellers will guarantee an oboe against cracking for a certain amount of time, but not forever. If you're worried about cracking, I'd definitely go with a plastic oboe.
Selmer oboes are not complete trash, you know. They're generally decent student oboes, if that's all you need.
As far as insurance, I would definitely consult your homeowner's insurance issuer and invest 50 bucks a year in a small theft/fire/loss policy. That way, if she leaves it on the bus, or someone steals it out of the bandroom, you're not out of pocket several thousand dollars.
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