Author: mschmidt
Date: 2010-07-17 23:41
You never know just what a child will end up liking.
You make some good points; the oboe is not a very "relaxing" thing to play until you've done it a lot. I started on the clarinet when I was nine, switched to oboe when I was 12, and pretty much quit when I graduated from high school. I picked up the oboe again my last year of grad school, and then put it away again a few years later. Through much of my early adulthood, I thought oboe was just too much work to be much fun. Well, around 2005/2006 I picked it up again, and now I am having a LOT of fun with it.
If you're just playing at home at night, clarinet might be more relaxing, BUT if you want to play with others, playing oboe opens doors. I'm currently playing chamber music with people who majored or minored in music while in college. I'm still not quite up to their level, but they have been nothing but encouragement to me, because I play the oboe better than any other amateurs they can get their hands on. Last week I was at a chamber music festival, and was one of only two oboists--and the other was just a beginner. So who ended up in the good woodwind quintet? Me! There were at least a half a dozen clarinetists there. Do I have a great chance at playing oboe in a new amateur orchestra that might be starting up? You bet!
My sister played the flute. She never got to play in the Seattle Junior Symphony like I did. She never got to play in All-City High School Orchestra, like I did. Playing the oboe is expensive and difficult compared to clarinet. But if you can pull it off, you're in an elite group. Don't force your daughter to play oboe. But don't discourage her, either.
Mike
Still an Amateur, but not really middle-aged anymore
Post Edited (2010-07-17 23:43)
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