Author: OboeAtHeart
Date: 2006-10-18 23:39
Well, here's a funny question for you all. I've asked the clarinets, now I need the opinion from the oboes. I'll have some explaining to do, so bear with me here.
I'm a clarinet player. I've been playing clarinet since they handed me one in 6th grade and told me to learn how to play it. (I'm a senior now) I'm okay at it, I guess. Played 6s all the way from 8th grade to now... However, I've always, always had to fight with the clarinet, and it's always taken me almost twice as long to learn something on clarinet then the rest of my section. Basically, I did nothing but practiced and somehow, through a lot of hard work and down-right stubbornness, I've managed to keep up.
Our assistant band director handed me an oboe my freshman year, because he needed an oboe player for our concert (lower) band, and says, "here, go learn this." So I've been doubling oboe/clarinet for about three years.
I walked into my first oboe lesson ever today, and my new teacher was very enthusiastic and very encouraging (something I've not really had for a long while), and for the first time in about a year and a half, I enjoyed playing. In fact, I've found that the more I play oboe, the more I love it. Our head band director put me on oboe for our upper band this year - something he's refused to do for the last three years.
I was originally going to audition for Eastman, Peabody, Cincinatti, Oberlin, LSU, JSU and FSU on clarinet, but I've been having fits with the instrument and getting better on oboe (even though I don't practice nearly as much as I do on clarinet, average 5 for cl, 1 for oboe.)
...Is it time to switch instruments? I love playing the clarinet, but it seems like I'm more of a natural oboe player - I rarely have bad oboe days. The ones I do have are typically because I'm tired or sick.
Do I even stand a chance at 3 1/2 years of playing oboe, of even considering auditioning on oboe for these schools? I know all the audition requirements on clarinet, but I can barely play my 12 major scales on oboe. I've got two months before my auditions are due, more like one and a half now.
Should I audition on clarinet and include an oboe tape of what I can do and curiously inquire if they're willing to work with me as I am? I'm not sure, and I'm not getting answers from anyone. My head band director seems almost resentful that I'm not playing clarinet anymore, our assistant is kind of ambivalent, and I -just- got with my oboe teacher.
Sorry this is so long, and I hope it makes sense. Thanks in advance.
-Jenna
*~"The clarinet, though appropriate to the expression of the most poetic ideas and sentiments, is really an epic instrument- the voice of heroic love."~*
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