The Oboe BBoard

Re: Rich and Famous?

Author: ohsuzan  Date:   2004-06-21 16:03 Hi David -- I don't know that I am an "actual" oboist -- perhaps a "virtual" oboist? But since no one has taken you up on your query, I thought I'd add a comment (got to get this board moving!!!). I suspect the market for professional oboists is as tight, or more so, than the market for clarinetists of various stripes. While it is true that there are not nearly as many oboists as there are clarinetists, there is also not so much call for oboists, either. I'm afraid this is just structured into our music. I recently had an online conversation with a person who has a Master's in Oboe Performance (from some sort of state university). She gets plenty of auditions, but few jobs, and seemed a little discouraged -- like, ready to bag it. That said, I do think there is some interest among the general public in *listening to* the oboe. I recently played my clarinet (very nicely, thank you) as part of a friend's recital/musicale. Afterwards, one of the audience members came up to chat, and I told him I was learning oboe. His immediate reaction was, "Oh! I hope you will play that for us next year! I love to listen to the oboe!" I actually don't recall anyone ever saying, generically, that they "love to listen to" the clarinet. Sometimes I think this lack of interest in clarinet is a result of the massive overexposure the instrument has had in school bands and the like. There were just SO MANY people playing it (and not always well) that it became boring -- like what happened in the '50s when everybody wanted a Cocker Spaniel -- after a while, they just became so common that they were perceived as not interesting or worthwhile having, and fell out of favor. I LOVE playing my oboe, anyway. It may not make me rich and famous, but it certainly makes me happy. Susan

Topics	Author	Date
Rich and Famous?  new	David Spiegelthal	2004-06-09 20:52
Re: Rich and Famous?  new	ohsuzan	2004-06-21 16:03
Re: Rich and Famous?  new	David Spiegelthal	2004-06-21 22:20

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