Author: Craig Matovich
Date: 2007-04-13 21:57
Thanks. I appreciate the discussion and different perspectives.
I am studying the reed making as business overall for now, and liked your comments related to sustained productivity. I have questions abuot sustaining that as a one-person endeavor. The 50 in a week was probably a bit misleading, since it did not include gouging, and it was an endurance test, doing only that for a while. I would try for 100 saleable pro reeds a month.
If I really do it, it'll be part-time as supplemental income.
You are correct, I can make much more doing IT work and am still doing some consulting work for a while longer.
However, with IT work I usually must put pants on and drive somewhere, sit in a cube, etc.
Different kind of costs in that...
RE: Comments about making student reeds... do reed makers atart out with that goal or does it happen after reeds fail to pass muster for pro level or intermediate player quality?
Something I noticed back when teaching my young students. I'd get them going with a couple really good reeds (easy playing pro quality reeds) and adjust their oboes. They made incredible progress quickly and I developed the opinion it would be best for students , even beginners, to experience the 'real Mccoy' earlier... get it in their brains sooner... and concluded it substantially helped guide their progress.
Its hard for parents or beginning adults to fathom from an expense point of view I am sure, but it is still something I would recommend for all beginners or intermediate players who never had the experience.
And in that, if its valid and not just self-serving of my reed business contemplations, its the real 'business case' behind the idea.
BTW, go check out 'the reedmaker' site. New videos of reed making and some very good examples and guidance there. I don't know Kerry personally and he does not know me, but it turns out we both played in Army Bands at Ft. Meade MD. Maybe something in the water there makes for good reed makers...(well, after 20-30,000 one teds to learn a few things.)
Post Edited (2007-04-13 22:10)
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