ProneOboe

This past weekend I played a concert with a college orchestra.  I use the terms "college" and  orchestra" loosely.  This tiny ensemble was nearly half filled with local musicians, players I know from other jobs - and even this quantity of pros was not able to elevate the gig significantly.  The tiny group of students really struggled with intonation, balance, counting, articulation, and just about every other metric I can name.  They had had a long rehearsal in the afternoon before the concert, and were mentally and physically worn out.  We dragged ourselves - the conductor, bless his heart, dragged us - through a new work by Robert Paterson, the Mozart Double Piano Concerto (what a charming piece!  And beautifully played by the two soloists despite the chaos behind them), and Brahms’s Second Symphony.  This job was hard for me. When you are surrounded by ghastly intonation, it’s almost impossible to sound good. And the harder you try to at le...

I am snowed in.  I came up this week to Muskegon to play with the West Michigan Symphony for the first time, and after last night’s rehearsal the blowing blizzard was just too much for me.  I am used to commuting in the Midwest.  I’ve been through my share of white-knuckled drives, and I do not fear them.  I can slow down and take my time, and I can creep patiently from mile marker to mile marker with my hazard lights on, and I have been in a few ditches and waited for help to arrive. I don’t fear this kind of drive, but nor do I welcome it.  On Monday, after my two hour commute to work turned into three and a half, and after the snow continued to fall and blow in throughout our rehearsal, and after I confirmed that Steve was safely at home with Zoe, I chose to spend the night in the local Holiday Inn. I didn’t have a change of clothes with me, or pajamas. I didn’t have workout gear for the lovely indoor fitness center.  Had I planned to stay over I mi...

This isn't a real post - sorry it's been such a crazy month and I haven't written enough at all.  Remember a couple of months ago when I raved about Practice Plus?   Well, I still like the app, and still use it regularly on my phone.  I've just been informed that the app is now updated for all iOS devices, and that it is on sale - for FREE - for the next three days.  The sale runs from Sunday Nov 16- Tuesday Nov 18th, and after this the price will return to $3.99. You can find it at this link:  Practice+ Tuner, Metronome, Recorder and More... - Dynamic App Design Happy Oboe-ing, everyone - I'll get my act together blogwise real soon now...

Here’s a concert I’m looking forward to.  The Vesper Chorale, a South Bend institution, is presenting several works by a contemporary Peruvian composer, Jaime Diaz Orihuela.  Mr. Orihuela is here in town for the event. The large work on the concert is a concerto for quena (a kind of Andean folk flute) and orchestra, which is quite a neat piece, but I also get to be featured.  Orihuela’s Adagio Para una Danzante is a lovely and evocative work for oboe and orchestra, and I’m honored to get to play it, and to present it in front of the composer.  The event is Sunday at 4pm, at St Adalbert’s in South Bend.  Details HERE .