“We’re swallowed up only when we are willing for it to happen.”

-Nathalie Sarraute

The beginning of the school year is often the beginning of the work year as well for many oboists.

For the last few months, you may have had an outdoor concert or two, but nothing too serious. Now the phone is ringing off the hook with wedding jobs, teaching jobs, playing jobs, adjudicating jobs.

All at once everybody wants you!

It is often a satisfying feeling to our egos when this time rolls around and we feel so wanted… But try to separate your ego from what you are agreeing to do and make sure you aren’t getting in over your head with too much driving or too much stress with little reward.

I remember the first fall I lived in Chicago. It was a welcome change to have so many oboe opportunities, but I got swallowed up very fast.

There was one particular day where I drove in 3 states, fought traffic for several hours, and spent 14 hours away from home for very little money and very little reward.

It was nobody’s fault but my own, and I was indeed “willing” for it to happen.

I did learn what I could handle and vowed to never get that needy and “willing” again. It’s different for everyone, but set your “willingness meter” now!

Over the years, we’ve collected a ton of excellent questions about oboe reeds, oboe playing and other oboe stuff.

We’re finally going to answer them… some of them. (We have hundreds and hundreds of them.) But instead of just answering the question for the player who asked it, we’re publishing the answers for everyone.

It’s called the BIG Book of Oboe Questions and Answers.

And we’re trying something new this time… a pre-publication offer, which includes a 40% discount.

You can read about the whole thing by clicking on the link below:

Get the details…

I just read of the passing of Cynthia Steljes, oboist and founding member of Quartetto Gelato…

I didn’t know her personally, but just a few weeks ago, I sent her a letter to tell her about a new project we are working on at MKL Reeds and to ask for her input. I am telling you that only because, for some reason, it made the announcement of her death so much more real to me.

I still remember the first time I listened to their one CD, (the one with the blue cover). I was absolutely shocked by the energy, the life and the unique sound that really was quite unlike anything I had ever heard.

It is truly something special.

Of course, my ear gravitated to the oboe player and I remember running to Google to figure out just who she was.

Our thoughts are with her husband and extended family.

Yesterday I was listening to the 9/16/06 NPR interview with Liang Wang, the new Principal Oboe of the New York Phil. The piece was called “Oboist Liang Wang: His Reeds Come First” and really focused on communicating just how important the art of reedmaking is to being a great oboist.

Liang Wang is 26 years old and has already played in some of the greatest orchestras around.

Hearing him play and talk got me really thinking about why some players audition for what seems like their entire lives and others win audition after audition.

I am sure Mr. Wang makes great reeds.

I know that his playing sounds beautiful. Very smooth and singing.

But there are probably a lot of oboe players that might have that said about them.

So how did Liang Wang end up as Principal of the New York Phil while everyone else was sent home?

I heard the answer as I listened to the rest of the interview.

What came through was his attitude. Cool, calm, collected and confident.

You might be thinking, “Of course he’s confident, he just won the New York Phil job!”

Or you might be thinking, “Some people are just great audition players. They can play perfectly when it counts.”

And you might be right thinking both things.

But here is my question for you:

Is your attitude a product of your circumstances or does it determine your circumstances?

In Mr. Wang’s case, did his attitude and confidence come from winning the job, or did it help him to win it?

Where does attitude come from?

It comes from your thoughts. From the repetition of the same thoughts over and over. It comes from you telling yourself the same things over and over.

Thoughts turn into feelings and attitudes which determine your actions. And it’s actions that determine your reality.

But it all starts with what’s in between your ears.

Here’s a quote that sums it up nicely:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t . . . you’re right.”
—Henry Ford

You can hear the complete interview here: Oboist Liang Wang: His Reeds Come First

When my husband and I sat down the other month to discuss the future of MKL Reeds, we both had the feeling inside that something needed to change.

You know when you just have that feeling inside you but you just can’t put your finger on it? As a musician, you are probably more in tune (no pun intended) with noticing that feeling than most people.

Well, that’s where we were.

And then the solution became clear. We had to think bigger, much bigger…

Of course, we love helping all of you with oboe reeds.

Just the other day, my husband was on the phone with a client who has been purchasing reeds from us for a few months now. She called to thank us for giving her back the freedom to just sit down and play the oboe - something she hasn’t been able to do for quite some time. She said it almost made her cry…

I am not telling you this to brag. But I am telling you this to help you understand why we do what we do. The reason we do this work is for clients like this - to connect with someone on an emotional level.

That’s what musicians do right?

We do this work to help people.

But now, instead of just helping you with oboe reeds, we are expanding our vision to help you become a happier oboe player.

And that means a lot of different things to a lot of different players.

One of the things we are doing to make our vision real is to publish a new newsletter focused on helping you achieve whatever Oboe Success means to you.

Actually, that’s what we call it, Oboe Success Tips.

It is a special free gift reserved exclusively for our Reed Report subscribers.

If you are already a Reed Report subscriber, you automatically qualify. If not, sign-up and help us help you to become an even happier oboe player than you are already.