Thumbs up for my son! (band related)

[Cindy B]

In my childrens school all incoming 4th graders have an option to pick an instrumetn for band.

My son decided to go with the obscure oboe. Nobody else picked it, and in our district it is a high demand instrument. (no one plays it )

Well, the instrumental music teacher is an oboeist, and she was so happy to see someone who has that interest. She did tell me privately that the oboe is frustrating to first time instrument students, and it can be very tricky.. sometimes taking weeks to get one sound. Apparently the emboucher (spelling) is very tricky for most students.

Well, my son picked up his oboe on Friday. He spent a lot of time at the music store getting it set up, and the clerk there did a great job giving him an oboe tutorial.

He gets it home and sets it up. He soaks the reed and then blows, and blows and BLOWS!

Then, a tiny squeak, then a loud sound! Then actually notes!

Today he set the timer for thirty minutes and just did every key with the oboe. He was making wonderful sounds and got notes together.

He doesn't even start band camp until Monday, and he is still doing great.

Some people were discouraging him from the oboe because it is a hard instrument, and very tricky. They were saying it takes some student weeks for a one sound.

 

[grinningghost]

You can be very proud of him for choosing a difficult instrument. When my DD chose flute in 4th grade, the band teacher told me the flute could be "a bear" to learn, and that she might do better with violin.

Well, she's going into 10th grade now and still plays flute in the band at school - and it's her favorite subject. So much for that band teacher's advice, I'm glad she didn't take it.

Tell him good luck and to stick with it, I bet he'll be good.

 

[FTWFAN]

it seems that he has a talent for the oboe! Tell him to keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cindy B]

I hope he does well also. The instrumental music teacher at my school used the "stick shift" analogy with me regarding the oboe.

If he learns something tricky and challenging first, the rest of the instruments won't be as tricky.


I didn't want to see him disappointed if he couldn't make a noise/note. As parents we would have been thrilled if he even got notes at the END of the summer! (not the end of the first day)

 

[Pooh's Pal]

Tell him Congrats!!! That's wonderful!
My Dd took piano for 5 years and when she reached HS she joined the colorguard(it's still within the band).
She met many friends those years in band (all really good kids too!) and one plays the tenor sax and one plays the oboe. Both of those girls are going off to college in the fall to major in music with their instruments of choice!
Tell him to keep it up...don't give up...Continued success to him!
and Mom...welcome to the world of Band Parents!!

 

[Talking Hands]

You have a winner. Oboe players that get good get scholarships! Encourage him! Oboe players are like violists. There are never enough of them.