Well, I am slightly embarrassed to comment on this video, since I'm Dr. Parker's mother, but I truly feel watching and listening to this will greatly enhance any music lover's appreciation of instrumental music, especially of wind instruments. All this was news to me, even though I've had many years of listening and enjoying Andy's practicing, and I feel a greater depth of appreciation for the science of performance. Thanks!
I remember when Dr. Parker taught me these exercises at the University of Iowa! They were so helpful and I now use them with my students in my private studio. Dr. Parker also has a wonderful way of explaining things--he is always clear, patient, and inspiring!
That’s pretty funny :-) I once played a concert for the North State Symphony in Northern California as a substitute Principal Oboist, sick as a dog with a high fever, it was pouring rain outside, for a children’s concert, State Theatre in Red Bluff. We played the Jim Stevenson “compose yourself!”It demonstrated all the instruments of the symphony, and as it was my turn to demonstrate the Oboe and the Reed I started playing it’s a small world after all on my oboe reed and you should’ve heard all the kids giggle it was an unforgettable memory and moment. It is in fact, a small world after all. But after playing for over 50 years I think it’s natural that if the flutist hides your oboe, you’ll have to do it with just the reed :-) If the orchestra that you are playing in has any reverence for you at all as an Oboist, they’ll probably let you get away with it. Thank you both for this demonstration.
With just the reed, in the register demonstrated, we can play the oboe part on the Sonny And Cher hit song “I Got You Babe” on the oboe reed, even with the key change. In fact, that was the year I started playing oboe, at 10 years old, in 1965. My dad was a pianist so I had already been turning pages for him on a Concert D Steinway and Sons for two years already. He graduated Yale school of music in three years as he was teaching Paul Hindemith classes as an assistant for counterpoint and harmony, since Paul was rarely there. He said Jeff, why don’t you play the oboe because you’ll get all the solos…so I did. He was right.
This video is priceless. I'm just starting myself, and was only told about sounding a C. This is so much more an exercise in control. Love it. Excellent. I hope my neighbors don't call the cops.
I think this video helped me out a lot and was very useful for the school assignment that we had to do. But i have to mention that the people in the background sound amazing!
Hi! Thanks for this! this exercise really helped me a lot! not only it improved my instrument control (dynamic range) but it helped me with reed making! I was able to spot details on the reed, and I was then able to fix it!
I don't play oboe (although I've been thinking about taking up the instrument). In any event, this is a fascinating and impressive video. Dr. Parker obviously has a profound understanding of the technique, and his manner in teaching is thoughtful and kind. I agree with Ms. Ronni Parker that this video "will greatly enhance any music lover's appreciation of instrumental music."
