Oboe life: Take 1 - Fireworks and Music Disasters
So, it’s midnight. HAPPY FOURTH TO ALL OF YOU! Anyway, yesterday, during lunch time, I get this email about my ensemble placement in SDYS. I got put into 3 ensembles! Except, they’re really intermediate. I did try out for the ovation program, but my flute auditioned sucked due to that C on the very high register. In my head, I calculate the hours I have to spend at rehearsals with these ensembles that I got in, and it was like 9 hours! I have to spend 9 hours every week and rush to school for marching competitions. Nope, not gonna happen. So I emailed the administration about it, but since its firework weekend, I have to wait until Tuesday.
I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! I will be enjoying today at orchestra rehearsal playing the Rachmaninoff opera, Alekko, Saturday at the county fair, and Sunday at SDSU spending my entire next week with SDSMI music camp.
May all of you have a safe Independence Day.
May all of you have a safe Independence Day.
Hello to all of you! I just recently came back from the SDSMI music camp in San Diego. It was my second time there and I made it as Principal Oboist of one of the ensembles there. This year had to be better than last year’s because (1) we started a String Orchestra this year, (2) we got more oppurtunities with Professional Oboists, and lastly, (3) SDSMI had its first guest artist *Drum Roll* World Renowned Euphonium player, Brian Bowman! Ahh! All the wind ensembles had a chance to accompany his solos and got to meet him. It was fantastic! My overall experience was just great. We also got the chance of attending a concert performed by the San Diego Winds.
I know for a fact that i’ve improved in my playing technique and was shown what music really meant to everyone. The masterclasses were just small previews of what will soon to be my Private Lessons with the Principal Oboists of the San Diego Symphony. I feel so lucky. Brian Bowman even gave all of us a lesson in producing good tone quality. I’ll post a picture of that. I know that I am on the right path at becoming who I want to be, and that is to be a Professional Oboist. Hard work and dedication, bring it on. Well, thats it for now.
I will later post videos I took from camp of several performances and one of Brian Bowman. Enjoy the summer! Keep practicing!
Hello to the world of music on tumblr! Anyway, I just finished my one week of band camp with all of the craziness of new freshmen and new music and all that jazz. So, for those of you who don’t know, I’m also a flute player (played since 2008). I only play flute at school nowadays, but soon I will be playing flute for the San Diego Youth Symphony. Oh, I guess you guys are wandering about my oboe life…shh. I haven’t practiced since Sunday since band camp was 9 to 9 this whole week. Don’t worry, I’m gonna practice later today to make it up.
A little bit about marching band for me: I still do flute today because my school is in need of flutes. I thought I could quit the flute this year…until my band director placed me as Woodwind Captain (section leader for all woodwinds). So, I’m still doing that whole annoying sunscreen stuff and marching on the football field with 8 to 5s and 16 to 5s and 6 to 5s. (I apologize to all the double reed players who don’t know anything about marching band).
Oh, so our show this year is about toys; like toy soldiers. Our songs are going to be based on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. I like it, kind of. I had the crazy idea of asking my band director to give me an oboe solo for the last movement…hey, if I’m forced to march again, I want a special, unique solo. So, I’ll ask her next rehearsal.
Every year, for band camp we have several teams. Each team is grouped by different instruments. This year, flutes were paired with trombones. I felt like all of us were like why, but we pulled through. We even came in a close 2nd place this year (color guard and baritones/tubas won 1st). Anyway, our team name this year was Swiggity Swones Flambones. Very weird. But oh well…and thats all to what I have to say. Until next time! Keep practicing!
A little bit about marching band for me: I still do flute today because my school is in need of flutes. I thought I could quit the flute this year…until my band director placed me as Woodwind Captain (section leader for all woodwinds). So, I’m still doing that whole annoying sunscreen stuff and marching on the football field with 8 to 5s and 16 to 5s and 6 to 5s. (I apologize to all the double reed players who don’t know anything about marching band).
Oh, so our show this year is about toys; like toy soldiers. Our songs are going to be based on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. I like it, kind of. I had the crazy idea of asking my band director to give me an oboe solo for the last movement…hey, if I’m forced to march again, I want a special, unique solo. So, I’ll ask her next rehearsal.
Every year, for band camp we have several teams. Each team is grouped by different instruments. This year, flutes were paired with trombones. I felt like all of us were like why, but we pulled through. We even came in a close 2nd place this year (color guard and baritones/tubas won 1st). Anyway, our team name this year was Swiggity Swones Flambones. Very weird. But oh well…and thats all to what I have to say. Until next time! Keep practicing!
Oboe Life: Take 6 - Life, Liberty, and Flute Dominos (apparently not death).
Hello to many of you, who go on tumblr on a Sunday Morning. Anywho, life still goes on, and I am still doing Marching Band. I just had the worst Saturday in the history of Saturdays ever yesterday, and it makes me wonder why I agreed to still do Marching Band. Sometimes, I just want to kill someone for forcing this task down my throat (figuratively speaking).
Okay, so for people reading my “Oboe Life” for the first time (hey, congrats) I play flute in a high school marching band during marching season. Then I switch over to Oboe in the Spring for concert season. I prefer oboe, but I was placed as woodwind captain, so now i’m forced to play flute.
Anyway, so my saturday began really early. The band was hired to play at a Grand Opening for Sports Authority. Call time was 7:20. (Why the heck would you have a grand opening at 7 in the morning…). So, I’m about to leave the house at 6:30, and I get into my car…it’s not moving. I got out and checked…there’s a flat tire. So, I’m like panicing inside because there are no other cars for me to drive, and I had to be there early because I’m in leadership. So, I did three things. 1) I called my boyfriend first because he was like my 911 when I was in trouble (even though…he really doesn’t help me in most situations…). So, I tell him that I had a flat and if his mom can give me a ride over there. I live about half-an-hour away from the school, and he lives ten mins away from there, I live pretty far. He told me he’ll call me back to see if he can. 2) I call another fellow leader (in this case, our president), and she was just not answering her phone at all. Later, she texted me at 7 saying she just woke up. Then brings me to the last thing I did. 3) I text the Drum Major. Ironically, she was the last person late to the gig.
So, I get back in the house to eat some mangos cause I needed to calm myself, and I pet my rabbit while doing so. Next thing you know, right at 7, my mom comes home, and I just grabbed the keys and got her in the car with me. At this time, my boyfriend calls me back saying he’s on his way to get me, but I’m already driving, so they turn around and meet us over at the gig.
The gig lasted about an hour. It was the band, the cheerleaders, and the local YMCA. It was hot! It was early! and I just wanted to die. Afterwards, most of the band went over for brunch at Denny’s. I joined my boyfriend’s family there for brunch and you know, we ate, we had a good time. I was putting this fake smile and quiet attitude to surpress my inner demon that wanted to just sleep. The rest of the morning before rehearsal started, all I did was hang out with his family.
Oh, so before the rehearsal started, our leadership was nominated to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, I was supposed to do it, but I didn’t make it in time. Our leadership nominated all the drum majors in our school district, another high school’s band leadership, and one of the brass coaches. I wish I had done it because the weather was 91 degrees farenheit all throughout the afternoon. I was dying and was so annoyed and pissed. I kid no one that I just wanted to kill people. We even ran out of water and ice half way for the first part of the rehearsal.
By the time dinner came around, I was just dying and felt so light headed. It was a lot of pain to deal with, but of course, I had to be the one to push through it because I’m in leadership. Although, the one thing that was the absolute worst part of the night was Flute Dominos.
Flute Dominos: so it was 8:40ish at night, and it was one of the last few runs of the night. We were doing the second movement of our marching show, and the second set to the 3rd the woodwinds were doing a backwards march, one flute tripped, then the other one tripped on her, then another, then me, then the piccolo, then the last flute player. It was one of the most humiliating things I have ever experienced (besides my nose bleed incident at festival. I’ll tell the story another time). Everyone was laughing, and we had to redo the run, not to mention all of us doing push-ups for our chaos.
For me, I felt really ashamed at myself. As section leader of all woodwinds, I just couldn’t handle that because it made me look bad, and I felt like I lost trust from everyone. When you’re a leader and you lose the trust of others, its really hard to regain it back. The staff gave everyone a 10 min. break after that, and I just went back on the field and went into a child’s pose, crying. My body was giving up, my mind was racing at a million miles per hour, and a little child emerged and took hold of me. The rest of the night, even after practice, I barely talked to anyone. I just wanted to go home and die.
But hey, it happened, and I just have to be strong about it. I may be dying on the inside, but I have to show how strong I can be about it. Well, that’s it for this week’s adventure. I will try my hardest to get at least one of these once a week. Until next week! Keep practicing!
Oboe Life: Take 7 - FOOOOTBALLL, Honor Band, & Composition (HOT!)
Hello! So, I’m gonna go backwords in this timeline, so pay attention. Just kidding, I’m just doing this to remember life. Anyway, so we had our 1st Home Football Game for marching band. It was also our first performance during Halftime of our 1st and 2nd movements. I really liked it, and I enjoyed how it went. For a first performance, it went pretty well, it was okay. We can do better next Friday. The band was just super spirited and awesome last night, I even had a fun time watching the football team win. It was funny; my freshmen year, I had no clue what the hell was going when football played, and I even asked, “Did they get a home run?”. Sophomore year, I kind of got a clue, but this year (Junior year), I actually understood everything. No more saying “home runs” or “hole in one”. My woodwind section did amazing being enthusiastic and having fun. There were some who were a little forgetful, but we fixed the situation. Oh! So, in marching band, everyone has to wear gloves, but my woodwinds (clarinets & flutes) have to have their finger tips cute for them to be able to play, especially for me and clarinets, I play an open hole flute for marching band, and clarinets have open hole keys. The thing was, I was doing the cutting of the fingertips, and what I told them was to put their gloves on and stick their fingers out. I was cutting fast. People were freaking out thinking that I would cut their fingers off, there was even this one flute player in my section, who started screaming, and my face went into a big shock, until I figured out that I really didn’t. I had my fingertips cut too, and my friend, The Piccolo (toothpick), did that, and she was telling me that she’s afraid of cutting my fingers off, but I told her, “Hey, I’ll forgive you if you do cut my finger off, but I’ll just have to end up playing instruments with my toes”. Anyway, last night was just one of the best I’ve ever experienced with a football game, and everything was cool, (I posted a pic on my insta: Heyitsgeorgiiee of my flute section with 2 of my past sectionleaders from middle school and high school).
So, before the whole football game happened, our director posted the District Honor Band music on the band website. Being who I am, was one of the first people to check it out. I look at it, and it’s Pictures at an Exhibition “Il Vecchio Castello” - Mussorgsky and Molly on the Shore - Grainger. It’s my second year trying out on Oboe (Freshmen year, I auditioned on flute). Not to sound conceited or a snob, but I know I’m getting in. There are barely any oboe players in my high school district. I was 2nd chair (last) chair last year, and the Principle Oboist just graduated last year. I’m not hoping for 1st because I know something can happen, but I do hope to actually get in. Anywho, I just have to rebuild my embochure and have a consistent schedule for Private Lessons.
The beginning of this week, I was only worried about writing music. We’re doing small ensembles that I’m co-leading with a fellow trombone player. She’s handling brass, and i’m in charge of woodwinds. We have almost the entire flute section and 3 clarinets and 2 saxophones. I’m doing oboe, and will only be the only oboist, unless I can get one of the flute players to practice oboe. For flutes, I gave them Pavane - Maurice Ravel. For Clarinets/Saxes, Humoresque - Antonin Dvorak. I think it will go great. I have faith in flutes. Clarinets and Saxes, I’m a little skeptical about them, but I trust they will get better with practice. Also, I chose an advanced piece when we start intermixing instruments, and I wanted to do two pieces: Aubade - Paul de Wailly & 3 Flitrtations for Oboe and Trumpet. Aubade is a trio for Flute, Oboe, & Clarinet; I really want to do this piece because it can express a lot of musicality that it demands from the players, and I need advanced players to play this with me to give them some insight on expressiveness and structure. For the Flirtations for Oboe and Trumpet duet, I’ve been trying to find a simple, relaxing duet with some intermediate demands to play with my boyfriend (trumpet). I realized recently how much improvement he’s been growing, and how well his tone and technique has gotten. I know he doesn’t like to play soloistic or duets or stuff (with me especially), but I just want to actually expose him to something interesting. Maybe I’ll just write one. Speaking of which, his birthday is coming up, and I plan to surprise him with something musical.
Oh, so, if any of you folks have been experiencing Southern California weather, it has reached 103 degrees, and I am just having one of those bad attitudes and having bad temper. I absolutely hate hot, and warm weather. So, at practices, I’m just not smiling or patient. I feel like that, I don’t know if that is actually happening, but I just feel like that. Anyway, I’m gonna end it here tonight. It’s still super hot, and I just want to possibly take a nap. Okay, until next time guys! Keep being “natural”!
Oboe Life - Take 8: Look at the Stars!
Hey to all of you. I’m just gonna start blabbing about life. So, 1st off, Honor Bands. I know last time I talked about auditioning for Distrtict Honor Band, but I’ve decided to prepare for California All State Honor Band as well. I’ve never done this, but since I’ve decided to become a Music Major, I have to audition more and more to prepare for my college auditions. This year’s audtion piece for All State is Camille Saint-Saens’s Oboe Sonata. I already ordered my own copy of it, and it should be arriving this Thursday. I can’t wait to play it. So, I’ve put the Poulenc piece away for awhile to concentrate on the Sonata. I’m still debating whether or not I wanna do the Southern California Honor Band, but I’ll make up my mind later.
Speaking of college, I’m leaning towards just staying in California and not even going out of state. I do wanna go up Northern and get out of Southern. My flute section are wanting to really go to UCLA only because I think they wanna be with our former section leader. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I just want something new. So, UCLA is one of the schools i’m considering, but its not my #1 school that I wanna go to. I’m looking at the bay area, maybe UC Berkley or the San Fransico Conservatory up there. Some of the other schools are other UC schools, and possibly some in the East Coast. It all depends, but I’ll keep researching.
Marching Band is still going great. We just finished our 3rd movement, and competition is in less than 2 weeks. I’m excited and I know that the band is excited. There was a quoted that our Drum Major said last night after our last Saturday Rehearsal, and it was “We earn the trophies at practice, and we pick them up at Competitions”. So, super excited for that. We have way more props for a 1a band, and our drill is just super hard, and annoying, but we know that we’ll kick butt. Oh! So, if you’ve ever been or seen a football stadium, there are bright headlights right above that keep the football field lit up, and its really bright. My freshmen year, our last marching band rehearsal, the lights went off, and it was super dark. People were pulling out their phones and screaming. Freshmen year was fun, eventually the lights came back on, but last night the lights went off too right after rehearsal ended. I didn’t really find it fun though, because everyone was just screaming. Our drum major called everyone to attention, and I gave out the commands for everyone to just get everything off the field. I was the last one there to make sure that everyone was off and that nothing was left behind. I noticed though how bright the stars were. It was beautiful, and everything just seemed still. I wish people can realize what’s going up above their heads instead of what’s happening on their phones. Anyway, so that’s that.
So, I guess that’s all I have to say. I really don’t have anything more than just all of these things happening. I’m so scared for my future, but I’m still preparing, and I’m happy to know that I’m deciding at a good pace. Well, I’ll write again later. Enjoy the fall weather coming in!
Oboe life - Take 9: Life Away From Music
Hi guys. Happy Sunday! Honestly, I know barely anyone even reads this, but you know I just want to write out about my life whether or not someone reads it or not. So, tonight, Im just gonna talk about my regular life away from music. Lets get started.
Im still in highschool, being the typical teenager, who kills herself with the tremendous work and stressload of 3 AP classes and Band. Not only that, but I do academic league (decathalon, quiz bowl, whatever you guys wanna call it), and science olympiad (huge nerd science fair); Im the president for the science fair one. At school, I aim to be at the top 3% of my class (top 30) and hope to get a good scores on my SATs and APs.
At home, I grew up from a non-musical family, but with little choral experience and little-instrument experience from my great great grandfather. Like school, home life is just as busy and rowdy with a big family and little house. I managed to care for a rabbit, named Brownie for a year, but he died recently about 2 weeks ago. I grew up moving frequently from one state to another, and to many elementary schools. My home life wasnt stable until 4th grade when I was able to settle with my mom, grandmother, and brother. Other people lived along with us, but they come and go.
It wasnt until 4th grade when I started focusing more on martial arts, swimming, and where I began to study music voluntarily. Martial arts, I studied Arnis/Eskrima (filipino stick fighting) from my dad since I was 5, around the same time when I started to study the art of TaeKwonDo (south korean). I rarely practice arnis now since I started high school, but I come back to practicing it at times. On regular basis, I practice TKD about once a week. I do the old school forms of Palgwes and the more modern TaeGeuks. Martial arts is a huge part of my life and is a part of me, for it really did teach me the way of life, and is a great way to relieve stress. As for swimming, professionally, no, but I did learn all the techniques of swimming and went on to do some things for the local pool community during the summers as a junior life guard. Not my number one focus in life, but its a hobby that, like martial arts, is a part of me since I was a toddler.
Music: okay, i said i wouldnt talk about music, but I’ll only talk of my beginning. So, when i finally got to settle down in a town where I can make long term friends during my 4th grade year, I decided for some reason that I wanted to play piano. My grandmother bought this house, and along came a piano. No one knew how to play it, so I decided I would be the first to learn. At first it seemed weird that I was attracted to the box of string, but everyone figured I couldve gotten this from my great great grandfather. But yeah, i learned, and I am an advanced player who has performed in many groups and sometimes as a soloist on piano. The following year, i picked up the flute since middle school didnt accept piano, so I began to learn it too, but i learned quick since I already had music theory built into me. I focused on flute and became adavnced enough to play in youth symphonies until I was called to play oboe. Oboe i didnt pick up until 8th grade and I wont go further with that.
*bonus, I did however sing for a couple of years. I sang in elementary school and middle school. I won attention when I sang the national anthem at a parade in elementary school, but that chorus side of me died, when i was dragged into band…literally, but thats a story for next time. Okay, well thats it from me. Until next time!!
Im still in highschool, being the typical teenager, who kills herself with the tremendous work and stressload of 3 AP classes and Band. Not only that, but I do academic league (decathalon, quiz bowl, whatever you guys wanna call it), and science olympiad (huge nerd science fair); Im the president for the science fair one. At school, I aim to be at the top 3% of my class (top 30) and hope to get a good scores on my SATs and APs.
At home, I grew up from a non-musical family, but with little choral experience and little-instrument experience from my great great grandfather. Like school, home life is just as busy and rowdy with a big family and little house. I managed to care for a rabbit, named Brownie for a year, but he died recently about 2 weeks ago. I grew up moving frequently from one state to another, and to many elementary schools. My home life wasnt stable until 4th grade when I was able to settle with my mom, grandmother, and brother. Other people lived along with us, but they come and go.
It wasnt until 4th grade when I started focusing more on martial arts, swimming, and where I began to study music voluntarily. Martial arts, I studied Arnis/Eskrima (filipino stick fighting) from my dad since I was 5, around the same time when I started to study the art of TaeKwonDo (south korean). I rarely practice arnis now since I started high school, but I come back to practicing it at times. On regular basis, I practice TKD about once a week. I do the old school forms of Palgwes and the more modern TaeGeuks. Martial arts is a huge part of my life and is a part of me, for it really did teach me the way of life, and is a great way to relieve stress. As for swimming, professionally, no, but I did learn all the techniques of swimming and went on to do some things for the local pool community during the summers as a junior life guard. Not my number one focus in life, but its a hobby that, like martial arts, is a part of me since I was a toddler.
Music: okay, i said i wouldnt talk about music, but I’ll only talk of my beginning. So, when i finally got to settle down in a town where I can make long term friends during my 4th grade year, I decided for some reason that I wanted to play piano. My grandmother bought this house, and along came a piano. No one knew how to play it, so I decided I would be the first to learn. At first it seemed weird that I was attracted to the box of string, but everyone figured I couldve gotten this from my great great grandfather. But yeah, i learned, and I am an advanced player who has performed in many groups and sometimes as a soloist on piano. The following year, i picked up the flute since middle school didnt accept piano, so I began to learn it too, but i learned quick since I already had music theory built into me. I focused on flute and became adavnced enough to play in youth symphonies until I was called to play oboe. Oboe i didnt pick up until 8th grade and I wont go further with that.
*bonus, I did however sing for a couple of years. I sang in elementary school and middle school. I won attention when I sang the national anthem at a parade in elementary school, but that chorus side of me died, when i was dragged into band…literally, but thats a story for next time. Okay, well thats it from me. Until next time!!
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