Hey Reader, Back in June when I attended the IDRS Conference, I got to learn about a new innovation in reed knife sharpening which my friend Graham Mackenzie designed. Graham designed a jig to help us sharpen our reed knives more consistently. He's not in production yet, but I understand that he's working towards being able to produce and sell his jig. Today's newsletter is a guest article written by Graham! Getting your reed knife really, really sharp is one of the most important, and most...
5 months ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, You're invited to my free one-hour solo recital next week! Called Images for Oboe and Piano, each of the six pieces evokes a strong sense of place or character, from the mountains to the great plains to the seashore. This all-ages presentation includes music by traditionally under-represented composers William Grant Still, Ruth Gipps, Jenni Brandon, Daniel Baldwin, Chen Yi, and Jean Coulthard. There are two dates, and I hope you'll attend as well as spread the word: Friday,...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, It’s been a whirlwind few weeks. Earlier this week I played my second audition in two weeks (no, the repertoire did not overlap very much). And in 8 days I’m debuting my first solo recital program since 2012. I’m hoping to set up a livestream, info tbd, but if you’re in the San Jose area - you’re invited to join me in person for the upcoming dates: Friday, September 26, 1:30pm at West Valley College (Cilker building lobby) Saturday, September 27, 2:30pm at St. Lawrence Catholic...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Labor Day week! I’m a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians - they help me make (closer to) a living wage for my performance work with orchestras, and even once helped me get an orchestra to cover the repair costs for my English horn cracking! (tl/dr: someone had left the stage door open and it was 56 degrees on stage during rehearsal). My favorite union factoid is that labor unions’ advocacy for workers was responsible for making the 40-hour work week a...
7 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, It’s my first week back to school and man it has been busy, and delightful! This year most of my continuing students came for at least one lesson during the summer, but many of those happened way back in June, so it’s been fun to catch up with them and talk about their summer adventures! One of my own summer adventures included trying the new Legere Signature American Scrape oboe and English horn reeds and even getting one for myself. Legere has been pushing out their marketing...
7 months ago • 4 min read
Hey In my studio I have a short/long bookshelf that my students use to rest their cases and reeds/reed cups during lessons. On that shelf I put a vase and have been collecting student staples since October 2024. Two weeks ago at a lesson, a beginner asked me why I put reeds into the vase and I explained that they’re reeds from students so I can harvest and reuse the staples. Reusing staples I first started reusing staples as a poor college student. During Freshman year I transitioned from...
8 months ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, Last time I shared my typical 2-step sharpening method, as well as a video from LC Double Reeds on how to establish a really nice edge on your reed knife. Today I’ll be covering tools one can use when sharpening: stones, sticks, and rods. Ceramic Stones I love my ceramic sharpening stones. Ceramic stones are widely available, inexpensive, and come in a variety of grits and sizes. The best part about ceramic stones is that they’re easy to clean. Many of the single-stones can be...
9 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, I had a fantastic time at the IDRS conference! I learned a lot from the presentations and masterclasses, and came away with some ideas of compositions to learn from the many amazing performances I attended. One of the presentations was given by Graham Mackenzie who was a classmate of mine from DePaul. He’s designed a new sharpening jig which is designed to hold reed knives at consistent angles. He even has a version that can be assembled out of lego to lower the cost. While...
9 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, It’s finally almost summer break for me - I wrapped up my final lessons of the semester yesterday, have a concert with Santa Clara University tomorrow, and then I’m off (ish) for two weeks! As in previous summers, I’ll be slowing down the cadence of the newsletter for the summer. Instead of weekly, I’ll be writing biweekly newsletters to allow myself a little bit of creative space for other new and exciting projects! So I’ll be off next week, then you’ll hear from me every other...
10 months ago • 3 min read
