bp_oboist
Hm, well, like you said, you don't want to take on so much that you can't handle it. I would do whatever you feel is best for you. I think you'll be fine either way (:

bp_oboist
omg, megan, that's awesome ! congratulations !! i knew you would

bp_oboist
i knowww. i'm really scared. i know i'm not gonna have a social life after this year hahaha

bp_oboist
I know what you mean! My schedule for this year is gonna be crazy. I took like 5 honors classes, plus all the auditions for honors bands, TRYPO, pit orchestra for drama club, chamber orchestra, pit orchestra for my chamber directors school, and who knows what else!

bp_oboist
ahh, i know how you feel. i was really suprised i got in as an alternate, cause i'm up against the same thing as you. luckily, the alternates almost always get in the next year, and there are already two guaranteed spots, and another possible one if this other girl leaves. i'm sure you'll be fine, because if you get in as an alternate, then you know you're good enough to play in the orchestra! it's just a matter of waiting your turn. so don't worry too much about it. i'm sure it'll be okay.

bp_oboist
have you heard from your youth orchestra yet ?

bp_oboist
Haha, yeah it's nice to get lessons. my band director (middle school) was apercussionisy, so hah you can guess the rest. I had to stop playing at the end of the year because I used the school horns. It basicallystarted as something to do at lunch, but I ended up loving it :D. I can't wait to start up again in the fall with it!!

Guess what ! I got my natural vibrato on oboe and english horn a couple days ago !! My tone has finally improved too !

bp_oboist
Hah yeah. it sounds awkward when I play with my friend because he's really good. I'll attempt to imitate him, and then it's like a drop off of random notes. when I do play it correctly it sounds really nice. Haha

bp_oboist
it's kinda hard (french horn).. I know the fingerings, but it's the whole embochure thing that gets me. Mine still isn't very strong. I am able to hit a bunch of high notes though !!

bp_oboist
that's so cool! I started learning French horn, I LoVE it ! (:

I hope you made it into your orchestra!! Good luck!

I only have aim. :\

bp_oboist
hey i haven't talked to you in a loooooonnnnggg time ! GUESS WHAT ! I MADE IT INTO PYSO AS AN ALTERNATE ! i beat out two of the juniors that tried out

bp_oboist
aha, actually it's the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, but most people call it PYSO. I tried out last year, but didn't make it. They take seniors in highschool through college for oboe most of the time.. so I'm at the short end of the stick for it :\. Thanks for the good luck though, auditions are in April this year. Luckily the audition repetoire is the same every year (: so I just have to re-learn it, and make it better than it was last year.

What I'm really working towards is a more professional tone, more natural vibrato, and whatever else my teacher and I feel needs improved for the audition (: I'm so excited for the auditions lol.

Well, I bet you'll make the top youth orchestra in your area this year ! Maybe we'll both get into the top ones(:

bp_oboist
Wow, that really stinks :[ I'm hoping to get into PYSO this year (the top youth orchestra in western PA).. but idk i didn't get in lastyear. I think i'm still too young haha

bp_oboist
Haha, you're right. Right now, I"m so sick of band.. like it's not any fun anymore. I'm about 99% sure I want to quit. I'll continue with orchestra, but band is just not worth it anymore. I would love to play with the symphonic band at my highschool next year, but I dont think they'll let freshman in it :[

Canadian
I suppose oboe and flute play together a lot because they sit side by side and have close to the same range. But the oboe plays with lots of the wind instruments. Lots of bassoon/oboe duets in some orchestral pieces. I guess it's because the oboe just sounds good with many instruments? I don't know.

I found this on youtube. It's kind of a jazzy/world music song. Looks like it's for Piano, drums, some string instrument, and english horn! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCv1e-9oeNo&feature=channel_page

Thought you might enjoy that if you haven't seen it yet.

Canadian
Yes! I completely agree. Oboe does not go well with any saxophone in my opinion. However, oboe and flute go very well together.

Canadian
Ah. You and bp_oboist seem to be having a very interesting conversation here. I know how both you guys feel about band and orchestra. I absolutely hate band, but I absolutely love orchestra! Oboe is definitely not a band instrument. Or, atleast, it's not very fun to play in band. Also, there is barely an competition with band, but atleast there's some in orchestra. I find it really interesting that most oboists really are, simply, really good, or not very good at all.

bp_oboist
ohh, well i think it's pretty dumb to leave out the basic instruments.. without them it's kinda empty suonding i think ? idk.

i know exactly what you're talking about. when i first started playing i thought i was always going to sound like that lol, until 6th grade. i kicked it into overdrive and got a lot better at oboe (:

bp_oboist
blah, that's terrible !!! you can't like do anything without bassoon, oboe or french horn !!!! and i HATE saxophone. i play tenor in the stage band; it's awful.

i like not having competition in band sometimes because the oboists you play with aren't exactly good. everyone says "you're either really good at oboe or you suck, there's no middle ground" and i would agree !! haha that's a plus about playing oboe: no competition in band sometimes (:!

bp_oboist
Yeah,I know how you feel ! Our band concert went well... I guess ? Haha.

Orchestra is WAAAAAAAAAAAY better than band. I don't even know if I want to continue with band anymore next year... It's not even worth it. I'm not being challenged, it's boring, nd i'll be playin music at the level i played at in like6th grade !!

the oboes in TRYPO aren't that great, but some competition is nice.

bp_oboist
haah, wow.. that happeened to me at a concert once.. except ALL MY REEDS BROKE !!! it was awful.. i was playing on a brand new reed..
So your concert went well ? What did you play ?

Haha, my orchestra concert went AMAZING ! after our first piece, william tell overture, the crowd went wildd !! and then when the flute player and i stood up we got standing ovations 1 (: basically, the whole concert went great. I'm excited for the one in Feb.

bp_oboist
heeellloooo (:

bp_oboist
yes ! maybe he isn't mad at me afterall !?

bp_oboist
Okay, I have his number, but me and my friend Katie called him, and he hung up on me!!!! Then we called again, and Katie said she heard when his dad said it's Mark, No, ew I hate Mark from Raymond.. So I'm like going crazy trying to figure out why he hates me. and I can give you his cell and/or house if you want it.

bp_oboist
hey, were you able to get ahold of raymond?

bp_oboist
i finally put a vid of me playing oboe on there ! except it's with my old one.. not my new fox.

bp_oboist
okay, thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much !

bp_oboist
oh! if you wouldn't mind when you call him, woudl you please tell him that i (mark) am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry if i'm the reason he was grounded! i'm like going crazy that we haven't talked in what feels like such a long time.. ! i wanna call him too... but i dont think that would be such a good idea.. :[ :\

bp_oboist
wellll it's been almost a month and i still haven't heard anything. i'm worried.

bp_oboist
well for the what... almost 3/4 months i've known him he's been grounded atleast 3x. this is definetely the longest.. i guess he got grounded cause his parents don't know me and the long distance phone calls.. ? i feel kinda bad for that happeneing.

bp_oboist
yeahh.. idk his parents. so i wouildnt' know how long to expect a grounding to range ffrom. they seem very uptight?

bp_oboist
do you ever talk to him in person.. if you do could you ask him if mark got him in any trouble? probably cause we talk on the phone and the long distance stufff.. idk. and if i did tell him i'm reallllllyyyy sorry, and taht i never wanted to get him in any trouble.

bp_oboist
no, unfortunately i don't know him in person. i wish i did though, but we've talked on the phone with each other and stuff so yeah. i live on the other side of the country coughsPAcough. :\ he's a great friend.

i've tried texting him but he didn't answer or anything, and like i'm kinda worried.

bp_oboist
your orchestra rehearsals are 45 minutes long?? ... haha mine are like 2 hrs for SHJO, 2 hr 30 for TRYPO and then for PYSO (whcih ill hopefully get in this year) is like 3-4 hours plus 6 hour dress rehearsals.

bp_oboist
have you heard from raymond lately.. he's like never on AIM.

oboegirl
Thanks for the friend request!

JazzSaxophone
haiz megan... i am soooo excited... i gotz maslf firstest chr
ok, I am done with that wierd speak.

I have jazz band tryout on the 29...
here i am... counting the days... I am such a dork..lol
well... byzzle from rhizzle

oboegirl
How did your youth symphony auditions go?

bp_oboist
10-12 is not our symphonic band. we have separate bands for those who do not make the symphonic band.

bp_oboist
haha raymond sometimes does that. he goes on and on about flute all the time and about how he wants a gold flute thats like over $100,000 !? i told him he was insanee.

haha, in band today, we actually sounded better than our usual standard! i almost died. lol! our band director had this meeting before school today, and he was talking about being excited to play in homeroom (for stage band which i unfortunately play tenor in) and he said we shoudl be playing better than the 9th and 10-12 grade bands?! i was like wtf. mr. p how is that possible.

MusicalPanda
Congratulations on a new Oboe - I havent been active on these forums much xD.

JazzOboe
I know! I'm so happy about the orchestra! the unfortunate thing is that I have to go to practice 45 minutes away every Sunday. Well, I'm a young 13-year-old, so it's not like I'm gonna run outta gas like the car surely will with all those trips. I'm just worried about my parents... o.O Poor mom.

bp_oboist
oh! and congrats on making that orchestra!

bp_oboist
ahah! okay, well i think i'm gonna post something tonight. i'm leaning towards the handel concerto in g minor allegro 1st mvt.

i loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee english horn!!! sometimes i consider it greater than the oboe *gasps* haha, i'm borrowing TRYPO's till january, and it's actually a very nice one. i enjoy it a lot but it's SO HEAVY!! i have to use a fhred haha, i'm so weak. i hurt myself from the weight of it on my thumb. it helps your abilityto play oboe, just like piccolo and flute (hah raymond told me that so i'll give him his credit for that).

oboegirl
Yeah I think there were a lot of oboes that tried out! I had my first practice yesterday and they even had a 3rd chair oboist so now I feel pretty good! I even get to play the solo at the beginning of Danse Bacchanalle because the first oboist is playing english horn for that song! :D Oh and thanks for the comment about my picture! It is of my dog Maggie!

P.S. Paul McCandless is Awsome!

bp_oboist
hmm. i have a lot to choose from. my teacher has me working out of this book i shouldn't be in until college, the vade mecum of the oboist. there's tons of excerpts there.. a couple concertos.. solos from trypo music. idk what to play.

you seem so concerned about the competition of how well i play oboe..

tenorsax13
lol, thats great!

do you have an aim?

bp_oboist
haah i'll post something soon. idk what i'm gonna post though.

oboegirl
I've never heard of oboes playing jazz before. Thats awesome!

oboegirl
lol when I talk about the english horn most people think I'm talking about the french horn.

oboegirl
I'm going to learn the english horn! (as soon as I get one lol) I can't wait! :D

JazzOboe
Oh, yes. That's one of my favourite pictures. I also like the gold tinted pics and the pic with the oboe, music, and reeds in the corner.

I do the exact same thing! I'm able to get away with a few things that other's aren't able to get away from. I'm not a grade grub, but I argue every point I make with my English teacher. I get good grades in his class. Usually around a 96.

MusicalPanda
=O nice oboe pictures!

I really like the light brown oboe along side the flute! Looks really nice =D

JazzOboe
Well, yeah. I'm often smirking too. I guess I smile around teachers to be polite and disguise the blank stare in my eyes so that they think I'm listening. 8O

I have a mean strek though. I hit my band director on the back of the head with a volleyball. I mean, I meant to hit his feet, but it didn't happen like I had planned. >:-) Or did it??

iluvoboe565
haha ur teachers think u r santa's elf. my teachers think im smiling... but im really smirking

iluvoboe565
dude i absolutly love ur pic...

ChiSun
aww. don't say that. Thanks for the compliment though. Glad we're friends!

bp_oboist
i love your picture! i play english horn too!! it's amazing! :D

JazzOboe
No problem. I'm just amazed, because I couldn't compose for my life. What is the program you use?

I think you should do a dark piece that brings out the low notes in double reed instruments. I love that sound.