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Spring 2015
UWSP OBOE BULLETIN
TEACHING ARTISTS, TRANSFORMING LIVES.
Double Reed Ensemble at Camp COFAC 2014
Opportunities
Music Camp
Register now for UWSP’s Camp COFAC – an
oboe camp and band camp combined. We’ll
make reeds, play oboe ensembles and more! For
more information, visit
http://www.uwsp.edu/cofac/FineArtsCamp
Free Lesson
Come check out UW-Stevens Point and get a
free oboe lesson! You’re welcome to spend an
hour or a day, visiting the school and Music
Department.
The oboe studio is part of the
outstanding Department of
Music at the University of
Wisconsin – Stevens Point.
Oboists can pursue degrees
in music, music performance
and music education. Many
music students are even
double majors outside of
music! A new opportunity is
an Instrumental Performance
Certificate for intensive
music performance studies
as a non-major.
Oboe Day
Put February 13, 2016 on your calendars for
UWSP Oboe Day/Woodwind Day. It’s like a
mini-camp, as we’ll have master classes, work
on reeds and play ensembles.
If you are considering UWSP,
come for a day on campus
and attend classes and
rehearsals, get a lesson with
Prof. Berk and meet students
already in the program. This
is the best way to see if UWSP
is the right place for you.
Auditions
Auditions are required for all incoming music
majors and minors prior to admission to the
Department of Music. Dates for admission and
scholarship consideration for Fall 2016 are:
February 27, 2016
March 12, 2016
Oboe in the Summer
Summertime is a great time to recharge your oboe
batteries and to rethink your playing habits. When
there’s not assigned music from your band or
orchestra ensemble it can be easy to slip into a nopractice mode. Instead, this is a time when you can
play music that YOU want to play! Get a book of any
kind of music (oboe, classical, pop, jazz, whatever)
and sight-read and practice as much as you can. Piano
songbooks work great, as treble clef vocal ranges
typically fit nicely into oboe range. Or play recordings
of your favorite music and improvise along with it.
Can you pick out the melody on your oboe? What
about making up a harmony part to go along? If
you’re interested in what you’re playing it’ll go a
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Oboe in the Summer (continued)
long way toward encouraging
you to play throughout the
summer.
As you play, spend some time
each day thinking about HOW
you play. Are your fingers as soft
and relaxed as they can be? Is
your jaw dropped and mouth in
an “O” shape? This will help your
tone be rounder and help the reed
work better. Is your posture tall
but relaxed? Is your air supported
with your lower abdominal
muscles?
In addition to thinking about the
physical aspects of playing, also
think about the musical aspect of
playing, which is just as
important. Are you leaning into
the most important notes in each
phrase? Are you getting as much
contrast in dynamics as you can?
If your favorite singer were to
sing this line, how would they do
it? Emulate that kind of
expression and you’ll go a long
way toward making the music
more interesting for yourself and
for the audience!
Finally, listen to as much great
music as you can, especially oboe,
but also other instruments and
styles. Some of my favorite
oboists are: Diana Doherty, Allen
Vogel, Hansjörg Schellenberger,
Eugene Izotov, Alex Klein and
François Leleux. Some of them
even have master classes and
lessons on YouTube that you can
be inspired by.
So don’t let the lazy summer days
get in the way of advancing on
the oboe. Let it recharge your
love of music and music making!
Online Events Calendar
The College of Fine Arts &
Communication is a vibrant
college with events to attend
almost daily during the school
year! For information about
current events, LIKE us on
Facebook or visit our web page at
www.uwsp.edu/cofac to view
the schedule of events.
Why study music at UWSP?
22:1 student to faculty ratio
100% graduates hired or
enrolled in graduate school
within one year of
graduating
Multiple large ensemble and
chamber music
opportunities for students
Personal attention in a
supportive environment
with high expectations
UWSP Oboists having fun backstage on
tour with the UWSP Wind Ensemble
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I appreciate hearing from you!
Please call or email.
Stacey Berk
Professor of Oboe
stacey.berk@uwsp.edu
715-256-1526
UW-Stevens Point
Department of Music
Noel Fine Arts Center
1800 Portage Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481
www.uwsp.edu/music