A Double Reed Day is an annual event that brings together oboists and bassoonists of all ages and musical capabilities with the sole purpose of entertainment, learning and even inspiring each other. At the University of South Alabama, this year’s celebrations of the annual Double Reeds Day went down at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. There were two guests, James Brody, and Darell Hale. It is no wonder that this year’s Double Reeds Day happens to be one of the best in recent times considering the visitors are celebrated experts. All participants have been offered the opportunity to make reeds and even make presentations together. There may have never been a better chance than this one, where everybody has been given an opportunity to teach and learn from each other. The celebration has been one of a kind and has given many oboists, pianists and bassoonists an opportunity to enrich and strengthen their knowledge, skills and expertise in music.
Perhaps the most important lesson one learns from this celebration is the appreciation of music by use of the piano reed instruments as well as the articulation of notes thus creating reeds. While playing oboe alongside the piano, the notes come out as classic and most important is the fact that a lot of focus was put on the works of Camille Saint- Saens. The reeds came out perfect and classical and it emerged that they are not the easiest to produce but were very beautiful. Through the lessons learned and the experience shared during this celebration, it emerges that double reeds are unique and respond differently with the body parts that help bring out the notes. When the combination of the piano and bassoon was made, it turned out well too especially with the Sarabande. When the trio was combined, that is the bassoon, oboe and piano, it became clear that the double reeds blended well and turned out to be very interesting. But more importantly, it is only right that one notes how the reed responds to the different points of articulation, because the oboe and bassoon have a way of playing that is different from the piano (Zager 70).
At the same time, there were plenty of lessons on how to work on reducing tension during a presentation, preventing injury as well as ensuring the general well- being of a person during a performance. The most important thing is that the lessons that came through centered on the wellness of the instrument players. That was because they are the ones that determine good music and proper handling of the musical instruments. That was particularly handled very well by James Brody, through the insights he offered, it becomes very clear that air pressure that emanates from deep in the lungs is what helps bring out the beautiful notes. That only means that the way a person starts or stops notes is very important and that the proper functioning of the body, tong, lips, glottis, the roof of the mouth as well as the breath of the player and the entire laryngeal cavity (Zager 69). One’s physical and emotional abilities play a key role in producing the most beautiful notes from their oboes and bassoons.
The Double Reed Day was exceptionally good and this year’s celebrations were exceptionally good and very informative. A lot of information was on offer, but he one thing that stood out was the fact that a lot of attention was given to the general wellness of the participants. It was good that this was the main theme because many are the times that reed players put a lot of effort on the notes produced, forgetting that they are the determinants of perfect or imperfect notes. At the end of it, it became clear that double reeds are unique and should be handled with a lot of care.
Works Cited
Zager, Michael. Music Production: For Producers, Composers, Arrangers, and Students. 2/e. Lanham. Scarecrow Press, 2012. Print
