The Philadelphia Influence on the Art of Reed Making

• Other Authors: Messich, Reid G. (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Music
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-5403

The oboe reed is both a blessing and a curse--the bane and the delight of every oboist. There is nothing greater than the satisfaction of creating an amazing reed that will do everything an oboist requires. A great reed allows one to play for hours and not grow exhausted. It helps produce easier articulation and response from the instrument, as well as a better musical line to help the oboist sound more fluid in his phrasing. A bad reed, however, will cause a lot of stress in the life of an oboist, forcing him to spend countless hours behind a reed desk. Due to the uniqueness of each reed and each oboist, no two players will ever produce an identical tone on the oboe. This is true even if two players use the same oboe with the exact same reed. The whole purpose behind reed making is not to create another level of difficulty for the oboist, but to uniquely bring out the best qualities of the oboe and the oboist's individuality. Reed making, while stressful in the early stages of learning, eventually becomes a very personal endeavor for each oboist. The more knowledge gained in the reed-making process, the greater the strive to perfect it. In reality, there is no such thing as a perfect reed. An oboist's goal, when making reeds, is to strive for response, correct pitch, stability, and a tone that is unwavering in beauty. The tone should not be so strident and shrill that it lacks depth, yet also not be so dark that the flexibility of the tone is hindered. As the majority of reed making taught today is based on the American style of reed making, few students get the opportunity to learn about reed making from the Philadelphia point of view. Most do not even realize the school of reed making they learn from is derived from the Philadelphia style. There are many guides already published and available for oboists today, but none refer to the oboe reed through the Philadelphia influence. This paper is not meant to state the Philadelphia reed-making process is the only correct way to make a reed. It is intended to enlighten young and professional oboists and to tweak their interest in experimenting with their own reeds to create an even better product. It is the goal of this project to present ideas of reed making to both amateur and professional oboists, who have not had the opportunity to study within the aforementioned Philadelphia music schools. It will allow them to take a look at their current reed-making skills and apply new ideas. One of the most beautiful aspects of reed making is that it is constantly changing. It is my hope that the information provided in this document, and supplied from other oboists influenced by the Philadelphia style, will open new reed-making ideas to many oboists. This document will contain all information I have accumulated in the years of study in Philadelphia and present the knowledge of reed making through my eyes. It will follow the process of reed making from raw materials through the finished reed, and discuss each detail that goes into creating the Philadelphia reed. Surveys on reed making, from other graduates from the Philadelphia area, are included in this study to serve as reinforcement to the ideals and principles that still hold true in the Philadelphia area today. Reed making has always been one of my strongest passions as an oboist and it is my wish to share the knowledge I have obtained throughout my years of study. === A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music. === Fall Semester, 2012. === September 27, 2012. === Oboe, Philadelphia, Reed === Includes bibliographical references. === Eric Ohlsson, Professor Directing Treatise; Richard Clary, University Representative; Deborah Bish, Committee Member.