When playing the oboe, there are times when you ask yourself, "Why did I ever pick this stupid thing?" because it seems that no matter how hard you try, your intonation is terrible. But then you find the right spot, your tone is rich and full, and you let your fingers fly in an incredible dance. All of your efforts come together, so you listen to yourself and can't help but to smile. That's when you say, "That's why I picked the oboe." Thank you for this video.

7:15 - "You get that little buzz in your mouth, and you hear that sweet, piercing sound. And you decide nothing else will ever be good enough for you. It's a strange thing, the oboe." Brother, you pretty much summed it up right there.

Playing the oboe is putting your soul on a column of air and letting it sing...

I am that kid who walked up to his band director and asked to try out the oboe.

probably should have been practicing during this video

"...and you decide nothing else will ever be good enough for you." -this is so true. I don't know if every Oboist gets this, but I know I certainly do. It has the most beautiful sound I have ever heard, and I feel so proud just to know that I play one of the most beautiful musical instruments that exist. :')

Proud to Be a Oboist!

I started playing the Oboe when I was 11, I'm fourteen now, from the video I've seen I have still got a long way to go! Hahaha high 5 to other Oboe players

I play the oboe. I started with the Alto Saxophone and I didn't like it and I was about to quit the band but then I discovered the oboe and after 2 years of playing I got into an Arts school. I love it so much.

Pick it up like a flute and just blow?!!! I spent freaking hours perfecting my tone!!!

beautiful sound..difficult instrument....

The oboe? The Devil's reed? The ill wind that nobody blows good; suffocation on a stick? Why wouldn't anyone want to play an instrument that demands total dedication in the construction of a vital component guaranteed to fail almost as soon as you finish shaping it, if it's even usable once it's first finished? An instrument where an inadequate student's instrument costs more than some lower level professional grade clarinets and a few used cars? Because I love the sound of an oboe, and if I could afford one I'd buy one. Nothing else sounds even close to an oboe.

us oboe players are a rare sort, ask any of us and we'll tell ya there's no going back once you've started and though there may be horror story's of cracked skulls from the intense pressure if ur too young it is an art form that is revered by many and therefore I tell you all ' I am proud to be an oboe

I just started playing oboe recently, and I've already found a love for it. playing has helped me through a lot of things

I love the oboe, just like they preach! It's just as difficult as they say, people. It's a physical challenge as well as a balancing act.

I'm a retired oboe player. I played two Laubins in my career, by the way, and I've been to Mr. Laubin's shop. Fascinating to watch the amazing craftsmen at work. (I still have nightmares about reeds and I imagine I will to my dying day!) :-)

I am a soloist for the oboe in my school and I find the oboe something out of this world! Nobody in my family plays the oboe but when this girl that came to my school to show us the sound I different instruments, I fell in love! It was love at first sight!

the oboe is the absolute love of my life.

my highschool band hasn't had an oboe player in a while and last Friday my friend and I asked our director if we could learn it. she wasn't very confident but I'm excited!

I'm in grade 9 and just started playing oboe. I have never played any other wind instruments before but I thought I'd give band music a shot. My teacher was showing my class all the different instruments we could choose from and she played the oboe.. I fell in love!! I didn't realize just how hard it is! I almost quit after a couple months but I'm glad I didn't :) It's a great feeling when you play that solo perfectly!! :)

I was supposed to play the clarinet like my cousin....but my dam self changed my mind at the last second from clarinet to oboe. My god I spent my first year trying to make a sound . But now I got it!!!!

I don't play the oboe, but my daughter does. She decided when she was 7 that it is the instrument for her. Now she's 12. She's been playing oboe for 9 months after a semester proving her musical ability on the flute. In addition to playing at school, I have her taking private lessons. She has already volunteered to go to the intermediate school next spring to demonstrate the oboe to students interested in joining the band next year. Recently she announced that she would like to be a band direct

Both my parents played the Oboe. Professionally. They were good! And I’ll never forget the sound as I went to sleep every night listening to them. I miss it very much.

Fascinating documentary. I'm teaching myself the oboe. It's a real challenge after playing the flute for 25 years! I love it!

One day I said to my band teacher, "hey, can I play the oboe?" and he said sure. I had NO idea what I had signed up for.

Thanks for posting this video, I play the oboe for fun these days but I am very grateful I put the time in when I was young to be able to get all the solos in community bands :) That is definitely what makes it worth it.

I've been playing flute for 11 years and picked up the oboe at the beginning of 2022 because there was no oboist in my church's orchestra. Around 9 or 10 months later, here I am, in a love-hate relationship with the oboe. I can't play for too long and I'm always uncertain of my reeds' moods for that practice session; but the sense of accomplishment that I feel when the note blends beautifully with the orchestra really keeps me going. Ah, what an instrument!

My high school band have never had an oboist and now there proud to have me in there !!

This is an awesome video! I, too, am still in love with this instrument after a quarter century of playing it and for all the reasons described. There's nothing in the world like it!

I've been playing the oboe for 3 years and I love it ! But I wouldn't be this good without my I or mentor ! Your the best thanks for everything :)

I saw this video about a year ago at a masterclass with Mr. Robinson. Thank you very much for uploading this video.

This video made me so happy! I play oboe, and have spend years of people thinking that I play the clarinet. I enjoyed hearing how great musicians love oboes. I will definitely show this to my former band teacher, who also plays oboe.

The oboe is a screaming death stick

I'm a music teacher in Chattanooga Tennessee and was delighted to see a classmate, Sherry Syler, discussing the love of playing oboe. I was a violinist as well as a singer, and we played as an orchestra frequently. I didn't follow her career until I saw a website for the New York Phil. last year, and she was pictured in the oboe section. Brava! Sherry!

When I first joined band, I ended up vetoing every instrument (although I almost chose clarinet, but decided against it, I can’t remember why.) My mother told me, “hey, this instrument is weird, and you are too!” So, I was interested, and so we rented an oboe from a music store! I was pretty bad for the first 4 years of playing it, but last year and this year I’ve started taking lessons and improved drastically. In fact, I almost made district this year (my first ever actual audition), and I got a score of 78! I got my first ever wooden oboe last year (a YOB-441) and have been hoping to start making my own reeds soon too. I’m going to keep practicing as much as I can with my busy school schedule, and I hope to get really good at my instrument.

I play the oboe and bassoon and piano and its awesome

My english horn player told me about this video this morning in rehearsal, glad it's available for everyone. Joe! Greetings from your old friends in Mexico! The Xalapa oboe section.

Hi, i have 3 years studying oboe, i love this marvelous instrument, it´s a really hard instrument, a lot of practice, a lot of concentration but i enjoy every time playing it, even when i should practice scales, arpeggios or bloody studies. im learning the art of the reed making, and i say wow! it is a entire new world of learnning, thanks for posting the video, it almost make me cry at the last part. almost i forget it! im a mexican oboe student =D

Because of this: Henrik Chaim Goldschmidt plays "Gabriel's Oboe" (look for it on youtube)

I was once a bassoon player, and I can relate to this. But I can say that the bassoon's larger reed allowed a bit more leeway than that skinny little thing that my oboist friends had to blow through.

I love how this line of dialogue fits perfectly with the background music. "We don't know where oboists come from, but THANK GOD THEY'RE HERE," right as the oboe solo reaches the end. It actually leaves me a bit teary eyed!

My wife says it's so true - the same reed can be different on different days and even start off great and then suddenly die and misbehave.She says she always has 3 ready as spares and regularly quietly beeps them to see how they are behaving, so a new one can be popped in as needed.

Agreed. I absolutely love the sound of the oboe.

I'm from Uruguay and I play the oboe too, I think that it's an amazing instrument and I love play it! excellent video!

👍I'm going to play the oboe and I just joined band in my middle school and it seems cool and fun I'm excited👍

I get good cane from Hodge Products. I'm a real fan of her Alliaud cane. I play on a Laubin from the 1960's. And I love playing oboe!

The oboe is an amazing instrument! I love playing it.

Both are beautiful in their own way. There is some lovely music for the clarinet.

Amen, I never regretted playing the oboe, and I, too, am addicted to it's beautiful magnanimous sound...

I LOVE playing the oboe. The sound is so beautiful.❤

I love playing oboe. It creates a beautiful sound

I started playing the oboe when i was 10, I'm 19 now and I've played in several amateur orchestras, ranging from band to symphonic to a musical-specific orchestra. There have been times when i would cry in frustration listening back to my performances, not liking the way i sounded. Times when i was embarrassingly redfaced and out of breath, like after playing the swan lake solo for the first time. times when i would break down after having to do an audition for an orchestra or doing a musical exam. But in the end i love the sound of the oboe, there are bad days but they are so worth it for the fun experiences I've had in the orchestras I've played it, and knowing you are able to play an instrument that only very few people do (relatively). I've had a few periods of very few practice, close to zero, and i would be afraid that i would forget everything I've learned. But when i pick up the instrument again and start practicing more intensively I'm realizing how much more i can do now, I'm able to do vibrato, I'm able to reach the high F above the bar. I'm able to play in tune in the third octave, I've finally unlearned my bad habit of sliding to the right E-flat key from the C-sharp key. The oboe has become a real friend for me, and I know that I'll keep on playing it for a long time.

I played the oboe a lot from 11 to 18 and now after a very busy career when I didn't play at all, I am picking it up again in my 50s. And yes - I remember why I fell in love with it in the first place, but it's still a fickle thing to play!

When I asked my band teacher if I could play the oboe, he barely said yes. I understand now, after two years of playing, how difficult the oboe can be. I'm glad I picked it though. Over all, it is a lovely instrument.

Because it has a sound like no other instrument and touches the heart in ways that no other instrument does.

I played oboe for 16 years in a various army bands. I switched from sax and took lesson with a wonderful college professor who made me fall in love with the instrument. I guess since I didn't know what I was getting myself into I stuck with. My first horn was a Lesher my second horn was a Loree, my last oboe was a Laubin which I LOVED DEARLY!

Try to keep your hand in it, no matter what, David. You have worked so hard.

I love the oboe. It's one of my favorite instruments to play!

when i started playing the oboe i was like 6 years old and i couldn't just handle cuz it was so heave for my age . My teacher helpd get through this nad now after 7 years i am one of the 3 best oboes in me philharmonic !! OBOE IS MY LOVE

loved this video..so true about the oboe. does anyone know of anymore videos like this? Wonderful video...

I found this fascinating and illuminating. It is as was said, the quest for a beautiful sound and voice. I am having the career I never had, in my 70's. It should keep the brain alive. I am fascinated by oboe, oboe d'amore and English horn, what we in UK call a Cor Anglais, Rigoutat made wonderful instruments for me.

"You might look at oboe playing as a kind of musical bungee-jumping." Exactly that. The oboe sounds wonderful, but it's hell to learn.

Even though I play the Violin and Piano, I always loved the Oboe and Harp, I'm grateful there are Oboe players.

I was a clarinet player in the Australian Army (Sydney 1972) and the section was so sloppy what when a vacancy came up for Oboe, I applied for it. I loved the sound and studied under the best teacher (Pauline Strait, Sydney Con). Then I learned how exposed an Oboe can be. It taught me the fears of being a soloist with an instrument that requires constant attention. I learnt more about being a MUSICIAN on Oboe than any other instrument.

I am In 5th grade,(just started it) and band is coming up. I picked the oboe. I love it without quite playing it yet. (Well I tried it out like a test blow and got a long sound. Because I blew a long time.) I am so exited!!😃 My parents are picking out the rental stuff Thursday!!😄😄😄😄😄💗💗

The voice of an oboe speaks to me above all the other sounds of the orchestra. And the voice of an English horn, also.

I'm 15. I started oboe when I was in 6th grade. I was not born saying I wanted to play oboe, but I heard it on a video and from then on I had decided to play. I would never change now that I've started because it is just so beautiful!

I play the oboe and I love the beautiful sound it makes. I'm happy my teacher handed it to me.

Really cool

One of the hardest but yet sweetest sounding instruments

Yes I've been playing the oboe since 1965, and I have made many reeds, and still do, and they keep getting better. It's and art in itself, and worth if for all the beautiful music that's written for it. My father a Yale Music School pianist who graduated in three years said when I was 10, and I didn't want to play any other instruments they had, he said, why don't you play the oboe, you'll get all the solos .... I said ok and he bought me reeds and then I learned to make my own shortly after

I randomly picked an instrument and liked the name oboe and little did I know what I was gonna get myself into.

So true.

One of my best friends has been a professional oboist all her life...She is very fine.. When we were roommates at Eastman, I always wondered how she could stand the sound...and blow through that little reed. I have since learned to love the sound.....and understand her attachment to the instrument. Myself, I am attached to the piano in the same fashion...so there isn't a lot of difference there!!!

Chose to play almost 7 years ago in elementary school. I insisted I played oboe even though I am from a line of flute players. I refused to play anything else and I am still happy with that decision. In my opinion, oboe, English horn, and bassoon have the best sound of any other instrument there is.

I'm an oboe player and i can't answer the question of the video because you only now you want to play oboe when you play it because it's an amazing feeling to make that beatiful sound that comes out of it and when you make it you will be adicted to it

oboe is great!!

I have great respect for people who play the oboe. I do myself as well. It's a hard instrument to learn but once you get it you basicly have it. When I was trying out for band I immeditatly went to that oboe and asked the guy "Whats this?" So many kids don't know about this instrument and it's a shame but I'm glad soo many people do appricitate it like others intsuments. I'm told time and again how I make my sound beautiful and they always ask me how and I awnser "The Oboe speaks to me"

The oboe is the most beautiful, haunting instrument. I love oboe music.

I love playing the oboe, have been for 3 years. Sadly though, my time allowed with my beloved instrument is limited. I'm only in middle school, so once I leave and go to high school the only option they got is Marching Band. Nothing against it, but really, I feel like I can only play the oboe. And as we all know, it's reed suicide to go marching with an oboe :'3 Hopefully when I grow older I might be able to take up oboe again and feel the warm literal vibrations in my heart

I've been playing the oboe for 14 years, my mom, probably 20 or more years. It is by far the best instrument in the entire orchestra.

I play the oboe, I got to go in trying the different instruments for band in grade school and I found it the easiest to make sound with. I couldn't blow into the flute or make tone out of the clarinet. I almost picked the sax, I could make notes with it and the keys were easier to reach. My mom said she loved the sound of the oboe, so I picked the oboe. I love my oboe. I've had it since 1989.

I play the Oboe! 20 years and still going!

I'm in 7th Grade, and I have two years of Oboe under my belt. Whenever I get the chance to play, it feels wonderful. I play with flutes, and when they play a note on a high register, I lose my ears! I also played the Clarinet in 5th Grade, and that was an amazing experience. All and all, I think everyone should take a moment to thank Oboists, and what they do for our orchestras.

I play the oboe because it produces an amazing sound (if played well). Also, it's not mainstream like flute or violin.

The oboe is my third favourite instrument after the violin and piano. It's just so mysterious, especially when playing Celtic music

Joseph Robinson, the oboist in this video who played with the NY Philharmonic, is from my home town of Lenoir, NC. We are very proud of him and the scores of other musicians who came from the small town who went on to play in the major orchestras of America. Lenoir, NC - a musical jewel.

Bellamente complejo y demandante, todo un reto para mí, espero dar la talla para algún día ejecutar las más bellas melodías con él.

I play the oboe and I really enjoy it :)

loves it

I play the oboe...I can relate to this video entirely ! I was supposed to learn the flute but the school had none left so the only option was the oboe or trumpet...I picked the right instrument!! :))

Because the sound is amazing

Clarinet was my first instrument, but I changed to oboe in seventh grade because I liked the sound of it. I'm in tenth grade now and it's an outlet for my negative emotions. Honestly, my oboe is my best friend and I can't imagine what my life would be like without it.

When I joined band oboe was the only instrument I could make a sound out of, it was the only instrument I wanted to make a sound out of, but I didn't know anybody who played it.

I started in 5th grade and am currently in 7th. I hope if i keep practicing I maybe will sound like those musicians one day.

1st played the violin from 3rd to 5th grade. when i got middle school, i transitioned to wind ensemble/band. so when my band director had me trying out instruments, i tried the flute, could barely make a sound lol tried the trumpet, it was alright, tried percussion, blah.... then he gave me the oboe, i was like whoa....thts different. he said ill probably be the only one...so i gave it a shot. played it from 6th to 12th grade. it came naturally. i really enjoyed it. im 28 now, and i miss it.

Why would anybody want to play the oboe? Single most beautiful orchestral instrument invented. The others are fantastic as well, but double-reed instruments are astoundingly beautiful - the Oboe being absolutely magnificent, but the bassoon and cor anglais also astoundingly beautiful.

I play the oboe! I'm 14 and I've been playing it since fourth grade. Right now I'm working on the Mozart Oboe Concerto! I haven't started making my own reeds yet though....

I play oboe for 6 years now, and I'm proud of it :)

i started at 12 now im 23 and im playing in orchestra and 5 days ago i bought an english horn . it really sound beatiful .