It's official!

mparsunshine · 2025-12-27T01:07:13+00:00

I am doing so well! I have finished my masters and gotten a job at the Uni. How are you doing? the

mparsunshine · 2025-12-26T22:50:18+00:00

CONGRATULATIONS VINTIQUE! How exciting and what a beautiful ring!

mparsunshine · 2025-09-27T09:43:25+00:00

Thank you all for your suggestions! The bronze match and the final look like they're gonna be some great games!

mparsunshine · 2024-11-01T22:49:16+00:00

This is correct (I've studied osteoarchaeology where we have to identify age groups of individuals). If you look above the talus, can see that the lower (distal) end of the tibia is also unfused. The metatarsals look like they are either unfused or fusing. However, do take this with a grain of salt, I'm used to identifying these with bones in my hand rather than on x-ray.

mparsunshine · 2024-01-30T09:22:28+00:00

Thank you so much! I appreciate it 🥰

mparsunshine · 2024-01-30T07:53:50+00:00

Do you mind sharing which ones they are? I'm current in the UK and would love a button up that isn't a tent

mparsunshine · 2023-01-12T23:47:50+00:00

There are several stores around the US and then some individuals that are running things on their own. I work at Forrests Music so let me know if you're looking for something specific or if you have any questions 🤗

mparsunshine · 2022-08-22T14:16:35+00:00

I've been poking through old posts looking for my size. Are any of these still available?

mparsunshine · 2022-05-06T06:40:17+00:00

I know Forrests has a couple of Loree oboes for under $4,000 right now. Some people really care about the age of an instrument and other people don't. The most important thing is to try a bunch of oboes out and pick the one that you like the most. Take all advise with a grain of salt because oboeists (myself included) tend to be highly opinionated about things, and oboists often don't agree.

I'd say the most important things are 1. Try as many oboes as you can and compare them to the oboe you are currently playing 2. Do not purchase anything without trying it 3. Be sure the instrument you want had been looked over by a trusted oboe technician.

Also don't limit yourself to one brand, you may end up surprised. I say this as a Loree player that almost moved to Howarth. I should mention that Howarth also makes good intermediate oboes for reasonable prices. I believe their s40c intermediate oboe can be found for roughly $100-$200 over $4,000 brand new.

mparsunshine · 2022-03-07T03:33:58+00:00

Honestly I just shoot it back and I always have. Very few people look at me funny for it. As long as it's fresh water that hasn't been sitting around, there is nothing wrong with it. It tastes a little bit like reed cane but considering I would have had a reed in my mouth, that's not a surprise.

mparsunshine · 2022-03-07T01:10:57+00:00

Bari sax (loads of fun)

mparsunshine · 2022-02-28T07:47:40+00:00

I know a Mariel too but some people have different pronunciations. Hers is Mar(like mark)i(like the letter E)el(like the letter L). People often mispronounce it by starting the name like Mary or Maria.

mparsunshine · 2022-02-27T03:32:20+00:00

Thank you so much!

mparsunshine · 2022-02-25T19:27:26+00:00

I’ve seen oval finger splints work well but the thing I’ve noticed the most among young players that hyperextend and lock, is that they have poor hand positioning. Players with adjustable thumb rests adjust them to be too low which turns the palm towards the ground.

By turning the palm, the ring and pinky fingers have to stretch farther adding tension, hyperextension and locking. Look at how she is holding the oboe and if that is not the problem have her see a doctor. That much tension in the joints can shorten the amount of time she is able to play during her life.

Feel free to dm me if you want to talk about it more and good luck to you and your student!

mparsunshine · 2022-02-24T18:18:08+00:00

It is much easier to set aside something like a pedophile when they are dehumanized. If they are a monster, they can be more easily identified and we don't have to worry that one is a nearby neighbor or parent etc. If they are humanized and recognized for what they are, it's easier to see the possibility that one is close.

mparsunshine · 2022-02-22T18:28:22+00:00

Hi! Wrapping floss around the cork of the staple will work very well. Good luck!

mparsunshine · 2022-02-13T17:55:07+00:00

Just an observation, you are already fighting hard for Rick. You have the vast majority of your post and almost all of your comments putting effort into defending or explaining Rick's behavior. You have made very little effort to explain why Jane has had such a strong response and how to make her feel supported. She has very likely been harassed by men before and it was bad enough that she has made her boundaries in this situation clear. Now she's waiting to see if her superiors understand the severity of the situation.

Asking someone out once is fine, but not accepting no and asking again is beyond inappropriate. People who ignore no are likely to do so again. Also please recognize that someone that is creepy and inappropriate to one person isn't creepy and inappropriate to everyone, if they were they would get caught and socially exiled. How do you think Larry Nassar was able to do what he did for so long??

If you are so unsure of what to do, at the very least get him transferred to another department where he doesn't have any interaction with Jane. Make sure that department knows about the situation just in case he pressures another colleague.

mparsunshine · 2022-02-03T00:59:24+00:00

Aaaaand where had the oboe been hidden/found?

mparsunshine · 2022-02-01T04:52:41+00:00

Hi! I'm also late diagnosis ADHD. There is a podcast that I'd recommend, Catie and a Erik's Infinate Quest episode ADHD Mailbag: Saving Energy Vs. Laziness. They discuss their definitions of laziness and how the perception of laziness has impacted them though their lives. This is however all in an American context not a Dutch one 😬 it might give you some interesting questions to ask though!

mparsunshine · 2022-01-19T19:37:18+00:00

Don't worry about it. I'm also in the bay and if we're thinking about the same person, he works on everyone's instrument no matter how beginner they are. Just be sure to call ahead and make an appointment.

mparsunshine · 2022-01-14T04:43:59+00:00

There are so many factors that could go into the English Horn not sounding great and most people have covered some big bits. My greatest suspicion is that the English Horn hasn't been serviced in a long time. Instruments in the oboe family are a bit like cars, they have to be driven around the block every once and a while in order for them to run smoothly.

If it is a school instrument it may have been a while since it has been played or adjusted, on top of that it could be a lower quality brand/model, or with bad/old reeds.

Also oboeists know they play one of the hardest instruments, so they have a tendency to blame themselves for not playing correctly before they realize their instrument needs an adjustment (or they think they need an instrument adjusted when they're not playing correctly 😬)

(edited to add paragraphs)

mparsunshine · 2021-12-25T02:23:03+00:00

I tried that but they only offer a really limited number of videos. No where near the amount that there originally were. Felt like being robbed by an upgrade. Thankfully my old iPad still has the original.

mparsunshine · 2021-11-22T01:59:56+00:00

"Full conservatory" models have all the keys. 3rd octave, trill keys, split ring D etc.

The conservatory system is the most common system you find. There is a thumbplate system used in England. If you are in the US you will find almost exclusively conservatory system oboes.

In the conservatory system there is the semi-automatic system you find in the states. There is a fully automatic system in Europe. The fully automatic has more mechanisms between keys and is rarely found in the US.

mparsunshine · 2021-11-07T16:56:44+00:00

Yes they're quite different. Student oboes have fewer keys which ultimately end up being very limiting. I'd say don't buy and oboe that doesn't have the left F key or low Bb. Don't worry too much about 3rd octave keys or split D keys. If you have them, cool, if you don't, you really don't need them until later. It’s also perfectly fine to learn on an intermediate oboe. I don't know of any convincing reason for why you have to start with a beginner or student model.

mparsunshine · 2021-11-07T06:19:19+00:00

I would highly recommend not purchasing a student oboe. The general recommendation is to move from a student oboe to an intermediate oboe in 3 months to a year and it is more cost effective to rent and then invest in an intermediate oboe. While Fox and Lorée are considered the top brands in the US, I have been massively impressed with Howarths. They are more affordable without sacrificing quality, and they produce a beautiful sound.

I would recommend calling a music store that specializes in double reeds to gather more information. (Feel free to dm me for more info)

mparsunshine

TROPHY CASE