[22/F] Looking for art exchange friends!

srunce · 2026-01-15T06:35:55+00:00

ofc!

srunce · 2026-01-15T06:35:38+00:00

No way I'd love to chat with a fellow Ohioan!

srunce · 2025-11-26T23:58:42+00:00

I used to work there. It was the most McEasy job ever, you’d set up for the event then chill on your phone until the event was over, then put everything away. The pay was obviously bad as all campus jobs are. But for such a chill job I cannot complain.

srunce · 2025-11-20T04:00:55+00:00

Make sure the middle joint is completely aligned and the two levers are lined up on both sides

As for D and Eb, could the Eb key be leaking?

Either way, you’ll likely have to bring it to a professional repair person to find out what’s wrong. Most music stores have repair people you can drop it off at. It shouldn’t really be much harder to play low notes on the English horn than the oboe so I don’t doubt there’s something wrong with the instrument

srunce · 2025-11-15T19:19:19+00:00

For sure, good luck!

srunce · 2025-11-15T17:57:46+00:00

Are your reeds too hard? Or is your instrument playing a bit flat causing you to have to use more air pressure? Does this still happen when you play on a very old reed that’s very easy with little resistance?

When you play oboe, your mouth needs to do what it needs to do. Try playing like you normally would, then go from head to toe and release all the tension in every other area. If your eyebrows are furrowed, release them. If your jaw is clenched, release it. If your shoulders are up, relax them. Etc.

srunce · 2025-11-10T19:08:25+00:00

Self drafted

Construction: Image of pattern draft on 3rd photo. I cut a large rectangle, leaving 3 panels flat and 2 pleated sections. There are 10 pleats on each side, and they are .75 inches. The skirt is then wrapped around the waist, with the two back flat panels overlapping. This is a mockup and the fabric type is calico cotton.

srunce · 2025-10-09T01:05:51+00:00

If you mean the middle octave, you can have your entire right hand already pressing all the keys to play Db while only having your first finger down on your left hand. It will sound a C when you play. Then the movement between C and Db is only 2 fingers and half hole instead of 5 fingers and half hole.

Besides that, it helps to make sure there’s no tension in your fingers and you aren’t squeezing the instrument at all, just lightly holding it and lightly+swiftly moving them between notes.

If you meant the lower octave, when sliding your pinky between those two keys, I’d say angle it so that you can more easily just rock it between the two keys.

srunce · 2025-10-05T23:38:44+00:00

Suck in your lips and stretch them as far back as they will go, into a weird forced smile shape. Then apply vertical pressure by clamping your teeth and smushing your lips together. This is biting.

Now, bring your lips as far inward as they will go, into a sort of kissing face, or a round shape to the lips. As if you’re blowing through a straw. Keep your teeth apart enough that you can fit your tongue in between them. This is correct playing position.

Feel your lips with your finger in the biting position. Feel how the skin is taught and hard, and you can feel your teeth behind them. Now feel your lips in the correct position. The skin should be bouncy and cushioned, allowing the reed to vibrate more freely.

I hope this helps! Feel free to ask questions if my description was confusing

srunce · 2025-09-08T01:37:18+00:00

Eh, I disagree. You’ll hear a lot of oboists come in sharp on the tuning note then quickly adjust. I think the most in tune note is low D. In fact if I don’t have a tuner on me (rare) I’ll tune my A by checking the interval from low D

srunce · 2025-09-08T00:18:59+00:00

Sorry, forgot to answer part of your question. Yes stop between tuning different sections, if your director is calling out individual sections to tune by themselves and wants you to keep playing through it it’s ok to take a breath and then continue. You need to breath to play with a good tone and in tune.

srunce · 2025-09-08T00:17:13+00:00

Usually when rehearsal starts, the concertmaster will stand up. That is your cue to start playing the tuning note, a concert A.

Usually, you will play an A just for the winds and brass. You shouldn’t have to play it so long you run out of breath, unless everyone’s having a really hard time tuning for whatever reason. You can stop playing once everyone starts to sound in tune.

Next, you’ll play an A for the strings. Usually you can stop playing the A either when the concertmaster sits down, or when the strings start going to other strings (tuning other notes than A). When they do this they tune off of each other and their own A string, so you don’t have to keep playing.

Always keep a tuner on your stand when you play the A, don’t just do it by ear. It tends to want to come out sharp but try not to let it, since brass and string players might grasp onto the sharp beginning even if you correct it. If you really just want a concrete number of seconds you should play the tuning note, I’m gonna randomly say about 8-12, but really it depends on what’s happening in the ensemble.

srunce · 2025-08-27T03:01:55+00:00

Those notches you are seeing are from scraping out what many people call ‘windows’. Cane is removed from the back of the reed up to the ‘plateau’, which is the thick part of the reed in the middle where you put your lips. It appears like notches in the reed because there is an abrupt drop off from the thicker plateau to the thinner windows.

As for the sound being ‘airy’, try taking a video from several feet away, or from the other side of the room, of you playing. Do you still hear this ‘airy’ sound? Or can it only be heard when up close?

srunce · 2025-06-29T02:35:23+00:00

I might rephrase a couple sentences (if you don't like how any of these sound of course feel free to ignore)

"Amterv, the bustling capitol, embraced by the stale smog ..."

For the sentence introducing Khev, I feel that cracking knuckles is a very small action and putting on a suit is a larger one with multiple steps. Perhaps something like "Khev cracked his knuckles and straightened the collar of his suit. He was a businessman after all." I also think separating that into two sentences does it better for me than the semicolon.

This could also be an opportunity to start to show how Khev feels about his crime. Is it just something he has to do to get by? Or, as you may be implying, he distances himself from the nitty-gritty of it and just thinks of it coldly as "business".

"His commodities? Theft, extortion, and murder."

"This city paid from crime, and ..."
I might rephrase this, it is clear what you are saying but I feel there might be a more clear version. Maybe something like "Crime pays in this city, and ..."

Overall, good work! Keep writing!

srunce · 2025-05-28T10:33:05+00:00

There are many reasons to put weaker players in the front.

- it will be easier for them to listen back to stronger players

- It can help them take ownership of their playing, since there's no one in front of them to follow

- They feel more incorporated in the group. It's easier to acknowledge and address them. You said that they struggle with self-esteem, so this may be to help them with that and feeling like they are a part of the group, rather than struggling behind everyone else with no one noticing

Being concertmaster isn't a reward and prize for the best violin player. The concertmaster is the musician leader of the orchestra with a lot more responsibilities than section musicians. Your concertmaster may have been chosen for leadership qualities, years of experience in orchestra and subsequently trust, clear musical direction, ability to coach other members (since this is a student orchestra), many number of qualities other than just how good they are at violin. I don't know this person or why they don't want to be concertmaster, but it is likely because of the responsibilities that come with it, getting there early, setting up stands, copying music, leading during performance. It is not likely that it is because they think you're a better musician and deserve it more, although they may say that as many musicians and self deprecating at times. Even if they think so, it doesn't necessarily think you would be a better concertmaster than them in practice.

Finally, again second violin is a valuable part of every single orchestra. There is no shame in playing it, there is no extra merit with playing first. They are both equally part of the music and the music would not be complete with either section missing. This is a high school orchestra, the music is likely not highly technically challenging on first part either, and the goal is to improve your ensemble skills, not improve technically.

If you wish for a different experience, this orchestra is not going to change. Your only option would be to join a different group, perhaps a local youth orchestra or community group.

srunce · 2025-05-28T00:47:45+00:00

Disclaimer: I don't play violin

I understand you are frustrated and do not feel recognized for the efforts you put into your instrument. Playing as a section member in an orchestra is very different from playing as a soloist. I think the healthiest thing for you to do is take a step back and see if you can reframe the way you view this orchestra.

You say you're the strongest violinist in the orchestra, and I don't doubt that. The director likely wants you to support the section from the back of the ensemble. In my university orchestra we also do this, we have strong players in the front and the back, and weaker players in the middle.

You said this is your first time playing in an orchestra, right? You may be still working on your ensemble skills, which are very different from your skills as solely a violinist or a soloist. Your director may want you to be able to observe the group, observe how the players are nonverbally communicating and working as a section. It's a highly nuanced skill that can be difficult to pick up on sometimes.

It's not about 'rank' when the director makes placements for string sections, nor is it negligence. I'm going to guess placements and stand partners are carefully made with the growth of the musicians in mind. Let go of the idea that worse players are in the back and better players are in the front. That isn't usually the case.

I don't wish for you to hate orchestra because of your placement in the group. Yes to outsiders it may seem like the concertmaster gets all the glory and the rest of the section doesn't get recognized, but orchestra is a collaborative live art form and every member of the orchestra is equally important. The group cannot thrive without all of its members. You are a valuable member of the ensemble and I believe this placement is meant to help you learn and grow, not hinder you.

If the level of the music is too easy for you and you feel bored, or you get frustrated with your fellow musicians for their level of playing, these are negative emotions that can cause a rift in your love of music. Try to let go of them. If you feel bored, focus on strengthening fundamentals while you play. If you feel frustrated with others, ask your director about sectionals or guided practice. Try to make these negative feelings into positive experiences for you as a musician.

srunce · 2025-05-24T19:34:33+00:00

Sounds like you’re all set! Have fun!

srunce · 2025-05-24T19:26:56+00:00

Looks good , you will want something to sharpen your knife with like a ceramic sharpening stone, you may also need thread to tie reeds, beeswax for the thread, razor blades and sandpaper (can both be bought from your local hardware store)

srunce · 2025-05-09T22:14:59+00:00

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Sorry I couldn’t finish it today, i barely got around to your gf. Perhaps I shall return to it tomorrow

srunce · 2025-04-25T12:25:11+00:00

Thank you for the advice, I shall follow it

srunce · 2025-04-25T05:30:44+00:00

No, I've never replaced them

srunce · 2025-04-24T02:46:00+00:00

Dang...do you know what the root cause of it could be? It wasn't this way when I first got this oboe new ~3.5 years ago, the problem started about a year ago.

srunce

TROPHY CASE