Friday, January 30, 1998
Music strikes a major chord
MUSIC: Parental enthusiasm led to aspirations of playing
professional orchestral oboe
By Julie Myer
When people ask me what my major is they are always intrigued to
find that it is music. And the next question is, "What do you plan
to do with that jobwise?" And my answer is a confident "perform in
an orchestra." It hit me one day, as I watched the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, that I wanted to be sitting on that stage and not in
the audience. From that moment on, I had a goal. Most people would
consider me ridiculous or just downright dumb for even attempting
to "make it" in the music world, a cutthroat world at best. But I
realize that unless I try, even if I fail miserably and change
careers midway, at least I’ll have given it my best shot.
Music has touched me since the day I was born in a way that few
know. My parents are musicians and ever since I can remember the
hi-fi phono was a-turnin’ with everything from jazz to the Beatles
to Bartok string quartets. I never knew a world without music, or
that one even existed. At age 4, I started playing the piano and at
9, the cello. Eventually I stuck with the oboe – a dumb move. Who
would want to play an instrument that requires you physically
create your own mouthpiece? And this mouthpiece (reed) is so
precise that it rarely turns out perfectly. Truth be told, at age
10 my teachers told me I could get a scholarship to college if I
played an unusual instrument. The bassoon was too big for me, so
they handed me an oboe. I would (much) later come to love the oboe
and think it is the most beautiful sounding instrument in the
orchestra. The funny thing is, after all that, I didn’t use the
oboe to get into college; I switched majors in my sophomore year
and haven’t regretted it since. Playing an instrument has taught me
discipline, self-motivation and brought me in touch with music on a
whole different level. Not only can I listen to it, but now I can
play it, and I do sit on the stage as well as the audience. Music,
to me, is the most important thing in my life. It gets me down on
occasion, when I’m frustrated with homework or my oboe reeds, but
it also keeps me going. It has made my college career a learning
experience I could have never imagined and brought me social
relationships, which I will value for life, including my boyfriend
of three years.
Music should always hold a high priority in life as an escape
from it all – and a beautiful, wonderful, yet intangible thing that
gives people endless pleasure.