Personal Narrative: Becoming An Oboe Player

I open the unassuming black case and stare at its contents with utter confusion. All I see is a mass of twisted silver metal covering dark wood, separated into three pieces. My teacher hands me a small wooden tube called a reed. I am puzzled, to say the least, about how music was supposed to be made through these inanimate, unfamiliar parts. But what I didn’t realize is that I am staring at my destiny: I am about to become an oboe player. My journey to play the oboe was definitely unconventional. Unlike the other kids in band, I learned my instrument the summer before freshman year; they had been playing since sixth grade. Although, I wasn’t a complete stranger to the music world–I played the violin throughout middle school and absolutely loved it. But with the transition from middle school to high school, I not only changed schools but moved to a different state. Our family relocated from sunny California to Texas because of my dad’s job. Luckily, my extended family lived in Texas, so at least the …show more content…
The thought of becoming a delinquent band nerd–I had a slight bias as an orchestra kid–gave me anxiety; my comfort zone was with the dulcet sound of strings, not the harsh, shrill cacophony of woodwinds and brass. Instead of the nice, calm orchestra community, I was entering the world of “this one time, at band camp...” and nasty spit valves. Nevertheless, I had to get past my preconceived opinions about band and choose a new instrument. Woodwinds were my first choice, but the flute and clarinet didn’t appeal to me; it seemed as if everyone played those two instruments, and I wanted something unique. Maybe subconsciously I was drawn to the oboe because my previous orchestra teacher told me that it would be too difficult to learn quickly. Whatever the reason, when my new band director asked me which instrument I wanted to learn, I replied “oboe” without