Dear Guests, Welcome to my blog which I treat like a creative garden where I regularly plant and change this and that be it poetry, philosophy, an Oboe Brilliance lesson, an essay of some kind, or a journal about composing. Visit every Monday for oboe coaching which is also helpful for many melodic instrumentalists. Musically yours, Kathryn

"How do you compose?" That is the most commonly asked question I hear.
This blog is a window into my creative process and philosophies as a composer and instrumentalist. At times it may contain music, photos, and poetry as well. May you enjoy, return, and benefit!

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6

Bio/Resume update

My devotion to music is lifelong and my love of sound and silence profound.

At a very brief glance my life can be put into 3 catagories:

1) student/performer 1973 - 1990
2) mother/private music teacher/part time composer 1991 - 2010
3) full time composer/back to serious oboe playing/part time teacher 2010

While in the crib I would wait for the wind up duck to stop its musical noise so I could go back to hearing the music in my mind which I prefered. (To this day I keep the clock work of it on the windowsill of my music or room.) Before attending Kindergarden I learned that composers write down onto paper what they hear inside so that others can enjoy it too. At a very young age I vowed to myself to learn the language of music since I must be a composer.

At age 3, I heard the oboe for the first time and fell head over heals thoroughly in love with it. I started playing in January of 1973 when I was 8 (after waiting 5 terribly long years)and have been playing ever since for the past 37 years now!

1) FIRST I STUDIED: my teachers were...
James Cassara
Peter Hertling, L.I. N.Y.
Lois Wann* N.Y.N.Y - oboe matriarch!- after she was Cleveland and N.Y. Phil principal
Peter Hedrick*, Ithaca N.Y. (while I attended I.C.)
Michael Winfield, London England - (right after he retired as Royal Phil principal)
Marc Liefschy*, S.F. CA - (while I attended S.F.C. of M - my ALMA MATER) - while he was principal w/S.F. symphony

* on merit scholarship which I earned through intense passionate practice and competing years via N.Y.S.S.M.A., receiving A and A+ ratings competing for years on level VI which was vital to opening doors to study with Wann, Hedrick, and Liefschy

During my oboe educational experience I constantly played in a plethora of bands, chamber groups and orchestras, gave many recitals plus performed ballet for 12 years, other dance for a few, acted in a few plays, and sang constantly in choruses which I LOVED.

I must also include that I played piano since I was 6 for several years before receiving formal training. I am now grateful for this although at the time I begged for lessons. Finally my grandfather provided lessons for me when I was 13 to 17.

more study:
private piano from 1976 - 1988, private voice, periodically

COMPOSITION:
Karel Husa in Ithaca N.Y. while I attended I.C. - as a double major in oboe performance and composition

Ellie Armer: S.F.C.of M. my ALMA MATER, as a composition major after I first got in through the door as an oboe performance major.

2) THEN I TAUGHT: 1992 - present: oboe to all ages in my music studio, (plus flute and piano)- during which time I composed too, and performed periodically

During my time as a teacher to date I organized two performance series running a year or so each in the 90's in downtown Asheville at the Green Door, and then several private concerts

My abilities as a composer have been growing more and more over time. I have been able to cultivate my skills organically and non commercially while out of school and somewhat while raising my son and running a music studio.

3) NOW I OFFICIALLY COMPOSE FULL TIME: as of June 2010, and am reclaiming conservatory level playing chops and beyond on the oboe in order to perform my compositions on my new Laubin.

Prior to June 2010 I composed part time:

Since 2008 I've been composing for full orchestra and really flexing my composer chops on a grand scale - oh pun intended! I'm thrilled with what I'm composing for oboe duets and am finding my voice more and more as a composer beginning to approach what I consider to be a professional level skill matching my oboe skills. My voice is unique, and I look to be published soon beyond self publishing.

Read on about my composing:

Kathryn composes for solo instruments up to full orchestra for musicians of any skill level as well as pipe organ, harpsichord, classical guitar, piano, and voice. Her specialty to date is composing solo material for individual instrumentalists to take the player to higher and new fulfilling sonic experiences in relationship to his/her instrument. She has been “hearing” music inside her head all of her life, has a rich imagination and has been committing it to the page since 1976. Since 2003 she has also been creating electronic sounds sculptures. In 2009 she began composing for full orchestra. She accepts commissions; see commission page on website

Some works to date listed below: inquire for details - see contact page on website

Solos for virtuosic players: Trombone (2007), harpsichord (2000), cello (2007), double bass (2004), oboe - many years

Pipe Organ works: “Holy Spirit” (2007): oboe and pipe organ, Celestial Light Ringing: oboe and pipe organ (2006), “Lamentations”: double bass and pipe organ (2005)

String Quartet: double bass, cello, viola, violin “Listening to an Ancient Forest” (2007)

Full Orchestra: “Agigua” (2009), "Now Point" ballet (full orch and with piano) (2010)

Duets: "The Secrets of Ravens" (2010) -set of 7 oboe duets, oboe and double bass (2005), oboe and classical guitar (2001), oboe and pipe organ(2006, 2007), oboe and flute (2002), double bass and pipe organ (2006)

Chamber: “Crossroads”: piano, voice, double bass*(2003, 2004), “Elizabeth’s Lydian Lullaby”: cello, voice, piano, and flute (2000)

Solos for students: piano, oboe, flute –

Books in progress – Oboe Brilliance: solos and duets for oboists day one to virtuosic players, technical elegance exercises, artistic liberation exercises, and essays about mentoring, plus other books such as "The Secrets of Ravens" oboe duets, and "In Adoration of the Earth" a series of oboe soli.

Electronic sound sculptures: hundreds created on my Yamaha Clavinova see Works on website to hear and or purchase

LASTLY:
Worthy of mentioning is my love of poetry which I am being now coached in writing, thank you Diana Manister - who's poetry I am now setting. Of great influence to my music is my relationships with nature, and meditation. Sound, rhythm, communion, communication and silence are significant ingredients to my artistry.

For more information, or to possibly purchase an above work, contact me via contact page. To commission, see commission page, to study, please see home page and fill out questionaire.

Thank you for your time and interest.

Musically yours,
Kathryn