“My oboe section plays so loud and really struggles to blend with the ensemble.” “How can I help my students play with better tone?” “Why is it so hard for my oboists to play in tune?”
These are all common issues that clinician Alli Gessner hears from directors.
Helping your oboe section sound better, use dynamic contrast, and play in tune doesn’t have to wait until a clinician comes to work with your students. There are a few basic concepts that you can teach oboe students from the podium that will address tone, dynamic contrast, and intonation.
This presentation will demonstrate, with the help of an example student, the different techniques young oboists will discover on their own; and how directors can help them improve their control of dynamic contrast and intonation while maintaining a characteristic tone.
Target Audience
band directors
Additional Notes
Clinician Info
Alli Gessner
Gessner Oboe Studio
Performer and teacher Alli Gessner specializes in oboe and English horn. She maintains an active teaching schedule of students aged 8 to adult, and her students are her inspiration for her Oboe Auntie videos on social media. Alli launched her first online course “Switching to Oboe” in 2022. Switching to Oboe takes over a decade of experience helping students start playing oboe to an online format. Alli is also on faculty at West Valley College.
Since her move to San Jose in 2017, she’s performed with many Bay Area groups including the Berkeley Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Sacramento Symphony, and One Found Sound ensemble. Alli holds an M.M. from DePaul University where she studied with Jelena Dirks and Eugene Izotov. When not playing or teaching the oboe, Alli enjoys yoga, hiking, fiber arts, and watching or reading science fiction. www.OboeAlli.com @OboeAlli