The Art of Oboe Playing is actually two books in one -- one part by Robert Sprenkle on playing the oboe, and another part by David Ledet on reed-making. Sprenkle was the renowned teacher of some of the finest oboists, among them Robert Bloom of the Rochester Philharmonic. Ledet has an exceptionally broad professional background, including assistant band director, teacher of oboe and theory, and administrator.

WIND INSTRUMENTS. Oboe Art and Method is a complete and comprehensive guide to oboe technique. Author Martin Schuring, a veteran oboe performer and instructor, describes in detail all of the basic techniques of playing (breathing, embouchure, finger technique, articulation) and reed making, with expert tips and step-by-step instructions for how best to perform each of these tasks with grace and technical efficiency. Schuring's descriptions are straightforward and articulate, designed to encourage students to focus on the basic techniques of tone production as a springboard for more nuanced artistic development. Key sections address long-tone and scale practice in ways that go beyond advice most teachers will give their pupils, and the author's focus on embouchure development cultivates supported breathing and blowing to help provide the best foundation for aspiring oboists. A reliable source of practical and time-tested advice.

In Oboe Art and Method, veteran oboe performer and instructor Martin Schuring describes in detail all of the basic techniques of oboe playing and reed making, with expert tips and step-by-step instructions for how best to perform each of these tasks with grace and technical efficiency. Schuring's straightforward and articulate explanations of breathing, embouchure, finger technique, articulation, phrasing, and more help demystify the earliest stages of oboe playing and beyond. In addition, Schuring provides excellent advice on the "extra-musical"; practicing, instrument care and adjustment, professional development, and career development-related issues. The oboe is a notoriously complicated instrument, and this book aims to remove as much of the complexity as possible, to present techniques that work, and to discuss these in a clear-cut manner. Students who start with this book will learn with confidence that these methods will steer them straight down an effective path. A concise and eminently useful guide, Oboe Art and Method is a must-have for all who perform, teach, or are learning to play the oboe, in both conservatories and private instruction.

Edwin Putnik, like most other contributors to the The Art of series, has been a member of many prestigious symphony orchestras and university faculties. The Art of Flute Playing can aid students of all degrees of advancement. Part I is devoted to Basic Principles and Pedagogy, Part II to Artist Performance. Part I is particularly helpful not only to beginning flute students, but also to non-flutists teaching in school music programs.

Modeled on the brilliant approach first formulated by distinguished professor of music and master clarinetist Michele Gingras in Clarinet Secrets and More Clarinet Secrets (both available from Scarecrow Press), Music Secrets for the Advanced Musician: A Scarecrow Press Music Series is designed for instrumentalists, singers, conductors, composers, and other instructors and professionals seeking a quick set of pointers to improve their work as performers and producers of music. Easy to use and intended for the advanced musician, contributions to the Music Secrets series fill a niche for those who have moved beyond what beginners and intermediate practitioners need. In Oboe Secrets: 75 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Oboist and English Horn Player, Jacqueline Leclair tackles the oboe’s reputation as an especially difficult instrument and illustrates how oboists and English horn players can overcome common challenges. Leclair draws on her experience as a performer and instructor, offering practical tips and sometimes revolutionary ideas for rethinking oboe pedagogy. Leclair also looks at performance strategies in the areas of equipment maintenance and management, physical health, and performance technique. Her secrets focus on such matters as how to optimize practice sessions, build endurance, improve use of the body when playing, work with reeds, and apply extended techniques. Oboe Secrets provides oboists and English horn players a quick and efficient path to significant improvement—both technically and musically—in their playing. It is the perfect resource for advanced high school oboists, professional performers, music instructors, and avid amateur musicians.