The Agony and Ecstasy of an Oboe Reed Maker
Of all the wind instrument players in an orchestra, oboists are among the few who have to spend more time making their reeds than playing their music. As the comic monologist Josh Kornbluth has painfully learned, just one of the myriad micro-adjustments that reed makers create will make a world of difference in their music.
Written by JEFF GREENWALD
Photography by SCOTT CHERNIS
Watch “Josh Kornbluth: On the Short, Intense Life of the Oboe Reed”
Josh Kornbluth, perhaps best known as a comic monologist, is also an accomplished oboist. Here, Josh plays his oboe and talks about the challenges of reed-making for his instrument.
Listen to “The Agony and Ecstasy of an Oboe Reed Maker”
Oboists can spend more time making reeds for their instrument than playing their music. One such musician, the comic monologist Josh Kornbluth, has a lot to say about reed making’s painfully exacting process.
Listen to “The Reed Artist”
In his quest to meet Turkey’s elusive master of the ney, our contributor spent months searching the cafes and alleys of Istanbul, illuminating not only the reasons the ney all but disappeared from the country, but how (and why) it has come back.
Listen to “Do the Most Interesting Musical Pipes Come from Ireland?”
While Scotland is branded by its famous Highland bagpipes, Ireland has long made a very different kind that plays a much wider range of music. Meet the indefatigable, obsessive masters of Irish uilleann pipes.
Aya Rokeach: Notes from a Young Oboist
Aya Rokeach is tall and sunny, with long French braids and a gap-tooth smile. She first encountered the oboe at age 5, while attending a symphony performance with her family. “My dad’s a musician, so I focus on instruments in concerts a lot. I fell in love with the oboe’s sound. I was no more…
Watch “John Butler: Devoted Maker of Ireland’s Uilleann Pipes”
Recognized by UNESCO for their long history and integral role in Irish cultural traditions, Ireland’s uilleann pipes are notoriously difficult to play — and to build. Uilleann pipemaker John Butler (Ceol Pipes) demonstrates in this short video.
Do the Most Interesting Musical Pipes Come from Ireland?
While Scottish culture is branded by its famous Highland bagpipes, its neighbor across the water has long made a very different set of pipes that plays a much wider range of music. Our correspondent visits the indefatigable, obsessive masters of the uilleann pipes.
Story by LARRY GALLAGHER
Photography by RUTH CARDEN
An Artisanal Tour of Michoacán — with 18 Towns Devoted to Ancient Crafts
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to find the indigenous artists outside of Pátzcuaro without a guide. We went with Jaime Hernández Balderas, from animecha tours, animechatours@yahoo.com. He is a native of Pátzcuaro, knowledgeable about the history and crafts, and speaks excellent English. Expect to pay about 2000 pesos a day for a guide ($120). Local…
