Oboe Duo Goes The Distance
Leila, left, and Lydia, right, are oboists in the MYS Repertory Orchestra. Leila is a 10th grader from Mankato and Lydia is an 11th grader from Cambridge.
Two of Repertory Orchestra’s newest oboists have a lot in common. Leila and Lydia both joined MYS mid-season in November 2024 and travel over 100 miles every Saturday to attend rehearsals. Along with braving early mornings and winter road conditions, they embrace the constant struggle of adjusting finicky reeds (with knives!).
Their talents and dedication don’t stop at music. Both are multi-sport athletes currently gearing up for track season—high jump and triple jump (Leila) and 4 x 800 and the mile (Lydia). I interviewed the pair to learn what motivates them and why MYS is worth the journey.
How did you get started playing oboe?
Lydia: I started on alto sax in sixth grade. When I was a Freshman, my teacher asked me if I wanted to play oboe. I was very enthusiastic because saxophone was too easy and I wanted something harder. So I took the school plastic oboe home with a fingering chart, knowing nothing about it, and I just practiced for hours every single day.
Leila: At my school, band starts in sixth grade. For me, that year was distance learning and Covid. I was listening to recordings of lots of different instruments, and the moment I heard the oboe I knew it was the one. I was immediately drawn to the sound, even before knowing anything else about it.
What’s the most challenging and most rewarding thing about playing oboe?
Leila: Oboe reeds are definitely the trickiest part. You have to constantly adjust them to work how you want them to. Even with all of that, oboe reeds only last for 10–12 hours of playing. There's always something that needs fixing! When you do find it, though, the sound you can make is wonderful. For me, the most rewarding part is when I can sound like those recordings I first fell in love with.
Lydia: Every oboe player will tell you the most challenging part is the reeds. If you have a bad reed you basically just have a bad day. I will look up how to adjust for a specific problem and try adjusting on old reeds first to see how it works. You take off a microscopic amount of the cane and it completely changes the way the reed sounds and works. The most rewarding part is seeing my progress. I’m pretty shy, but playing solos has forced me out of my comfort zone. That’s helped me with my self confidence and stage fright and even public speaking.
Why did you decide to join MYS?
Lydia: I have two friends from my school, Finn and James, and they really really liked MYS. They were super excited about it every week all of first trimester. I thought, “maybe I’d like this.”
Leila: I was looking for a place where I could rehearse and perform at a high level with like-minded musicians, and MYS was exactly that.
What was your first impression of Repertory Orchestra?
Leila: My very first day I immediately felt welcomed and part of a group of people just like me. This feeling continued the whole trimester. It was just like I had hoped it would be. Everyone here plays at a high level and is motivated to work hard. Mr. Shogren was supportive and also pushed us to be the best we could. I had never been in a place with people like there are at MYS.
Lydia: The first day I showed up I was really nervous because I didn’t know where I was going, or know anyone, or know what I was doing. But I have made some friends and I like the staff here and I like Mr. Shogren. It’s just a positive environment.
How far is your drive to MYS and why do you do it?
Lydia: My drive is about an hour each way. I usually leave my house at 7:10 and I carpool with my friends from Cambridge. I do it because MYS has a really inviting atmosphere. It’s also a good opportunity for me to play in orchestra because my school doesn’t have orchestra and I’ve always wanted to play with a string section.
Leila: I drive an hour and a half to get to MYS. I do it because playing at this level and in this atmosphere is valuable. In my town, the local orchestra is great, but it's small and can't possibly play at the same level. The opportunity to play with an orchestra of such a high caliber makes the long drive worth it.
