Carolyn Tudor, an experienced woodwind teacher thanks JP for improving accessibility to the Oboe in her JP Story.
"As a woodwind teacher I come across many JP instruments regularly in my day to day career. As an oboist the relatively new JP081 Oboe has changed the way that I teach and encouraged many more pupils into the world of oboe than ever before. In the past the expense of beginner oboes was the main reason that pupils who might have been interested in the oboe adjusted their focus on to learning the clarinet or flute first before taking the decision to part with a large amount of money to buy an oboe later in their tuition. In my case I was lucky that at the age of 11 my science teacher at school happened to have 2 oboes at home and was happy to lend me one so I could get playing! If that hadn’t have happened I would have continued along my road as a clarinetist.
"In the last 10 years since the lightweight, well built, easy speaking, resin, and - most importantly - affordable JP081 appeared, the age of my beginner oboists has got younger and younger. I now regularly teach Year 4 (aged 9) oboists, many of whom have previously enjoyed playing the recorder. They love that it is lightweight, makes a nice sound, has a similar fingering to the recorder, and has a cool case!
"I am excited for the next few years as those instrumentalists, and the ones who started on them a few years ago, move up through the secondary schools, colleges and into universities and the wider world. Music will be become richer for the fact that pupils are able to start earlier on instruments which they used to have to delay to start.
"If only we could make a reliable, easy blowing, affordable, and unbreakable beginner reed to go with them!! You never know with brilliant John Packer’s team, they might even manage it one day!"
Carolyn started her musical journey learning the Recorder and Clarinet at St Andrews Primary School in Taunton and used those musical skills when moving on to the Oboe. She studied BA Music (Woodwind and Voice) and Music PGCE at Southampton University and taught Woodwind at Hampshire Music Service for 13 years. During her time at HMS she was Director of the Gosport and Fareham Youth Orchestras which consisted of 4 large ensembles. She moved back to Taunton in 2015 and now teaches throughout the area and runs her own company ‘Tone Woodwind Tuition’. Click here for more information
