Now that Tour I is over, I have a moment to look back at what we actually accomplished. With every performance, we managed to discuss our ambitions to extend the possibilities for this type of instrumentation, as well as my own interests in expanding the oboe's overall range. There were many current and former oboists during the tour that were very intrigued by the idea of the low-A key and were thrilled to see it up close after the concerts. Probably the most successful concert was at the Bozeman Public Library in Montana, which was specifically a lecture/performance about "the art of transcription".. By coupling "bad transcription choices" with the final versions of David's pieces, audiences really seemed to get a grasp of just how easy it is to make fantastic literature sound awkward for these instruments. While not usually accustomed to hosting anything more than a solo recital, we had to improvise with a painting easel in place of a second music stand. However, our horn player being a visual artist as well as a musician, this seemed rather fitting and certainly helped create a more informal environment, so no problem there!
We were fortunate to meet some incredible musicians along the way, especially Ryan Connell, organist at the First Baptist Church of Boulder, whom without we could not have done this tour. Thanks to all of those page enhancement engineers and to all of the venues for hosting us and providing such engaged audiences!
David practicing at the First Baptist Church of Boulder.
An interesting wall while walking around downtown Boulder before a concert.
Sloan giving a horn masterclass at the University of Denver.
View of Bozeman, Montana, before we went to perform in the public schools.
Bozrman Public Library.
A trip to Red Rocks, Colorado before our final performance in Littleton.