OBOE EDUCATION:

Brenda's Private Teaching Philosophy and Credentials

In-Person lessons have resumed! Brenda is currently teaching in-person private oboe lessons in Mountain View and San Francisco, and is continuing to teach online, using FaceTime and  Zoom. For in-person lessons, students must be fully vaccinated.

Internationally recognized for her oboe teaching skills, Brenda remains as devoted to total beginners as she is to advanced players. Lessons are crafted according to the individual needs of each student and every lesson is fun! Brenda has taught oboe master classes and has performed throughout the United States, in Europe, East Africa and Central America. She’s built both her teaching and playing careers on versatility, making the oboe and its music accessible to almost any audience. She also plays and teaches english horn and oboe d'amore. Brenda has a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Chamber music Performance from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master of Music from Stony Brook University.

Oboe, Oboe Reeds and Music Education: Brenda plays and teaches classical music including baroque to modern, orchestral, solo and chamber repertoire. She focuses not only on how to play the music, but most importantly, on how to play the oboe. Understanding oboe reeds, how to make, select, purchase, judge, evaluate and adjust them when necessary, is routinely included. For students who wish to expand their repertoire, she will, in appropriate situations, also teach bluegrass, pop, progressive jazz, world and improvised musics.

Brenda's students play in or have played in the San Francisco, Young People's, Golden State, California, Peninsula, Oakland, Marin and El Camino Youth Symphony Orchestras, West County Winds, San Ramon, Corte Madera, Marin Sewer, College of Marin, South Bay, Contra Costa, Mission and Oakland Community Orchestras and Bands, and chamber ensembles of all types. Teen and pre-teens also gain performance and community service experience by joining her, playing duos and trios in concerts specifically for senior citizens. 

Former students attend Oberlin, Eastman, Indiana, Northwestern, Rutgers, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Chico, San Diego State, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and others. Brenda has a unique perspective on what the various colleges have to offer. Having attended and taught at Music Educator conferences throughout the United States, she understands what is expected and is happy to offer training, advice and assistance with orchestra and college applications, auditions and suggestions about the next 'right' teacher for any given student.

Selecting an oboe: A frequent performer and participant at the International Double Reed Society conferences, she has gained detailed information and experience regarding the manufacture, marketing, playability and stylistic differences between the various brands of oboes, english horns, and oboe d'amores. Brenda is a Buffet Crampon Artist.