The Confident Musicianing Podcast

From Paris Boats to Fringe Nights to a Week In Bed: A Musician’s Real Summer

• Eleanor

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Let's sit down, and have a cozy chat about the ups and downs of my summer.

There is a blog post that goes with this episode. Click here to read.

Let me know how your summer went! You can DM me on Tiktok and Insta @eleanor.oboe or email me at eleanor@confidentmusicianing.com.

Use code ELEANOR15 for 15% off your Notabl_ practice journal, and level up your focus in your sessions! Click here for your journal. 


I never recommend anything that I don't love. This contains an affiliate code which means that I receive a commission -- with no extra cost to you! 😊


SPEAKER_00:

Hello and welcome to the Confident Musitioning Podcast. My name is Eleanor and I am a British American oboist studying at the Royal Conservatory of Scotland. Literally my dream school. And it took me a long way to get there. I applied and auditioned for 12 schools in three different countries. It was a lot of hard work. But oh my gosh, so worth it. I want you to have the confidence to work hard in achieving your goals. So come with me as we go on this journey together. So sit down, pull up a chair, take a seat, or if you're on the go, welcome to the Confident Musitioning Podcast. Hello, hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Confident Musitioning Podcast. I am so happy that you are here today. We are gonna have so much fun. Um it is finally autumn. I am wearing a lovely, lovely cashmere jumper. I just feel so cozy today. Um this past week, uh well, I just started back at the conservatoire um studying oboe, and I have worn a lot of wool recently. Um to classes and whatnot. I just feel so like cozy. It's the autumn vibes, it's great. Actually, it's kind of a bit too much sometimes because right now um I live in Scotland and we are in a big storm and it's very windy, very blowy, um, very rainy, just like just so much. Um, it's it's like a really, really, really kind of big storm, and so I thought what not, you know, what what not better to do? Is that how you say it? Wouldn't it be a great idea that we go to to record a podcast um while I am inside and cozy and yeah, so that is what we are doing. So this episode is all about a reflection kind of of how this summer went and an emphasis on the fact that all of our summers were different. It is now autumn, so we can kind of look back on the summers and see um kind of how they were, reflect on them. You know, I love a good reflection, and it kind of talk about um our summers and and not compare them, you know. I think that that's really really important to not compare your summer to anyone else's summer. So let me tell you a little bit about my summer because I am so excited to. Um, so I think the biggest thing that happened this summer was that I went to France twice, once in July, and the second one in September. I did not know I was going to France twice. I thought I was going to France one time, and then I got asked to go to France again, and I was like, yes please. So both of them were with the company Buffet Crampon. Buffet Crampon is the company that makes my oboe, and for the second, um the second time I went to France, it was to play in the Buffet Crampon's 200th year anniversary. Um, it was a huge deal, it was so much fun. I met so many amazing oboists from around Europe. Um, we performed in the Théâtre de Champs-C, and afterwards there was like a huge boat on the Seine, and we like partied on the Seine with the Eiffel Tower glistening in the background, and I was like, whoa, like what the heck is happening? It was such an amazing, amazing um experience, and I think I mean I've talked about this on the podcast before, but this is so important. I think that the reason why I mean, well, this experience couldn't have happened if I hadn't reached out and contacted Buffet Crampon. I was at an event, this was like six months before the um concert that I was in. I was at an event and um there was a representative for this company, and I was like, I need to introduce myself to them, and I did, and that kind of slowly over time snowballed into me being invited to perform um in this concert, and I I think you know it's it's crazy. I was I was stood on this boat, right, that has been rented out, and there was a party and whatnot, and I ended up um catching up with the with the person that I originally introduced myself to, and they were like, you know, this this started because you know you just introduce yourself to someone. Do you know what I mean? Like that, like whoa, that's crazy. And I think networking as musicians is so extremely important, and I think that that is just like evidence of just how important it is or it can be. Um, so that was an amazing experience. I learned so much. Actually, the past episode, I'm just scrolling up because I have all of my episodes on my computer. The one two weeks ago um talks more about this, talks more about the trip in Paris. I'll link it below. Um, it talks more about the trip in Paris um and kind of lessons that I learned through through that second trip in Paris. So if you want to take a take a quick look at that, that will be linked um below in the description in the show notes and yeah, go go have fun with that. Okay, the next thing that was so much fun that I want to tell you all about was that I played in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. So if you don't know what the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is, it is a big festival in Edinburgh where so many different performers perform. It's not just classical music, although it includes classical music, but there's also um comedies and plays, I think. Um and just like all of these these different shows, I think that there's like just like more concert-y type shows as well, like kind of like more pop music, etc. All different kinds of music, all different kinds of performances. It's just like performing in general. Um, and I was able to be a part of that. So I was in um well, there was this opportunity where I played the coranglais in Holst's Planets, and we ended up playing in the fringe for two nights, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I think something really funny and really technical about this was I was on corangle, and there are two different styles of corangle. Um well, I'm I'm sure there are more than two, but these are the kind of two ones necessary for the story. Um, there is a conservatoire style, which is common all around the world, and then there's a thumb plate style, which is common just in the UK. And the core that they had me play on was a thumbplate core, and I am a conservatoire player, which basically means kind of the notes, you know, the fingerings are different, some of them. Um, and so I kind of it was like a week-long course, and then we played in the fringe, and I had to like during this week I had to kind of cram the knowledge of you know how to play a thumb plate instrument in that week, and at the beginning I was messing up a lot because I couldn't prepare for this beforehand because I didn't have the instrument. So at the beginning I was like messing up a lot and it was kind of stressful and whatnot, and then then at the end I was more confident in it, and actually it's really funny because I recently at the conservatoire I've started core and glau lessons, and that core was a conservatoire core, which I'm used to. But when I played it, I started playing thumb plate fingerings because just my brain was so used to the core of being a thumb plate instrument after that intense week of thumbplate playing. Um so that was really funny. But overall, that that week was so exciting and amazing, and we played in a church, and this church was it wasn't a too too big of a church, but it was a good sub substantial church size. Um, but it felt like the music was kind of bursting out of the church, like you know, like it was so expansive and so full, and Holst, you know, his planets, it's just such an amazing piece. If you haven't listened to the planets all the way through recently, I highly recommend it. It's amazing. Um, so yeah, that's like a highlight. So we've gone to like two highlights. I mean, the first one has two separate trips to France um for buffet, crampon, but then the second one is the fringe. So we have these highlights, right? Um, but let's also talk about the the other thing. So I got sick and spent a week in bed, and that sucks. I mean, it wasn't anything specific, it was just an illness. Um, and that wasn't very good. And I remember thinking, like, I was stuck in bed, right? And I had like TV shows I could watch, films, I had books, I had magazines, I had all of the stuff that you have when you're sick. And I just sat there and I was like, I have to practice. I just I have to practice, like I need to practice. It's been so long since I've practiced. And it's interesting because I think me about two years ago would have maybe gotten up and tried to practice. But me now knows better, knows better than to do that because I was like, I am not practicing. I am not practicing when I am ill, when I'm sick in bed, even when I'm starting to recover, I'm not gonna put myself through that, right? When I'm ill. And I was like, I I mean, I wasn't just like under the weather, I was ill. Do you know what I mean? Like there's I feel like there's a difference. Um, and even when I started back up with the oboe, I started incrementally, right? The first day practicing, I practiced a wee bit, just a little bit. The next day I added a little bit more until I got stronger and stronger. But I think that that's a big thing to note. I feel like as musicians, when we're ill, we have this, you know, nagging little voice in our head saying you gotta practice, but the best thing that we can do for ourselves when we are ill or whenever we need a break is to take the break. I a few days ago had a really, really, really, really crazy day where I had a recording session and then a lecture and then a rehearsal and then an oboe lesson and then a coronai lesson and then another rehearsal. My day started at like in the conservatoire. It started at like I don't remember, like eight and went until nine or something. Like it was crazy, you know, like like I and that was just with me playing the oboe or the core anglais, like it wasn't just like oh study time, it was like rehearsals and then lessons and then less it. So for oboe, you know, playing wise, it was a lot. And the next day I was like, I I mean I had some rehearsals because I had rehearsals and I have to go to the rehearsals, obviously, but I was like, I'm not, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna touch the instrument otherwise because that was too much and I need to recover. Yeah, I felt it. I think if I didn't feel that urge to need to recover, then I would have practiced and it would have been fine, but I knew that I needed to give myself that little bit of a break so that I didn't end up injuring myself. So, all that being said, I got ill and I spent a week in bed, and I think you know it's it's interesting because when when we have our summers, and I know it's autumn and summer is like so last season, um, but when we have our summers or when we have any season, we we tend to compare our summers, and I think I I struggled with that. I was partying on a boat on the Seine with the Eiffel Tower glistening in the background, and I had I had trouble um comparing my summers with other people, you know, like everyone compares their summers. Um, even though I had a summer full of really exciting things, and I think it's normal to struggle with that because you know I didn't I posted about the you know amazing trips I had because I wanted to share that and it was so exciting, but I really didn't want to share that I was ill because I I wasn't up for posting, you know, like I wasn't up for creating content when I was ill, you know what I mean? Like I didn't want to do that, but that means that you guys didn't know I was ill, you know, and so you you like like if that's that's the thing, like I feel like when we scroll we see the highlights, you know. You could be you could be watching someone's Instagram's post about their amazing trip, and you don't know, they might be clicking that post button when they're in bed and ill. Do you know what I mean? Like there's so much to kind of think about that, and it's so normal to struggle with that. So I challenge you going into this autumn season in you know, towards the winter, even towards the spring, um, to kind of remind yourself that you know, especially on the internet, people share their highlights, you know. And I also I mean, I I I have shared low things as well. I shared about my exam fail and and other things like that. Um, but generally, you know, Instagram is such a such a highlight reel. You know, if we if we compare our real lives to Instagram or social media, it's not gonna be helpful, you know. Um so yeah, I challenge you and I also challenge myself because it's very hard to not compare ourselves to other people. Um, yeah, and that is how my summer went. So yeah. Before we finish, I want to tell you about something that really has helped me in my practice, which is a notable practice journal. I feel like there's a huge difference when you go into a practice room and you like don't really know what to do, so you just play for however long, versus going into a practice room knowing exactly what you need to do and getting that stuff done, and then you feel way more productive. And planning my practice for me is the difference between those two scenarios. And to plan my practice, I use a notable practice journal. This journal helps me not only plan my practice but also reflect after so that I can get better with every single session. As soon as I figured out that this notebook was helping me, I knew that I had to tell you about it and I knew that I had to give you a code. So use code Eleanor15 for 15% off your journal. That is Eleanor E-L-E-A-N-O-R 15 for 15% off your journal. The code will be in the description in the show notes, um, and so will a link to the notable sites that will also be down there. So get yourself a notable practice journal, and yeah, let's all have more productive, effective, and focused sessions. Because isn't that what we want? Especially when starting up the new academic year, yeah, that's that's what we want. So you know me, I don't recommend anything that I don't absolutely love. This code is an affiliate code, which means I do receive a commission with no extra cost to you. Alright, that is about it for this episode. Thank you so much for hanging out with me and hearing about my summer. If you want to tell me all about your summer, please do that. You can DM me on Instagram at Eleanor.obo. Um, you can also, I guess, the do they do DMs on TikTok? I feel really, really out of the loop with that. Yes, you can, right? Yes, you can. Um, you can DM me on TikTok as well. Eleanor E-L-E-A-N-O-R dot obo-b-o-e, um, and tell me all about your summer. If you want to send me an email, it tells me all about your summer. That is Eleanor at confidentmusitioning.com. That will also be in the description, and it's you can take the spelling from the podcast, the confident musician podcast. I'd love to hear all about your summer and all about what you are doing this autumn. So, yeah, I cannot wait to hear about that. All right, that is about it for this episode. Thank you so much for hanging out with me, and I will see you in the next episode. All right, take care. Bye bye.

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Eleanor

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