Interview with oboist Sandra Romero – Oboist of the month.

Sandra Romero is a wonderful oboist originally from Colombia, who lives now in Brazil, with a wonderful experience in pedagogy. In fact, she has a master’s degree in Didactics and Music Pedagogy, she is a Pedagogical Coordinator and Teacher at Neojiba, and, to top it off, she has a degree from the Central University of Colombia.

We want to get to know you better Sandra (@paola_oboe) so we thank you for your time, here are our questions!

Interview with oboist Sandra Romero

1. When exactly did you start playing the oboe?

I was always curious about the musical activities that my uncles on my mother’s side carried out, they always participated in various groups in an empirical way. When I was 6 years old I began my theoretical musical knowledge in a didactic way. Years later I began my musical studies formerly with the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra of theory and solfeggio, then I entered the Batuta Foundation, in my hometown, where I had the opportunity to experience wind instruments and that is how the oboe came into my life.

2. Why did you choose this instrument?

It is a very particular story, within the program that I started my music studies in the city of Bogota (Colombia) I had the opportunity to experience several wind instruments and in the experimental oboe class they gave us reeds, the teacher said that whoever managed to play it would be an Oboist and here I am immersed to this day, in this world of reeds and oboe!

3. How much time do you dedicate daily to the oboe?

Along with the pedagogical activities that I carry out and accompany the technical studies with my students, every day at least 1 hour, and if there is no time at least I do exercises with the cane, to keep the mouth in shape. 

4. Is there an oboist or musician who especially inspires you?

Since my arrival in Brazil, I have had the opportunity to participate in pedagogical and musical activities with excellent oboist musicians such as Alex Klein, Eldevina (Kika) Materula who besides being an oboist and founder of the Xiquitsi Project, is the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Mozambique – Africa, Moisés Pena, Jorge Andrés Pinzón and Ravi Shankar, who is currently the Professor and Advisor of my research project in the Master in Performance Practices at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) – Brazil. 

5. What feelings would you say the sound of the oboe transmits to you?

Life! The versatility of its cantabile and lyrical sound, generate sensations that make vibrate every deep fiber in my person, regardless of the musical styles where we can explore new aesthetics revolutionizing the art of its sonorous richness.

6. What do you find most difficult about playing the oboe?

The homogenization of the air direction, understanding and understanding that the physical layout of the oboe (due to its conical construction) requires us to maintain a constant flow, with this we will have a solid result in the sonority for each of the registers of the oboe.

7. Have you experienced any curious anecdote related to your studies as an oboist?

I don’t know if I should consider it an anecdote, but comparing my experiences in band and orchestra I believe that each experience contributed in high measure to the technical and sonorous development (band) and musical refinement (orchestra) with this I don’t want to say that one is better than the other, simply that each grouping brings us specific points that develop various skills as instrumentalists.

8. What is the most important thing for you in oboe reeds?

It is not by chance that the oboe is considered one of the most difficult instruments, with this I emphasize the connection between the making of the reeds and the emission of air that these allow. For the union of these two components can generate various consequences on the health of the interpreter, so I always invite my students to reflect on the importance of developing the ability to make flexible reeds to enjoy the most of every musical moment with the oboe.

9. What do you like most about music pedagogy?

In my experience as a teacher, every day that I share with my students I experience how music can transform each one of them, through their technical-musical evolution they develop in their growth as oboists and as human beings.

10. Anything you would like to share with Medina Reeds readers?

The technical mastery of the instrument connected to every sensation, every emotion and our reasoning, with the proper body awareness takes us to another level as oboist musicians, transforming us into artists.

I am grateful to Medina reeds for opening this space of interaction of knowledge among oboists of the world.