Now we're going to talk to an oboist on Symphonic Safari Adventure shall we?

Hello.

Hi, I'm Roger, Roger Rhythm and you are Margaret.

Yes, Margaret Cracchiolo.

I'm the second oboe player and also the English horn player of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.

Marvelous.

The oboe is one of my favorite instruments.

I must say, Margaret, first of all, tell me more about where you grew up and how music became a part of your childhood.

I grew up in San Francisco.

And music was always a part of my childhood.

I wasn't always playing it, but my parents were always playing opera.

I remember them listening to PBS opera performances with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in the evenings, and then I took piano lessons early and then clarinet and then switched to oboe in high school.

I'm sure those were fond memories.

Very.

And Margaret, how did you choose the oboe?

Well, I was asked to play the oboe by my band director in high school, and I decided to give it a try and I loved it like right off.

It just was so intriguing to me, and the sound was so different than the clarinet.

And so and the whole reed contraption thing was very interesting.

So it.

It sounds like love at first sight.

It was, I think it was.

Music has taken us all over the world, Margaret tell me, where is the farthest place it has taken you with your oboe?

Probably Singapore and Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, that area.

Wow.

Amazing.

And Margaret, tell me again, tell me this How does your oboe produce sound?

Well.

The vibration of the double Reed, the two blades of cane vibrating against each other produces the sound.

Wow.

Amazing.

And if you can go back in time years ago when you first started playing, could you tell us your first song you learned how to play?

Well, like I said, I started on the piano and so I can't really remember.

But I can tell you the first woodwind quintet I ever played on the oboe in high school.

Quickly after switching was the the Chimney of King Rene.

Oh, and there's a movement that has sort of features the oboe.

Go for it, please.

Ah, fascinating.

Tell us about the range of your instrument from the lowest note to the highest note.

All right, the lowest note on the oboe is a low B-flat.

Mm.

That is low it is pretty low, and the highest note on a good day is the high G. Let's see if I can get that out for you.

Okay.

Fascinating.

And that reminds me if your instrument was an animal, what animal would it be Margaret?

Well, it was sort of imposed on us by Prokofiev, who made the oboe the duck in Peter and the Wolf.

So I would have to say the duck.

Yeah.

Would you like to demonstrate that?

Well, let me ask you a question.

Yes.

Would you like a happy, carefree duck floating around a pond?

Or would you like a freaked out running from a wolf jumping out of the pond quacking duck?

I would like the happy one today.

OK, tomorrow?

Who knows?

I could do that for you.

Amazing.

Now tell me this.

Inspiration comes to us all.

What was your inspiration in playing the oboe?

My inspiration in deciding to play was just to be allowed to to play solos and and, you know, being in the clarinet section, I was kind of at the end of the section and the band director said she wasn't going to move me up because she wanted a very strong player at the back.

But if I switched to oboe, I would get to play more challenging things.

And oh, so that was pretty much my inspiration.

Fascinating.

And I would like to hear a piece that you are passionate about something that's dear to your heart.

I love playing Bach.

And there's an aria that features the oboe here, and I'll play a little bit of that.

Go for it.

Bravo, Bravo.

Fascinating.

And with your instrument, tell us what is the most unique thing about the oboe?

I think the sound.

Sort of like.

I feel that it could be close to the human voice used, Kind of in a soulful way, sometimes joyful, sometimes sad, and um, so, yeah, just the sound.

Can you think of a time that was very memorable for you as you were playing the oboe like with a group of people, a memory, a fond memory?

I have many, many fond memories of playing the oboe.

I think that it just, you know, instead of singling one out in particular, it's just really given me wings in my life to travel or to do interesting things, to meet so many interesting people and play such beautiful music and has taught me so much about working with people and about just about myself and others.

And it really has been such a beautiful thing in my life and thinking about the oboe, it's amazing.

What would you say motivates you to play every day or to practice every day, just wanting to improve, to keep growing, to keep moving forward and challenging myself It's good for my playing.

It's good for me as a person.

Fascinating.

Now.

In an orchestra, there are many people playing.

Could you play something from an orchestra that we can only hear now with the oboe?

OK.

This may or may not work, and if it does work, I need you to cheer for me after.

I will cheer for you Margaret.

This one makes me slightly nervous.

Oh, that was brilliant.

Thank you so much.

Now we have something we call rapid fire, OK, and that is when I ask you a question.

Two, and you get to choose one.

OK. Ready?

tacos or burritos?

Tacos.

Alright Making reeds or making waffles?

Making waffles, Michael Jackson or Prince?

Prince.

Oh I like it, and Snickers or jellybeans?

Hmm, Snickers.

Oh, thank you so much for that.

And a couple of things about the oboe is that Did you know that many oboes-ists make their own reeds?

And it's a woodwind instrument with a double reed, correct?

Yeah.

All right.

This is the double reed.

And the oboe is a complex instrument.

It has 45 keys.

I hear.

You don't say.

I do say.

Thank you, Margaret.

We so appreciate you.

Thank you Thank you.

Goodbye.