Welcome to AaronLakota.com, an Oboe Blog

AaronLakota.com is an oboe blog dedicated to passing on information, perspectives, and opinions. I am passionate about the oboe, reeds, teaching, learning, and sharing my passions. I am dedicated to helping oboists enjoy the process of music-making since it means so much to me. I do this through:

• Performance
• Education
• Providing high-quality reeds to customers

If you have found your way to this website, you likely have a love for music and the oboe. I believe playing the oboe should be an incredibly joyful experience. Music and the oboe have the potential to bring much joy to our lives, and I hope to provide you with great information about oboe reed making and playing the oboe.

The Philosophy Behind the Oboe Blog

Life is an exploration to find who we truly are. We evolve as individuals to discover where we fit into the larger picture of existence. Like myself, AaronLakota.com and A.Lakota Reeds have been evolving over the past few years.

The main goal of this oboe blog is not simply to sell oboe reeds, but to be a presentation of what is important to me. Finding a way to give back to the community is vital, and this site is a small way to give back to the oboe community with information. It is also a way for me to express my ideas—a small segment of my philosophy of music, oboe playing, and life.

I love to make reeds, create products, share information, sell reeds, and learn from that process. I often tell my students, “The best way to learn to make reeds is to start a reed business!” I have discovered so much in the past few years about reeds, learning, and creating things from ideas. That has only been possible because of my wonderful customers and community support. A.Lakota Reeds has provided me with much insight into learning to make oboe reeds, and I hope to give some of that knowledge back here.

Be Happy Obo(e)ing

There is often a love/hate relationship that oboists have with their reeds and the instrument. I have been through times of frustration that resembled hatred a few times. However, I always come back to find that love that hides beyond everything else.

I believe we oboists can find that mental and emotional place where the oboe brings us much joy, away from the headaches and heartaches it can often cause. Finding joy in playing the oboe is a lifestyle—a state of mind, perhaps. To get to that place, we must practice the instrument, but also develop a healthy frame of mind.

We get to play this instrument. We get to learn to make reeds. We get to sit and hone our craft and art for hours and days at a time. Many people do not get those opportunities. Because we get to play the oboe, we should find happiness and joy in the process. We should Be Happy Obo(e)ing.

Be Happy Obo(e)ing is something I have embraced as a sort of slogan for A.Lakota Reeds, but it is also my own way of life. We all must find that thing in life that speaks to us at a deep level. The oboe and music have affected me deeply and provide me with much meaning. I like to think I will continue to find deep meaning by learning and sharing what I learn in this oboe blog.

Explore the Oboe Blog for Information

Please take some time to read the articles I write, share your own oboe information, and leave comments and feedback. I like to know what information people want to read about and how I may help. I am passionate about music and the oboe, and I want to know what other oboists feel is relevant.

I am not by any means the best oboist or reed maker, but I am ahead of some students on the path. I have tried many things, explored many ideas, and struggled with the oboe and reeds just as many of you have. I hope I may share what I have gathered from my experiences and mistakes so other students will not need to make them. Actually, I take that back—I hope students will make their own mistakes and learn from them! I would never want to take that learning opportunity away. I hope you may find the perspective I provide to be helpful, or at least thought-provoking, on your path down the oboe rabbit hole.

Making a career in music as a professional oboist can be challenging when jobs are few and far between and there are many other fantastic oboists playing. There is a certain challenge in forging ahead on a path with no guarantees, job benefits, or blueprint. The music industry is going through huge transitions, and I predict it will look very different over the next decade or two. I find this exciting, and I look forward to continuing to explore what the classical musician of the 21st century will look like.

Music makes me very happy; it is the part of my life where I feel most myself. I hope every oboist and musician can find that same joy from music and the instrument.

I wish you all the greatest experiences with everything you do, and I hope you are able to Be Happy Obo(e)ing.

-Aaron