Philip Ross joined the SLSO this season as oboist. Phil is a native of Jonesboro, Arkansas, where his father is a renowned maker of gouging machines, which are an essential tool in reed-making. Oboists around the world make the pilgrimage to the northeast corner of Arkansas to consult with Phil’s dad. Which is how Phil got to know our great principal oboe Pete Bowman, and many more of the double-reed tribe.
Phil’s great to talk with for a number of reasons. One, he is a terrific story teller: as the one about the time he drove to St. Louis for his SLSO audition, practicing his oboe as he drove up I-55 steering with his legs. For young musicians out there: this is not recommended behavior.
He’s also having a terrific time playing in his new orchestra, and that sort of enthusiasm is fun to be around. We were talking about various matters orchestral a few days back, a Friday that had turned suddenly cold with wind and wet snow. Phil informed me that the oboists already knew the front was coming in the day before. Double reeds are exceptional barometers, and in the midst of Elgar/Schumann rehearsals the oboists and bassoon players were having trouble making sounds out of those delicate reeds. The wood tightened up due to the imminent shift in weather. I wonder if Ben Abel, the esteemed meteorologist at KWMU, knows about this.
