About the Double Reed Studio

 

The double reed studio at the University of South Alabama is run by Dr. Amy Selkirk (Oboe) and Dr. Kristina Nelson.  They are active performers both locally and nationally.  

Our studio is comprised of music majors, minors, and non-majors. Non-majors are welcome to audition for and participate in campus ensembles and may take elective lessons. Students who wish to major in oboe or bassoon can pursue a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in either Music Performance - Instrumental, Music Education - Instrumental, or Elective Studies in either Music Business or Outside Fields. Of course, students may also minor in music. Information on our degree programs can be found by clicking here. Auditions are required for all degree programs, major ensembles, and scholarships; you can find more information about that on our 'Join Us' page.

For oboe and bassoon students who do not own their own instruments, we have several high quality instruments available for student use. We strongly encourage majors to work towards the purchase of their own instrument, and Dr. Mindock has many resources to aid in this process, but, until that happens, an instrument can be issued to you. Most of our instruments are made by either Fox or Yamaha, and many of them have been purchased within the last few years and are still very new.

We are fortunate to have the full complement of reed making tools available to provide all double reed majors with access to the equipment they need to make reeds from tube cane (i.e., from the original dried and cured plant stalks). Oboists and bassoonists majoring in music are required to learn reed-making while studying at USA, and those who do not have their own equipment can benefit from what we have available for studio use. During the Fall and Spring semesters we hold a weekly reed-making class, where the entire studio meets to work on reeds together, and students are welcome to come in during office hours or at other times to use the reed-making equipment. All of our current majors -- and most of the minors and non-majors! -- are playing on reeds they have made by themselves.

Visitors to the double reed studio are always welcome. If you would like to set up a tour of the department, a trial lesson, or a demonstration of the studio's facilities and equipment, you may contact the Department of Music at usamusic@southalabama.edu to schedule a meeting.