About the Studio

The oboe studio at Western Michigan University offers undergraduate and graduate students amazing opportunities to develop as well-rounded musicians, educators, music therapists, entrepreneurs, and arts advocates. Members of the oboe studio have a wide variety of interests and enjoy great camaraderie.  The oboe studio includes music education, music performance, music therapy, and liberal arts majors, as well as oboists who pursue the music minors and other degree programs.

Oboists at Western Michigan University have weekly lessons with Dr. Lewis, participate in an oboe studio class that meets regularly. on a wide range of topics. Students also engage in the reed making process through regular reed-making classes and individual coaching sessions.  Oboists frequently come to WMU with little reed-making experience and are surprised at how quickly their reed-making skills develop in this environment.  Oboe studio classes offer focused study of elements of performance, repertoire, oboe technique, pedagogy, entrepreneurship, reed making, literature, and projects that introduce historical oboe recordings and interesting writings about the oboe.  

Oboists also participate in smaller chamber ensembles that perform on and off campus. There are several scholarship ensembles such as the Freshman Woodwind Quintet and Graduate Woodwind Quintet, selected through competitive audition.  Each semester, oboists rehearse and perform with large ensembles, including the WMU Symphonic Band, Symphony Orchestra, and Concert Band.  With these ensembles, students enjoy traveling to perform regionally, nationally, and internationally.  Please contact Dr. Lewis with questions or if you’d like to learn more about oboe study at Western Michigan University.