I’m Jessica M. Holcomb, and I’m looking to provide instrument lessons on the Oboe for middle to high school students in the Cherokee County area. Oboe is my primary instrument, but I can help saxophone players and assist double reed players who are beyond their second year. I plan to pursue music as an oboe performance major in College, so my earnings will predominately go towards my future education.
My goal for beginners is to help them develop a good practice routine and get them started on establishing a good foundation. The more quickly they can grasp the basics of the oboe, the faster they can begin playing music and enjoying the sound they make. For intermediate players, we’d focus on strengthening different aspects of the oboe’s sound: tone, intonation, dynamics and articulation. They’d progress in their sight reading abilities by reading a variety of music, helping them to learn music at a faster rate. With more advanced players, the focus would be shifted away from what’s on the page to how you interpret and play it. Musicality will be the center of our attention along with the factors contributing to it such as phrasing, specific dynamics, vibrato, rubato and both the starting and ending of individual notes. Audition preparations and management will also be a key point in discussion.
Music is a lot of work and takes a lot of practice, but it is very rewarding. Most parents really enjoy hearing their kids practice as they hear progress being made.
Often, a new player has trouble with their embouchure and their finger placement, and occasionally there are problems with the reed or the instrument. I’m equipped to adjust reeds to a degree, especially if they’re factory-made reeds since usually 1 of 3 may crow properly. I can make sure the oboe is functioning as it should and determine if anything needs to be repaired.
I’m going on my seventh year playing the oboe but have experience in a variety of areas. I began playing the oboe in Warsaw, Indiana, at Edgewood Middle School. Later, we moved to Hampstead, North Carolina, where I began playing alto sax in marching band and the tenor sax in the advanced jazz band. Additionally, I played with the pit of the Topsail Marching Band during my sophomore year.
I was then selected to be the Junior Drum major, but unfortunately, we moved to Georgia, and I missed that opportunity. I chose to march the tenor saxophone in the Creekview marching band, and this year, I was elected as the Senior Drum Major.
As for oboe experience, in North Carolina, I was chosen 1st chair in the district Honors Band 3 years in a row and made the North Carolina All-State Honors Band my sophomore year, receiving first alternate my freshman year.
This year, I competed in Georgia and received 7th in my district, yet first alternate to the All-State band, our district being the most competitive for oboe. This past summer after a rigorous process of auditions and interviews, I was selected as one of three oboists in the state to attend the Georgia Governors honors program for 4 weeks. I’ve been to a few double-reed days hosted by colleges In NC and GA, and I’ve attended several master classes for wood-wind instruments, primarily oboes. I currently take lessons from Sarah Parker online in Wilmington, NC on a weekly basis and play with the North Georgia Youth Wind Symphony.
My Recordings: Oboe Etudes @2xreed
Get to know me @jessica_m_holcomb
Lessons are $20 each and the first lesson is free.
Lessons will be provided at our current living quarters on Rosebury drive in Canton, GA.
If you would like lessons, have a question, or would just like to connect with me, please use the contact form below.
Thank you and I look forward to talking with you.