Position: Principal Clarinet
Tell us about your very first encounter with music.
I’ve always had music around me as long as I can remember. It was playing in the house from my earliest memories.
One of my mom’s favorite pictures of me as a small child is a candid picture a preschool teacher took of me playing recorder. [The school] tried to capture what each student liked doing the most.
When did you begin playing the clarinet?
The local high school band director did a program in the summers that allowed students entering 5th grade to try out all the wind and brass instruments to see which one they might want to play in elementary school band the following year. I picked clarinet because I felt like I could play it more immediately than some of the others. I played Twinkle Twinkle and decided the clarinet was my instrument.
When did you decide that you wanted to become a professional musician?
I was in high school when I decided to pursue a career in music. I had an inspirational clarinet teacher who gave me lots of good things to work on. The challenge of improving my abilities and the excitement of being able to do more of the musical things that I loved hearing made me want to keep going on that path.
What Des Moines Symphony performances stand out in your memory?
Since I joined the Des Moines Symphony in 2011, we have been fortunate to have really great programming each season, so there are some amazing musical moments from every year. I particularly remember playing the Krommer Concerto for Two Clarinets with Clarence Padilla in my second season. The audience was full of great energy. It ended up being the last opportunity for my father to hear me perform before he died, so I particularly treasure that concert in my memory.
How do you typically prepare for a concert?
I’m not a terribly superstitious person, so my concert preparation is pretty pragmatic.
At the beginning of each season, we get an overview of all of the concerts with the repertoire for each one. At that point, I identify the ones with important clarinet parts that I know about and begin to work on that music. Then, as each concert comes up, I look over the music for the less-familiar pieces to see what might need some attention. If recordings are available, listening to those to hear how my part fits into the whole is particularly helpful.
I like to have some food not too long before playing, so I make a plan to eat about an hour before.
What do you find to be the most challenging part of being a musician? What is the most fulfilling part?
The most challenging part of being a musician is probably the daily aspect of practice. Keeping in good shape on the instrument is important no matter what else is going on, and that can be difficult with the other things happening with each day.
But the rewarding payout is the experience of creating something beautiful and having other people respond to that. It feels like a kind of community you create with your audience, and I love how that works.
Who have been some of the most influential people in your life?
Outside of my parents (whose support was the foundation of all that I’ve done, especially music) I’d say my clarinet teachers have each been pivotal in my development as a musician and as a person. At each stage (high school, undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees) I’ve been particularly invested in following the advice each of them has given me. That’s the reason I tell students to carefully consider the teacher when they’re looking to study music in college. Those teachers end up being a part of your life well past the time you’ve studied with them.
What piece of music could you play over and over again?
One of my favorite pieces for the clarinet is Folk Songs by Eric P. Mandat. It asks the performer to create sounds in unusual ways, and I find them so musically interesting and compelling. Stretching beyond what’s normal and expected feel exciting and interesting, so I’m always look for new ways to do that.
Outside of the clarinet, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?
I’ve been an active runner for a long time and love the feeling of getting out and being completely in the moment of moving and breathing. It’s like meditation for me. I also like building things with my hands and have made things like my clarinet case and simple furniture. All this happens when I’m not playing with my four-year-old twins, who have inexhaustible energy!
To read Gregory Oakes’ full bio, click here to visit his website.
