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Phil MUSICIANS

Couples who Play Together:

Meet Laura Pardee Schaefer and Ira Schaefer

How do you approach preparations for
a performance?

Laura: It all depends. Am I preparing for orchestra or
chamber music? A well-known work, or contemporary
piece? Difficult solos, or simple and straightforward?
Regardless, I always start with a reed inventory.

Laura: What is a reed inventory? I see what I have in
my reed box that will work for what I’m playing. Then
In the October issue of Connections, Ira and Laura I make a bunch of reeds so I have a variety of options
detailed what life has been like for their family since for what the weather, venue, piece, and part demand.
last spring. Now they share what it’s like to be a I find a recording and follow along with the music
married couple performing in the same orchestra. while listening so I know about any unmarked solos
Laura plays principal oboe; Ira plays double bass. or tricky parts. If it’s a world premiere and there are

no recordings and I have a big solo, well, honestly,
What music did you select for your duet? that’s just incredibly cool. I spend a lot of time on

something like that to really dig into each note and
Laura: We are playing a couple of baroque dances
by Handel, and then for a complete mood change, a marking to find an interpretation of the composer’s
short little jazz standard, All of Me. intention while still putting my life and breath and
soul into voicing those intentions. That’s where I
Ira: Believe it or not, we chose these pieces feel like the box of expectations that I’m supposed
because there’s not a lot written for the instrument to fit an orchestra solo into gets huge and I need to
combination of oboe and bass. fill that space with my interpretation and creativity.
Laura: And, it’s kind of crazy that after 14 ½ years of If it’s a well-known solo, I need to work hard to make
marriage, plus some dating years before that, this sure to fit my interpretation inside a smaller box that
is the FIRST time we’ve ever played duets together. matches conventional wisdom and the audience’s
Two professional musicians, playing in the same expectations of what they’re going to hear.
orchestras for over 20 years, married for most of that
time, and we never played duets until now! (Asking Ira: Is Steven going to read this? I look at the tricky
Ira) Do you think if there was anything written for parts and practice them.
oboe and bass we would’ve played duets before Laura: That’s right; he’s more naturally gifted than I
this? am. (laughs)

Ira: (shrugs)

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