Photos by Stephen Lickman

A personal impression

Most of us feel a sense of accomplishment to even be in the pursuit of mastering a double reed instrument. Of course there are these doublers who play several instruments very well, and I am always in awe of them.

Then along comes this Philadelphia native, Steve Lickman, who not only performs with excellence, sensitivity, and beauty on oboe and English horn, but also is in demand as a jet pilot, a commercial photographer, a bocal maker, an instrument repairman, a private teacher, computer operator, and business man (English Horn Products). Needless to say, we should add he i's a master of time management.

Still, he is not "robot-like ", making EVERY minute count. He operates with flexibiliy. With his host of friends who enjoy his keen sense of humor and his personable manner, he never fails to have time for fun.

When I first met Steve in 1975, it was at an outdoor park concert, and I felt intimidated to approach him about repairing my English horn. He looked so tall and self-assured standing on Dallas' Flagpole Hill. I wondered (as Dori's DeLoach once said), would he be one who played the Strauss Concerto when he was in the third grade?

On the contrary he was friendly, welcoming, and helpful. My English horn never played better than it did after it passed his inspection. He has high standards in ALL he does.

On the one hand we see this flamboyant character with a telephone in his car, a "live" answering service taking calls for Mr. Lickman, and a lovely, two-story contemporary house in an affluent neighborhood. On the other hand, he displays a mission of unselfish service to others. He spent hours upon hours improving English horn bocals, also taking suggestions for improvements from his customers. He is willing to help students with music or repair work, quite often at his inconvenience. Once he was genuinely upset at receiving ONLY a check for a job with no comment on how things worked or a "thank you ". ALWAYS he is pleasant and greets you with a smile.

I firmly believe that English horn players have an affinity for cats! Steve lives up to this by sharing hi's house with two black ones - Kitty and Shtunk. Some of his repair bills have been paid in bags of kitty litter or catfood.

In closing, my most lasting impression of Steve was how he related to the lady who cleaned hi's apartment when he first moved to Dallas. His kindness and good nature had her laughing and feeling great about herself and life in general. In the music business one often feels it is music first, people second. In my observation Steve's priority is just the reverse.

An interview...

As we began the interview, Steve was just starting to pin a crack in an oboe - eleven pins! He was also developing some pictures which periodically received his attention in his dark room.

Frances Estes: Where and when did you begin the study of the oboe?

Stephen Lickman: In Philadelphia - they had a great music program there. In the second grade I played flutaphone. In fact, I got mine free. I was in charge of collecting money for them, and somehow when I got all the money together, there was enough for an extra one, so I thought, why not? This is how my career got started - rather surreptitiously. In third grade I played a little metal melody flute, then fifth grade, clarinet. In ninth grade my band director suggested there would be more work for oboe players than clarinet players, so I changed to oboe. She was a real con artist.

FE: Do you enjoy experimenting with reeds and instruments?

SL: Not to the point of constantly looking for something else for myself. If things bother me, I like to see if I can try to figure them out.

FE: What motivated you to experiment with the bore of English horn bocals?

SL: Not being happy with what was available. No one who made them played in a symphony orchestra. They were instrument makers. I cut out the middle man. I made a bocal and took it to work. After I made thirty of them and played them on the job, I got an idea of what should be, at least for my crazy reed setup, but other people seem to enjoy it also.

FE: There must have been quite a process you went through before you took that successful bocal to work.

SL: Yes, I have a very wonderful business partner and friend, Bob Ethridge (we are now The Dallas Bocal Company). He helped me learn the necessary machining skills. We requested information from my friend Paul Laubin and went from there, using a different method of production. We experimented with tapers, shapes, and sizes until I felt comfortable with the results.

FE: About how long did the experiments last before you had a bocal you enjoyed using?

SL: About three months. We tested many mandrels to form the shape of the inside. There was a point I'd come home from a concert and rather than make a reed, I'd make a new bocal. We made a lot of bocals and a lot of mistakes... a lot of horrible bocals.

FE: Then the difficulty was developing the ideal mandrel?

SL: Exactly. We developed nine different mandrels. Bocal 7 was the successful one. Bocal 6 was the first that worked well. Number 8 was a total failure, but later became an oboe d'amore mandrel. Number 9 was too close to 7. ALL are number 2 lengths.

FE: Why do you make 7's now rather than 6's? I have a #6 that works extremely well.

SL: Some people with a bore problem in their instruments found that #6 caused middle C to sag. I always thought a sagging C was strictly a bocal problem, and in most cases it IS; but I found if the bore is too small in the first half of the top joint of the English horn, it creates the same problem.

So the #6 was too large for instruments in general. Of course your reed style, your shaper, and embouchure could possibly compensate for the size of the bocal.

FE: I understand you rebore the English horn for better low E's. Could you tell us something about that?

SL: After purchasing a new Loree English horn, I experienced difficulty attacking low E's and D#'s softly. I presented my problem to Moennig, Laubin, and Covey. Finally Covey used a reamer and rebored my instrument. It solved the problem. It is not a lot of wood, but it makes a huge difference.

Some months later, Larry Thompson of the Houston Symphony had his English horn stolen and bought a new instrument. He was having trouble playing low E softly. Larry thought the English horn was leaking. From my experience with my own instrument, I realized it was a bore problem. When we combined the instruments, using my top joint with the larger bore, the dilemma was solved.

I do not totally understand the acoustics of the English horn, but I know when something works, it isn't that difficult to copy. My partner Bob suggested constructing a bore reamer. So we did it. Larry's instrument was the first, and it solved his E problem. Since that time about fifty nervous English horn performers have joined this exclusive club.

In my I.D.R.S. lecture "The Bocal Instruments" I placed paper in the bore, making it smaller. The results were very predictable... "Low E Gurgle." I discovered the middle C sagged also, so I knew the bore affected the C as well.

FE: What testing procedure would you recommend to someone purchasing a bocal?

SL: Most people just begin blowing on a new bocal, judging the tone quality. This is fine to get an overall feel, but the first note to check is a diminuendo on middle C. Try playing the solos from Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Pines of Rome, and the aria from Rigoletto. Check the notes above G. If they are very flat, the bocal is too small. If they start to shoot up, the bocal is too large. A bocal that is too large will also cause sagging C's. Then check the general pitch and feeling of it.

After this, try different metals. The most popular of the metals is brass (gold-plated) and sterling or nickel silver. They all present different tone qualities.

FE: How many bocals has The Dallas Bocal Company sold?

SL: Between 500 and 600. Our company is represented all over the world... Japan, Australia, South America, Europe, Mexico, Germany, and France. None to Russia yet.

FE: So much for the mechanical improvement of the instrument, let's talk about playing it? How do you produce vibrato?

SL: It's totally natural... just nervousness when performing usually does it. No, vibrato is generated from all the basics being correct - correct resistance of the reed and proper support. It can be controlled where it is generated. A slower vibrato is lower in your thorax in the diaphragm area or if you want to speed it up, you can move it all the way up to your throat. You can change for different effects.

FE: How do you produce a diminuendo? Is it air or lips?

SL: It is a combination of less air and more lips. You close down the tip of the reed. Keep the support, but lessen the speed of the air... I think.

FE: What kinds of instruments do~you play?

SL: I play a Lorée oboe, English horn, and oboe d'amore. The symphony recently purchased a Lorée bass oboe. I use all Dallas Bocal Company bocals. I get a discount on them!

FE: What do you think separates an adequate English horn player from a really great one?

SL: Pay-scale. Hey, that's a tough question. Probably one who leads and doesn't follow. There are many people out there in this world who play their instruments quite well. I call them instrumentalists. They are, however, afraid to express themselves musically as an individual.

When a student studies with you, it is ludicrous to stand over him explaining how to phrase. If you want to learn about music, listen to Heifetz, Caruso, and Pavarotti recordings and to other fine singers and violinists.

If you want to learn techniques of tone production and reedmaking, find someone whose playing you admire and seek their knowledge.

There are many fine oboists in the world today, but how many play sensuously, sexy, and really turn an audience on? Very few.

Those we consider the greats dare to play softer, stretch a note a little longer (probably longer than they should). They have created their own individual style.

FE: That's good. You know it takes courage to do that.

SL: Today it seems conductors have more control than we would like, so it is inhibiting and limiting, but you try to convey your individuality.

FE: I think recordings help to inhibit players because people are accustomed to hearing "perfect" performances. One is afraid to "risk" in a live concert.

SL: No, that isn't true. You are running against the clock when recording. You get two takes, three if you're lucky. In some cases five or six on certain passages. You may have played tremendously on takes three and four, but they may be unusable because of acoustical anomalies.

FE: ... then you had better not risk holding a note a little longer. You'd better "play it safe. "

SL: Well, you could, but remember the question was what makes greatness. The great player will take the chance.

FE: How much time do you devote to reeds before a concert?

SL: All of it, other than eating and sleeping. Actually my theory is to make reeds every day before rehearsals and each concert. If I take the night off, I'm afraid I'll "get got."

I make a reed at 6:00 and play it at 8:15. If today's reed doesn't work, I'll use yesterday's. Today's reed will become tomorrow's. One needs to learn to make an easy enough reed that is responsive and balanced.

It is best to take two days making a reed, but we play too much to afford that luxury.

FE: What is your gouge measurement?

SL: Oboe - .58-.59; English horn - .68-.69.

FE: Do you use a wire on English horn reeds?

SL: Yes and on bass oboe, but not on oboe d'amore.

FE: How do you solve the problem of leaking between the tube and the bocal?

SL: I don't find that to be a problem as long as the staple fits tightly enough that it is difficult to remove. I use tubes that have been modified. We spin them and thin the ends so they contour to the bocal.

When you get a set of tubes, check the vacuum and use the ones that seal.

FE: I remember you had a problem with your hand caused by the weight of the English horn. How did you solve this?

SL: I moved the thumb rest down. That created a more comfortable position and removed the tension.

FE: Do you enjoy playing principal oboe? Do you approach the oboe and English horn basically the same?

SL: Yes, to both questions. I enjoy principal oboe more when I play an entire subscription week or two, rather than an emergency situation.

I don't feel there is that much difference in any of the instruments of the oboe family. I try to simplify them. They are just a vehicle for musical expression. The reed is just the vibrating mechanism. I firmly believe, however, that oboists should study the "bocal" instruments with an experienced player before attempting auditions or performances.

FE: What length oboe tube do you use?

SL: For years I was told 47mm. was the proper length staple to use. When I was playing second oboe, I decided that was a little flat for my instrument and reed style, so I went to 46mm. just last year I changed to 45mm. tubes. I don't find any problem with intonation except that the entire instrument is a bit higher. Now I can approach the oboe as I do English horn. If you are flat, use a shorter bocal.

FE: Is the tape recorder a valuable tool for your practice?

SL: Always. It is the best and most inexpensive teacher you'll find. I always use it before performances and important recordings. just let it run, then play it back when you are working on reeds. May I make a suggestion? Go to a professional recording retail store. Audition every microphone they have and select one that you feel sounds like you, or else you'll commit suicide. It is possible to buy the most expensive mikes that sound like hell for the oboe... often too many highs. I tried maybe ten or twelve before I found the one that suited me.

FE: I know the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has made many recordings lately. Tell us ones with your solos and the label.

SL: Bolero (oboe d'amore), Mother Goose, Rapsodie Espagnole, Le Tombeau de Couperin, Pictures at an Exhibition, Iberia, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major.

The labels are RCA and Telarc.

FE: Now put on other hats and tell about your aviation and photography careers.

SL: When I was about eleven, I owned a small camera. I was on the junior and senior high school newspaper staff. I had a commercial business in high school taking pictures of events and parties. I now work for several advertising agencies in Dallas, and my photos have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Flying, and Aviation News. I also do promotional portaits of my colleagues in the Dallas Symphony.

As for flying, it began when I was teaching at Margantown, West Virginia. I started taking lessons, something I'd always dreamed of doing, and thereafter flew as a charter pilot. After moving to Dallas, I became qualified as co-pilot on a Learjet and Cessna Citation. Some of the companies I have flown for are " Soutwestern Bell Telephone, Western Jet, Flight Proficiency, Omega Industries, Emery Air Freight, and Purolator Courier.

Now our conductor, Eduardo Mata, has purchased an airplane and just received his pilot's license. I have been appointed chief pilot for him.

FE: How do you juggle your time to accommodate your schedules?

SL: Well, I've missed two rehearsals. Sometimes charter flights don't return on time. Symphony services are primary. Photography and flying are done when the orchstra schedule is light. I do not play extra jobs, other than an occasional recording session, especially when other freelance musicians depend on those for their livelihood.

FE: Which of all these endeavors gives you the most satisfaction and fulfillment?

SL: Oboe and English hron when I'm playing, flying when I'm flying, and taking pictures when I'm a photographer.

FE: That is really the key to happiness. Maybe it is the balance of all these activities that makes you happy.

SL: I think so. I believe all people who play should divide their time a bit and find some hobbies. It is easy to bet burned out. Don't play chamber music during vacation or play The Nutcracker when you get a week off. Put the instrument in the box. Your sensitivity will return, I promise.

FE: That's a good point. In a Dallas magazine article you were quoted as saying "flying puts life in perspective."

SL: At 45,000 feet in a Learjet one sees life very differently. Can you imagine the added dimension of experiencing nature's magnificence from that perspective, being where the sky is so blue as you are going so fast? It's the combination of the technological and natural aspects of the universe.

Then too, it is all related - flying helps my photography and music. Music helps my flying. When flying a twin engine plane and the two engines are out of sync, it is exactly like sitting next to someone playing out of tune. I've flown with people who let the beats go like crazy in piston airplanes, and I've reached up from the back seat and "tuned" the engines.

FE: Please say a word about repairing instruments.

SL: When I was a pupil in Philadelphia, my oboe repairs were done by Hans Moennig. Countless hours were spent in his shop, very often all day, observing his techniques. I suppose something rubbed off after all those visits.

If you are a teacher, you should have a minimal understanding of the oboe mechanism. When your student, just prior to a recital or performance has lost a pad, you should be able to fix it, even if you use chewing gum. At the least, it would be judicious to learn the adjustments.

Recently I have had many inquiries into accepting repair students. My theory: "If you can make a reed, you can learn repairs with more predictable results. " Also, it is quite a lucrative and honorable profession.

FE: Thank you for sharing your ideas with us. We appreciate very much your contribution in bocal improvement.

About the writer...

Stephen Lickman is a native of Philadelphia. In 1961 he entered the Juilliard School of Music, earning both Bachelor of Music and Master of Science degrees. He studied with Harold Gomberg and has performed with the American Symphony, the New York Opera and Ballet Companies, and the original Broadway production of Man of La Mancha. He has served as oboe soloist on recordings and performances of P.D.Q. Bach.

He has been on the faculties of West Virginia University, Central Michigan University, Rice University, and Southern Methodist University.

In 1975 he joined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as second oboe, and two years later was awarded the position of English horn.

Frances Estes formerly played English horn with the Ft. Worth Symphony and principal oboe with the Ft. Worth Opera Orchestra. She is presently performing in two chamber groups: The Dallas Arts District Ensemble (a quintet of 4 strings and oboe or English horn) and the Dallas Camerata Woodwind Quintet.

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