The recently-formed IDRS is now well on its way towards achieving its goal of sharing ideas, knowledge, and enthusiasm for the double reeds on a world-wide basis. The outlined plans of the society cited by President Edgar Kirk in his IDRS history (page 1) and the statement of purpose of the society included in this year's working constitution form -- I feel -- the pivot around which we all can operate with great progress and in good health as an organization.
I would like all IDRS members to be aware that Daniel Stolper and I are in very frequent contact both by phone and letter, to keep as up-to-date as possible on our IDRS publications while maintaining at the same time our professional activities. Next year we are planning to do an oboe, bassoon, piano recital together, which should be a great combination of pleasure and pleasure . . . for performance and publication both! If there is a large time gap between IDRS mailings on occasion, you can be assured that your interests are never forgotten, that IDRS and its members are very much in our thoughts.
With the close cooperation of our society's executive committee each year we will include in every newsletter (and of course in our official journal) newsworthy information about the on-going work of our officers and committees. We will also print, as early as possible, reminders about the annual conferences, dates and details of any mail ballot voting of the membership and other announcements of interest.
For the part - and responsibility - of our members, separated to date by as far as Australia and Austria with the largest majority spreading broadly across the North American continent - the editors and officers of IDRS encourage you all to communicate with us. Utilize the reference library at Carbondale, Illinois and feed it any material which you think is of real interest to the IDRS, perhaps unique and of important service to our efforts. The editors, Dan and I, already need to develop a back-log of articles and material for the oboe/English horn newsletters, bassoon/contra newsletters and for future journals.
We planned to include in this first journal a beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking article, a highlight of the summer, 1972, First IDRS conference (Ann Arbor, Michigan): the lecture-demonstration of Lewis Hugh Cooper, "How is Your Bassoon" on the important subject of air-tightness and resonance. But deadline demands and European travel of Mr. Cooper and myself made this impossible. The Cooper article will definitely be a part of Journal No. 2 and Mr. Cooper advises me that it will include additional intriguing material which he did not have time to mention during his lecture in Ann Arbor.
Here are some ideas for possible articles to start the thought-processes going towards a well-spring of communication about our common goals, problems and interests.
We will utilize shorter articles in the newsletters, especially if they are of current and perhaps passing interest (a double reed study course, music school scholarship, a special tour featuring oboe or bassoon soloist, etc.) Thank you for taking a little time to jot down and mail to us the ideas you would like to see in print. We'll do our best to include all material of good interest to the IDRS.
We hope this Journal will be the first of years and years of following publications-- stimulating our interest and dedication to the double reeds.
We look forward to seeing and meeting many of you at this summer's conference in Kansas City. Happy reed scraping and successful performances to you all!