As fellow of oboe for the JDR 3rd Fund - National Guild of Community Music Schools, I had the unique opportunity of playing in the oboe sections of; as soloist with, and as teacher in orchestras, chamber groups, universities, fine arts colleges, and elementary schools of the Republics of Korea and China. In addition, I met and conversed with Japanese, Hong Kongnese, and Philipino oboists, and through rather clandestine methods and able assistance knocked some sizeable holes in the Chinese "bamboo curtain's" sound-proofing.
Oboistically speaking, I am ignorant of almost everything happening south of Hong Kong, but north of there are several various schools of oboe playing. The British school predominates in Hong Kong and some parts of mainland China. The rest of China's oboists were influenced by their former Russian teachers. Japanese oboe playing leans toward either the German or American styles, while the Koreans and Taiwan Chinese are definitely American-oriented.
The Japanese and mainland Chinese orchestras play phenomenonally well, but whatever the Korean orchestras lack in technique and precision, they almost make up for in vigor and warmth and this applies to the oboists as well. Oftentimes, I feel we Americans could learn from them as much as we could teach - philosophically, mostly, that is.
Ironic as it may seem, although the orchestras of Taiwan are probably the least advanced in the Orient for a number of reasons, the students there, on the average, hold the most promise for the future. What the Chinese lack in initiative they make up for in intelligence, attentiveness, and respect for the teacher. I especially enjoyed molding a few ten to twelve-year olds because of their quickness in learning and unquestioning attitude. Often, however, I found myself attempting to get my university students to do some questioning.
The Koreans, too, would not argue with me, but if they did not agree with my ideas, they simply refused to incorporate them into their playing.
At first, students were aghast at the thought of having to learn to make their own reeds, but after weeks of reed making classes and individual instruction, many individuals, including non-oboe players were amazed to find that textbook perusing students could manage to learn to wield a knife in their own hands in carving a playable reed.
Legion are legends of intrepid oriental craftsmen who are able to copy any and everything complete with the item's acquired defects. The legends are true and these craftsmen could and are, in some areas and cases, producing such things as "Prestini" cane shapers at seven dollars and fifty cents apiece, "French - made," six-reed, reed cases for two dollars, and left or right-handed reed knives for one dollar and fifty cents. Strangely enough, none of these bargains are to be found in Japan. Yes, reed tools are to be purchased, but at prices comparable to French and American. Nevertheless, the best oboe scraping knife I presently use is Japanese-made. The other aforementioned items were originally prototypes made under my direction in Korea and Taiwan and were inspired by some retailers in the United States. Almost nothing has been up-dated along these lines, to my knowledge, since my return to America. My involvement in the production of these tools was purely a spare time fascination with some hope of future development. Native musicians continue to purchase material which is now locally manufactured and completely accessible to them, but with proper guidance and banking, a real harvest could be reaped in this area by some enterprising individual.
One endeavor of Japanese oboists some years back was an attempt at growing cane in two prefectures of the country. I was informed, however, that the experiment was totally unsuccessful. A Chinese friend of mine has most generously allotted a portion of his valuable land in central Taiwan for growing "arundo donax" experimentally. We are most desirous to get this work under way as it may turn out a boon to oboists everywhere, but obtaining plants to begin with is our greatest problem. I feel we have located an area of the Orient with a climate as close to that of the Var region of France as can be found and contributions of plants and farming advice would be highly appreciated.
The uniqueness of the Orient cannot be underestimated and, yes, it is a rather mysterious place for the first six months or so that a person resides there, but regardless of race, culture, or background, an oboe player is an oboe player and I, indeed, found myself amongst brothers of an odd, but truly world wide fraternity. The "free world" Orient is lacking in good woodwind instructors and I would not discourage anyone with a bit of Schweitzerianism in them from going there to work or teach although I would prefer keeping it all for myself.