Established in December 1971, the International Double Reed Society (oboe and bassoon family), is a member-based organization made up of professional double reed players, amateurs, hobbyists, university/college instructors, music teachers, institutions, instrument manufacturers, double reed product retailers, reed makers, and enthusiasts. The society has over 3,000 members from 56 countries. Learn more about IDRS.
Subscription to the IDRS monthly e-newsletter
Full access to IDRS.org, including conference videos, past publications, livestreaming, and a Member Directory.
Receive our quarterly print journal, The Double Reed
Membership rates at the annual IDRS conference
Opportunities to compete in the annual Gillet-Fox and Norma Hooks Young Artist competitions
A couple of months after I started beginning band in seventh grade, my director came to me and told me she had asked a very special person to give me lessons at school. This was how I met Betty Johnson (or Ms. J, as her students called her). My director told me she was a legend and known as the “Grandmother of the Bassoon.” Betty was teaching at her longtime position and alma mater of Oklahoma City University (OCU), a school known for its music and theater programs, but she would come to my school once a week and teach me everything about the bassoon. In our lessons, we talked about reed making right from the start, and she was a stickler when it came to posture and breathing. Her friendly and warm personality, combined with humor and spice, made me a believer. I loved her instantly.
