What is Oboe

The Oboe is a wooden musical instrument in which a thin, poignant tone is produced by a double reed.

Like the flute, the oboe produces sounds by causing a column of air to vibrate.  But instead of a hole to blow across, the oboe as a reed to blow into.

If you were an oboe player (or bassoonist), you'd spend much of your time making reeds.  Yes, actual reeds, sliced from the wall of a cane stalk.  Talk about low-tech.

Almost all oboists make their own reeds.  Reed-making prowess is considered as much a requirement of the job as the playing itself; whereas the mastery of reeds is not an essential component of the basic performance technique of, say, maracas.

In fact, each oboe player's individual taste in reeds determines the kind of sound that she produces.  Oboists actually keep several reeds available at once, and they save the best ones for special occasions, such as important concerts and hot dates.