A World of Styles

Beginning with the basics of reed-making and traditional instrumental technique, we build on your foundation to enable you to pursue your goals in music. You can develop your technique and musicianship in virtually any style of double reed playing. Doublers can also study privately with our professors honing your individual skills.

A World of Ensembles

Oboists and Bassoonists at Berklee are playing all the time, no matter what their major! Here are some groups you can perform in:

• Advanced Woodwind Ensemble (woodwind quartet and quintet)
• Contemporary Wind Ensemble (cutting edge repertoire played with film, dancers and more!)
• Jazz, Funk, Rock, Fusion

Limitless opportunities to record original film and composition scores

Participate in numerous local community, theater and university orchestras.

A World of Performing Outside Berklee

Our double reed students have gone on to become music therapists, film scorers and to pursue graduate studies at prestigious institutions. Others pursue recording careers or perform as doublers in Broadway shows. While at Berklee, they often play with local orchestras and for theater shows. They play Classical, Latin, Jazz and Pop music at hospitals and community and senior centers all over the Boston area through our unique Music Therapy Performance Outreach Project.

A World of Expertise: Our Double-Reed Faculty

Oboist and Associate Professor Barbara LaFitte is principal Oboe of the Boston Ballet Orchestra and plays English horn in the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. She coaches the Advanced woodwind and the Contemporary Jazz Fusion Ensembles. She has performed in numerous shows and for back-up orchestras for rod Stewart, Jethro Tull, James Taylor and the Moody Blues. Her studio recordings include the theme for the PBS show Frontline. She is former principal oboe of the Rhode Island Philharmonic.
B.M. Arizona State University; M.M. Temple University.

Bassoonist and contrabassoonist Margaret Phillips is an Associate Professor at Berklee.
She is a member of the Boston Philharmonic, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Portland Symphony and the New Hampshire Symphony. She has performed with the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops and is contrabassoonist with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. She has recorded on the Koch, Pickwick, Titanic and New Albin labels.
B.M University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; M.M. Boston University.

A Berklee bassoon student says:

"As a double-reed player, I have numerous opportunities to play student compositions and to record in the studio for film scoring sessions."

A WORLD OF DOUBLE REEDS AT BERKLEE