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Welcome to Fred Beerstein Oboe

I am a performing oboist and have taught students for over 30 years. I offer private lessons to students at all levels, from beginners to those at a professional performance level.  My former students have attended conservatories throughout the United States and received scholarships at major universities because of their oboe competency, including Manhattan School of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory, UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, University of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Chicago Roosevelt School of Performing Arts.

Please see the other pages on this site for more information about my studio.

 Private Lessons in the Oboe Studio 

Thank you, students, parents and colleagues, for working with me.  I look forward to working with you this year.  Please read the following carefully and let me know your questions or concerns.

Lessons: I teach 45-minute and 30-minute private lessons. Other length lessons are by arrangement.

Oboe reed making: Classes are held intermittently and by arrangement. The reed classes are usually groups of students making reeds together at nominal rates. Everyone helps each other. I supervise and teach. Please ask if you would like to participate in a reed class.

Payment and Scheduling:  I ask students to pay for lessons monthly, with payment due in advance by the first lesson of each month. If a student misses a scheduled lesson, I will make every attempt to make-up the lesson. Make up lessons should be planned within the calendar month. Students should provide 24-hour notice to reschedule a lesson. Lessons missed with less than 24-hour notice will be made up on a case-by-case basis.

Oboe Rentals: As a courtesy, I offer a few instruments for rent to help people get started as they decide which oboe to buy. The rental cost is $40 per month for a plastic Yamaha. Other oboes may be available by arrangement. Rental oboes are intended as a temporary stopgap until a suitable instrument is found. Only active oboe students (i.e. those taking weekly lessons) in my studio may rent my oboes. Rentals are available for three months. At the end of three months, students are asked to have their own instrument and to return the rental to me. There are also oboes available for rent at some music stores.

Performances and Recitals:  There is a studio recital at the end of the year. It is usually scheduled the weekend following the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestras Concert. I will provide at least a month’s notice of the recital date. All private studio oboists are expected to participate. Please let me know if you have major vacation plans for the last few weeks in May or the first week in June.

Occasionally, I may offer mini-recitals or other performance opportunities during the year.

University students at Cal Lutheran University are expected to participate in the Southern California Double Reed Consort Concerts that generally happen once per semester on campus. Other students may participate by invitation.