Relax and Take a Deep Breath

The Lucarelli Approach to Oboe Playing

Kristin Leitterman’s Relax and Take a Deep Breath captures the essence of virtuoso Bert’s Lucarelli approach to oboe playing, covering covers a wide variety of topics related to his philosophies on oboe performance: breathing, support, embouchure, articulation, tonguing, and reed making. The book also presents Lucarelli’s thoughts on general aspects of musical performance, such as memorization, performance anxiety, and suggestions for effective practice. Leitterman’s writing expertly reveals Bert’s passion for sharing his ideas on oboe performance to help players progress and to challenge them to explore their own thoughts on oboe playing, and captures his admired erudition and wit, as well as his love for music, teaching, and the oboe. Acknowledged as “America’s leading oboe recitalist” by the New York Times Humbert (Bert) Lucarelli has been a major international figure in oboe performance and pedagogy for the past sixty years. Lucarelli has maintained a regular teaching schedule at the Hartt School, New York University, Queens College, Brooklyn College and Purchase College throughout his entire career. Kristin Leitterman is Assistant Professor of Oboe at Arkansas State University, where she teaches oboe, bassoon and double reed techniques. Leitterman studied with Bert for fifteen years at the Hartt School, and at CUNY Graduation Center in New York City.