Tristan has always been a musically moved person. When he was three, the family was getting ready for church, with a flute/harp cd playing in the living room as background. Mom realized that Tristan was missing and went looking for him. She found him huddled on the sofa, crying softly and looking broken-hearted. Worried, she asked what was wrong. "This music is so sad!" he responded. The track playing was Satie's Gymnopedie. For awhile, Tristan would ask that music be turned off if it was in a minor key or of a meloncholoy nature. It affected him too much until he learned to understand and process the emotions that music strongly evokes in him.

By the age of three, Tristan had also decided that he wanted to play the "big oboe". Mom and dad misunderstood him at first and thought he was talking about the bassoon. His reaction to basoon music was mild though, saying "yeah, it's ok", so mom and dad figured he must not be that serious yet. Then one day the family was watching the Berlin Philharmonic perform the New World Symphony on DVD and there was a closeup of the english horn player during his solo. Tristan jumped up, excited and exclaimed "There! That's what I want to play! The big oboe!!". Well of course! He was determined to be an english horn player. For several months there was no pursuading him that in order to be an english horn player, he had to play the oboe first. He insisted that all he wanted to play was the english horn because it sounded beautiful. When he was about 4 1/2 though, he heard a performance of "Gabriel's Oboe" from "The Mission" for the fist time and was astonished. His reaction? "Wow! I didn't know an oboe could play pretty too!" From then on, he made up his mind to play both the oboe and the english horn.

Now, at age 5, with his mind firmly set and his clear understanding that it will take a lot of work and patience, mom and dad have found a teacher willing to teach him even at his young age. Ready? Here we go! He will have to grow into the instrument, but with an uncle (mom's brother) who started the oboe at age 6 1/2 and went on to great success, and an older sister who started harp at age 4, there's a family history for him to follow.

This corner of the web exists to keep family and friends up-to-date on his progress and maybe encourage and inspire some other young oboists out there as well.