My name is Katie Garringer Martins, and I play the oboe. I have a masters degree in Oboe Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. I have performed with members of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, was previously a freelance oboist in NYC before I moved upstate to teach oboe at Hamilton College and freelance.
I can craft interesting, appealing oboe lines for any song, of any genre (pop/folk/hip hop/etc.) I am classically trained and feel equally comfortable reading music and composing/improvising new lines to accompany your melody or chord structure.
I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.
Credits
Endorse Katie Garringer Martins2 Reviews
check_circleVerifiedKatie is phenomenal and is so great to work with. She's detailed, specific, and honest. A great musician and friendly business person who handled all details with grace and professionalism. Please hire her for your next project, I highly recommend it!
- check_circleVerified
I hired Katie to play 22-bar oboe part I'd written for a song. Working with someone remotely is always a challenge. But she made it easy because she's a great communicator. We swapped multiple texts prior to recording. She delivered the final track faster than I expected, and her performance was wonderful, exactly what I wanted. The recording quality also sounded top-notched. She delivered the .wav file in 16-bit and 32-bit. I'd hire Katie again in a New York minute.
Interview with Katie Garringer Martins
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: When creating a melody, my style is whimsical, complementary, and supportive. I try to balance musicality and flexibility with precision and excellence.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Alison Krauss, because I think her voice is so much like the tone of the oboe. I feel like we would sound so good together.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Folk music, but I am a classically trained oboist, so I have some soundtrack work under my belt, as well.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a lush tone and a metronomic (yet musical!) precision to every part I play. I try to play with a singing quality and always try to match the other musicians' musical ideas and tone.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: If I'm playing an already written part, I usually listen to the song several times before I play along. I will then rehearse my part while playing along with the track, and finally, will record my part in usually a few takes in studio. The bulk of the work happens before I even step foot in front of the microphone. If I'm coming up with my own part, I will listen to the track while improvising on my instrument, taking note of melodic licks that I think fit particularly well. I then record the part with the amalgamation of melodic ideas I've picked that I feel fit best with the artist/producer's vision.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is creating oboe lines that complement the main melodic line, both harmonically and texturally. I also listen well, and am able to successfully execute an already written part musically and accurately.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I am often asked to create oboe obligato lines for singer-songwriters/folk musicians.
I was the oboist in this production
- OboeAverage price - $100 per song
Turn around time will typically be 5 days
- I play a Loree Royale oboe
- known for it's strong and lush tone and evenness between registers.
