David Coons

David, a native of Syracuse, NY, has been playing oboe for over 10 years and earned his B.M. in Music Business and oboe performance from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. He is currently working on his M.M. in Music Performance at Northern Illinois University where he studies oboe with Emily Fagan.

David has performed with the Spokane Historical Concert Orchestra and the Central Winds Wind Ensemble in Syracuse, NY. He has also been a substitute musician in the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra in Coeur d’Alene, ID and has performed in the pit orchestra of Spokane Civic Theater’s production of Mary Poppins. Most recently David has been a finalist in Northern Illinois University’s Concerto Competition and has performed with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.

While working in the music business, David visited oboe manufacturers in France, Germany, and the USA to gain valuable insight into the oboe. With his knowledge of the double reed industry, David has given seminars on manufactured reeds at SUNY Potsdam.

As an instructor, David has taught private and group lessons, as well as coached small woodwind ensembles at Illinois Summer Youth Music and Northern Illinois University.

David brings a supportive and upbeat approach to teaching oboe. He strives to guide his students to be better oboe players but also better musicians as a whole.

My teaching philosophy centers around you, the student. Learning oboe is a wonderful journey to embark upon and I am here to get you where you want to be. We will go over the fundamentals of oboe and music overall. But most importantly, we will focus on what you want to get out of your lessons. Do you want to play a piece of music for your family? Perhaps work on making your very own reeds! I am excited to be your oboe teacher, and I can't wait to begin.