Each week, the OUMS newsletter features an interview with someone who positively contributes to the Oxford music scene.This week, we sat down with our new Access and Outreach Officer Matt Jones, to ask about his musical activities.
Matt Jones
Clarinettist and Bassoonist
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi! My name is Matt and I am a first-year music student at Worcester College. I play the clarinet and bassoon, and occasionally the saxophone for a bit of jazz! I am also a choral scholar at Worcester College Chapel Choir where I have the privilege of singing three times a week with a great bunch of people. Outside performance, I am the Access and Outreach Officer for OUMS, and I am looking forward to Michaelmas term to start working with the faculty and getting as many people involved with music as possible.
What are you working on at the moment?
Apart from the looming fear of Prelims, which is every present and coming closer, I am working towards a few things. Personally, I am in the process of learning the Saint-Saens Bassoon sonata, it's such a beautiful piece of music, I hope I can do it justice! I also have some Horovitz lined up on the clarinet; its a really technically challenging piece but such fun to play. I am also playing clarinet with OUPhil this term, and I am looking forward to a number of clarinet solos in the Beach! Apart from musical performance, I have some access plans to increase the chamber music scene in Oxford, so make sure you take part in Michaelmas term auditions!
What has your favourite musical experience been at Oxford so far?
My favourite experience is such a hard thing to pin down. I've had so much fun playing these past two and a bit terms, but I would have to say the OUO concert with OUJO was an absolute highlight. Playing some amazing rep which is such fun to play with an incredible jazz orchestra and conductor has been a great experience. From the people to the music, it was such fun and a privilege playing bassoon with them all. I think an honourable mention also has to go to playing in Don Giovanni too - the music was brilliant, but also the hilarious woodwind I had with me made it even more fun.
Where can you see yourself going in the future?
Looking forward past graduation, which really seems scary at the moment, I am making it my mission to stay with music as much as I can, perhaps even a masters at a conservatoire, but it is really hard to say. The world of music psychology also seems to be a really interesting place and I would love to find out more, but nothing is certain, especially when I am just in first-year. Either way, the music degree has made me love music even more than before, so I don't think I could allow myself to do anything apart from music!
Give us a music recommendation!
I'm going to take a bit of liberty and give more than one recommendation if I can get away with it. A favourite piece of mine is Dvorak's Serenade for Strings mvt.2; it is such a nice piece to study to, or even listen to as I'm walking round the Worcester lake on a break from an essay. Apart from this, the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata is such an amazing and well written sonata which demonstrates the flexibility and the versatility of the instrument - well worth a listen!