Playing more than one instrument isn’t easy. Senior Heather Murray not only plays one, she plays more than a dozen.

“I lost count at 13,” Murray said.

The Whitewater community can now witness her play two of her favorite instruments at her solo recital at 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday.

She will perform half of the show on oboe and the other playing the bassoon.

Murray will perform six pieces. Four solo, and in two she will be accompanied by music majors Emily Baumgart, Ryan Cederoth and Sue Renkas.
Pieces she will perform include “Rosarium” by Krull, “Op. 87” by Beethoven, and “Oboe Concerto No. 3” by Handel.

Murray started as a child playing the flute. After seeing the cartoon film “Peter and the Wolf,” and being inspired by the sound of Sonia the Duck, she knew she wanted to play oboe.

“I saw the filmstrip “Peter and the Wolf” when I was 8 [and in] second grade, and I was like ‘The oboe is the coolest instrument ever and I got to play it,’ ” Murray said. “I actually told the music teacher that day [I was going to] play the oboe.”

Murray switched instruments the first chance she got.

“They don’t start kids on the oboe. So, I started on the flute,” Murray said. “[When we were allowed] to pick something else, I definitely picked the oboe.”

Murray played primarily the oboe until her sophomore year in high school when she added the bassoon to her repertoire.

There was a shortage of bassoonists in the band, and Murray was excited for the opportunity to learn a new instrument.

“Any chance to play another double-reed instrument was kind of cool,” Murray said.

Murray did not stop there, as she continued to learn more and more instruments.

Murray, a Michigan native, heard about UW-Whitewater through a friend. After realizing she no longer wanted to attend the University of Michigan – Flint, she took a semester off and transferred.

“[My friend] was like just go to Whitewater, you’ll love it,” Murray said. “And I really do love it here.”