Brenda Schuman-Post onstage performing her Fantasy on Themes form Star Trek, Creation Entertainment Star Trek Convention, Las Vegas Hilton, August 2, 2003
Oboist Wins STAR TREK IDOL Talent Search
An out-of-this-world medley of Star Trek television themes helped San Francisco-based oboist Brenda Schuman-Post win the first-ever Star Trek Idol Talent Search competition held August 2, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Schuman-Post was among eight finalists who competed for a $1,000 gift certificate in the contest, which was run by Creation Entertainment, the organization that presents Star Trek and other official sci-fi conventions around the world.
The versatile oboe player says the real prize is the opportunity to bring the gorgeous sound of her chosen instrument to a wider audience.
"I have a mission to take the oboe to places it's never been before," Schuman-Post said. "Musically and physically, I explore new worlds. One could say, 'I boldly go.'"
For her Vegas performance, Schuman-Post -- an advocate for contemporary music and the oboe's extended techniques, and a huge Star Trek fan -- created an original solo oboe arrangement of the five Star Trek television themes, complete with an hilarious "red alert" signal.
The award-winning arrangement was a family affair.
"I want to publicly thank my 9-year-old son, who guided me through all the Star Trek themes," Schuman-Post said. "He sang the tunes to me repeatedly. Overhearing me practicing, he demanded specific nuances. He made subtle corrections in both my rhythm and melody, and offered suggestions about what Trekkies would and would not like. Even at the last minute, I was following his advice and changing my arrangement."
During her unusual career, Schuman-Post has performed as a chamber musician and soloist in almost every conceivable venue, with the specific intention of making the oboe and its music available and accessible to general audiences. She is one of only a few oboists in the world who plays a variety of musical styles including classical, pop standards, progressive jazz and bluegrass. In addition, she is among the world's foremost experts on the status of African blackwood, the wood of choice for concert-quality woodwind instruments such as oboes, clarinets and flutes, and on the subject of ethnic oboes.
Competitors in the Star Trek talent search included a Beverly Crusher look-alike (the doctor from Star Trek: The Next Generation) singing "Queen of the Night" from Mozart's The Magic Flute, and a faux Klingon singing Tom Lehrer's "The Masochism Tango."
The four judges were
- Larry Nemecek, editor of Star Trek Communicator magazine;
- Janet Kelley Burke, Star Trek: Voyager scriptwriter and columnist for the magazine;
- J.G. Hertzler, the actor who played General Martok, a Klingon character on Deep Space Nine, and Kolos on Enterprise, and
- Robert O'Reilly, who played Klingon leader Gowron on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
In imitation of the popular TV show American Idol, the judges had been instructed to assign scores from 1 to 10. Schuman-Post received three 10's and a 12.
Comments From the audience following Brenda's performance of Fantasy on Themes from Star Trek ...
"Mind boggeling." - Actor Robert O'Reilly (Gowron)
"It was crazy! I love it! Leaps and bounds over everything everyone else did
- even though everyone else was great!" - Lincoln
"Your performance made the trip!" (from Hawaii) - Eugene
"An amazing feat in and unto itself." - Alex
"One of the highlights of the convention."
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