Spencer Rubin, an oboist and social media influencer, wants to make classical music feel more casual and relatable.
He has gained over 1.8 million followers on TikTok and Instagram combined. His videos include “day in the life” clips from his time as a third-year student at The Juilliard School. He also shares covers of popular songs played on his oboe and duets with friends who play the oboe and violin. Rubin received a full scholarship to study oboe performance at Juilliard. He wants to show that not all classical musicians are “serious people always dressed in suits on stage.”
Campaign spoke with Rubin about the risks of sharing imperfect oboe performances while attending one of the world’s top music schools. They also discussed how he creates his videos, his collaborations with Juilliard and the New York Philharmonic’s social media teams, and more.
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Discovering the Oboe
Rubin began playing the oboe at age seven. This is quite young for instruments like the oboe and bassoon, which use double reeds. He says musicians often feel a special connection to one instrument’s sound when they hear an orchestra. For him, that was the oboe. It sounded like the human voice and felt natural.
His mother was a flutist who dreamed of playing professionally. His brother plays cello, and Rubin himself started piano at age four. But he wanted to play something more unique than piano, so he began listening to orchestral music.
He cannot name a single piece that inspired him, but he admires French composer Maurice Ravel and Soviet-Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Shostakovich’s oboe melodies are emotional and heartfelt, almost like the composer is speaking through the music. That is the quality Rubin loves.
Now, Rubin studies oboe at Juilliard and hopes to join a professional orchestra one day. Many ask if he will stop posting on social media when that happens. He says he will not.
Making Classical Music More Casual
Many people see classical music as very serious, especially at Juilliard. They picture musicians as formal and always in suits. Rubin wants to change that image. He accidentally found his niche by posting about the oboe and orchestras on TikTok.
He started TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, he hesitated to share casual oboe playing because classical musicians often want only their best performances to be heard. But after posting one video, it became popular.
Now, Rubin knows that important oboists and conductors watch his videos because they tell him so. He does not purposely play badly in videos, but he also does not prepare a perfect warm-up each time. His goal is to make classical music accessible, not to create a flawless or stiff image. He mixes humor and personality with his music. If some professionals disagree, that is not his concern.
He receives many comments daily. People say things like, “You inspired me to learn oboe in second grade,” or “I’m a 55-year-old who played clarinet in high school, and you made me want to play again.” Others say his videos inspire them to attend concerts, like those of the New York Philharmonic.
For Rubin, the best result is seeing his online work lead people to concert halls. He enjoys being part of a new wave of marketing for orchestras, which use social media trends to reach young audiences. The New York Philharmonic noticed his videos and invited him to work with their social media team on digital projects.
He has also collaborated with Juilliard’s social media team. He has done account takeovers and Q&A sessions for prospective students. This is meaningful to him because he once dreamed of attending Juilliard himself.
Life as a Juilliard Student and Content Creator
Rubin spent five years in Juilliard’s Pre-College program. From eighth grade on, he attended public school during the week and traveled from Long Island to Manhattan on Saturdays for music classes. His Saturday schedule was intense, with music theory, ear training, chamber music, orchestra rehearsals, and oboe reed classes all in one day.
Many believe Pre-College guarantees admission to Juilliard’s college program, but that is not true. Rubin did not know if he would get in until he opened his acceptance letter. Now, as a college student at Juilliard, he loves what he does and has no regrets about those busy Saturdays. That busy routine keeps him motivated.
Fridays are his busiest days, and he often films them. His videos show everything from making oboe reeds and practicing for auditions to singing in theory class and attending friends’ recitals. He plans these days carefully, scheduling each activity and filming about two hours of footage. Editing takes up to three hours to cut it down to two or three minutes and add captions and sound effects. He enjoys this process.
His “day in the life” videos show more than just rehearsals and practice. He shares moments that reveal he is just a regular college student living in New York City. These videos take the most time to make but have the biggest impact. They help spread his message that classical musicians are normal people, too.
He still feels nervous before every performance. Sometimes, during orchestra playing, he experiences chills from powerful sounds or quiet moments. He loves feeling connected to his fellow musicians, all watching the conductor and counting beats together. This sense of community is why he enjoys performing.
Balancing Music and Social Media
Although his social media has a big impact, Rubin also has days when he focuses solely on practice and avoids TikTok. The classical music field is unpredictable, and auditions for orchestras are very competitive. Rubin compares them to the Olympics, with hundreds of top musicians competing for one spot. He hopes to earn one of those spots in five or ten years.
He says, “I’m both a social media person and a musician, but music is my main goal. Being a musician defines who I am.” At the same time, he believes these two parts of his life can coexist. He is proving that you don’t have to choose between being a serious musician or a social media creator — you can be both.
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