Klarinet Archive - Posting 000590.txt from 1996/02

From: Mitch Bassman <mbassman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Anatomy of a woodwind player :-) [embouchure and kissing]
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 16:01:36 -0500

In the ongoing discussion of the word "embouchure" on multiple woodwind
mailing lists, Neil Leupold wrote to the clarinetist's list:

> Edwin Lacy says that the word "embouchure" only seems to apply in a
> musical situation (acccording to another respondent). So if I kiss my
> stand partner amidst a performance of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet",
> are we just kissing? Or are we also practicing embouchure development? ;-)

This brought back a flood of memories. According to a violinist I tried
to kiss in 1964, you'd just be kissing. In response to my (high school)
attempt to kiss her, she turned away and explained "osculation is bad for
the embouchure." (sigh) ;-) What did a string player know about
embouchures anyway? I subsequently determined that she wasn't interested
in kissing anyone; it wasn't just my problem.

I never had any embouchure problems kissing flutists or clarinetists --
and neither did they.

--Mitch Bassman
mbassman@-----.com