Klarinet Archive - Posting 000345.txt from 1996/05

From: Richard Faria <faria@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: involuntary air leak
Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 15:34:33 -0400

>Greetings to the Klarinet list.
>I have a question for fellow clarinetists/teachers out there...
>
>This concerns a student of mine who is having problems playing the
>clarinet. I have a student who is losing control of the air , in
>that air is involuntarily escaping from her nose while she is
>playing. This happens after about 45 min. or so of practising. This
>same student is also asthmatic, although this has not been a problem
>while playing.
>
>Has anyone experienced these sort of symptoms before, or can anyone
>offer any advice as to how the student can deal with the problem..
>
>Thanks in advance for your replies.
>
>
>Stephen Robb
>srobb@-----.com

I have had this problem with the occasional student. It is caused by an
inability to control the soft palate and keep it shut. It is difficult to
fix, because we don't have a lot of physical awareness in that part of our
bodies (it is like asking someone to move their spleen...).
With many younger students, it will go away as their endurance increases
(and, sometimes, return as it decreases), often never to be a problem
again. With other students, I will work with them away from the clarinet,
and have them recreate that sound (it is the sound of the soft palate
vibrating as air escapes out of their nose), then stop the sound by feeling
as if they are pushing the soft palate up and closed. Pictures will help
them develop this awareness much more quickly (try Gray's Anatomy). I am
interested to see how others deal with this problem.

Cheers.

******************************
Richard Faria
Assistant Professor of Music (Clarinet)
Ithaca College
School of Music
Ithaca, NY 14850-7240
Office (607) 274 3425
Fax (607) 274 1727
Email faria@-----.com
******************************