Klarinet Archive - Posting 000696.txt from 1997/03

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: question (was Water vs. Saliva)
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 09:02:33 -0500

The question of whether it is spit or condensation can be answered by this:
I did a recording session that the hall was not air conditioned during a
heat wave. The room was hotter then Dan Lesson after being told that he
might be wrong. After an 8 hour session, my clarinet was Bone Dry! No
condensation in the bore at all! Not even in the sockets! The ambient
temperature was the same (actually hotter) as my breath, so no condensation
took place. Only a drop of spit in the Mouthpiece was the evidence that I
had played all day.

At 04:07 PM 3/20/97 -0700, BKruse@-----.COM wrote:
>--------------- cc:Mail Forwarded ---------------
>From: dikarius@-----.edu AT MINDSCAPE
>Date: 03/20/97 05:44 PM
>To: klarinet%vccscent.bitnet@-----.edu AT MINDSCAPE
>Cc:
>Subject: Re: Water vs Saliva for wetting reeds
>
>
>All this talk about mucus has got me wondering about the old question of
>what drips out of the clarinet. One of the discussions that occasionally
>goes on at my house is whether it is harmless condensation or spit. I
>always try to convince the other party that it's just condensation.
>
>Now this mucus thread would seem to imply that if it were spit there would
>eventually be some sort of sedimentation buildup.
>
>Does anyone have an authoritative answer on this?
>
>Barry
>
>P.S. Just in case this thread hasn't deteriorated enough, can anyone
>explain just what exactly mucus is composed of?
>
>_____
>Subject: Re: Water vs Saliva for wetting reeds
>Author: dikarius@-----.edu at MINDSCAPE
>Date: 3/20/97 5:44 PM
>
>> Now the
>> bit about accumulated mucus...that's pretty interesting. It seems
>> to point out an explanation for why soaking a "dead" reed in
>> hydrogen peroxide will sometimes bring it back to life. Does
>> hydrogen peroxide break down mucus and aerate the reed?
>>
>> Neil
>>
>
>I checked it out with a biochemist or two: yes, that is possible -
>by oxidizing the bonds within the mucus, that could cause the
>mucus to disassociate from the cane etc...
>Diane R. Karius, Ph.D.
>Department of Physiology
>University of Health Sciences
>2105 Independence Ave.
>Kansas City, MO 64124
>email: dikarius@-----.EDU
>
>
David C. Blumberg
Principal Clarinet Riverside Symphonia
reedman@-----.com