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Klarinet Archive - Posting 000052.txt from 1997/07

From: SDM@-----. Morrow)
Subj: Re: Experiment
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 09:17:17 -0400

Sherri wrote:
>
>You are right , a better mouthpiece will make a plastic clarinet sound just
>that
>much more better. But keep in mind that to go out and buy a $40 mouthpiece for
>a
>beginner is slightly dangerous because there's that chance that the person will
>drop it ( crash, chipped). Then you have a very sad kid, whose parent says that
>they can't afford to buy 40 dollar mouthpieces all the time.... etc. It's no
>ones fault, it's just that you have to realize that there's a good chance the
>beginning student ( even with all the warnings from a teacher) can drop a
>mouthpiece.
>

In Junior High biology, we had to dissect earthworms. To protect
us from possibly hurting ourselves with scalpels or razor blades, we had to
use school scissors that wouldn't even cut paper! As you can imagine, it
was almost impossible to do and a whole lot more disgusting than it
would've been had we used the proper tools!

Back to mouthpieces: I say at least give the student (parent) the
option and explain the advantages/drawbacks! You don't protect ANYONE by
withholding information!

-Scott
PS I have NEVER dropped a mouthpiece, even as a beginner! Perhaps
if I had, I'd have a better mouthpiece now!

Scott D. Morrow
Department of Biochemistry
School of Hygiene and Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
(410) 955-3631

SDM@-----.edu