Klarinet Archive - Posting 000752.txt from 1997/08

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: The Milky Way
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 23:08:36 -0400

The Milky Way.
There has been quite a spate of comments about Milk, Lactose etc.
The only thing I can add is: I remember my first teacher telling me
"Drink a lot of milk, it's good for the tone." I used to drink a lot
of milk anyway since we lived in a farming environment. Mother used
milk to make cheese, butter and yogurt. I never thought much about
why my teacher told to do what he did. Years later, I thought that the
real reason for drinking milk was to make the saliva less acidic. I may
be wrong on that.

I had a friend, a trombonist, who told me that he played with an
Italian clarinet player, Tony, who had a beautiful tone. He asked him
what his secret was and Tony replied "Saliva!"
Of course, said my friend, Tony could have meant "put the saliva on the
reed by practicing a lot".

I always question the pupils bringing the little vial, filling it with
water and soaking the reeds. The only thing I can think of what is good
about it, it loosens the saliva residue of the previous day's
practicing.

Bellison told me that at the NY Philharmonic he played one reed, left on
the mouthpiece for the entire week of rehearsals and concerts. Only
after that did he remove the reed, wash it lukewarm water and soap.

And that brings to mind the things you read about certain chemicals
reviving old reeds.
I think that they merely remove the residue from the reed and thus the
reed vibrations get livelier
I've tried water many times. It never worked for me. But then there are
thousands for whom it does work.
Lactose intolerance, I had an attack of that and had to cut down my
intake of milk considerably.
But milk, in moderation, is actually healthy for you.
Avrahm Galper
Adjunct Professor
University of Toronto,
Royal Conservatory of Music