Klarinet Archive - Posting 000479.txt from 1998/01

From: lanewhite@-----.com (Lane G White)
Subj: Re: The aging musician
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 02:03:33 -0500

On Fri, 09 Jan 1998 15:08:00 +0000 (GMT) "Steven Gordon, M.D. 729 X3151"
<GORDONST@-----.org> writes:

> While there is nothing about embouchure, we may be able to
>extrapolate
> from a study by Sven Bjorgen. He looked at kissing strength in
>100 men
> and women aged 12- 97 in Gothengerg. People who smoked, chewed
>gum,
> exchanged sex for money or drugs, or played Eb clarinet were
>eliminated.

Har. Do I want to know how they tested this?

> Hearing decline occurs with aging and is also a serious and common
> occupational hazard. Sight obviously presents challenges. There

I wonder to what extent hearing decline we see in older people today is
due to a natural tendency vs. the fact that it's only been in the last
20-30 years (at most) that people have really started to get serious
about hearing protection in the workplace.

Of course, we clarinet players get to sit in front of the trumpet section
in concert band, so I don't know how smart we are, either.