Klarinet Archive - Posting 000846.txt from 1998/08

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] major decision and lip balm
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 18:38:15 -0400

To Ben Stutzman--another reason to buy the R-13 (or other fine pro-quality
clarinet) now is that it takes awhile to get accustomed to a new clarinet.
You're probably doing all sorts of unconscious things to compensate for the
inadequacies of the student clarinet. That means you'll have some habits to
unlearn. Also, even fine, handmade instruments have their quirks, and they'll
seem especially obvious when you're changing brands. The time to find out
about the personality of your new instrument is not when you're sweating out
college auditions!

I agree with those who think that for some people, medicated lip balm can
cause more problems than it solves. I used it as a kid, not because I needed
the stuff, but because another clarinetist (a handsome, brainy but somewhat
strange boy who interacted with me by picking fights, usually by reaching over
and writing on my arm with his ballpoint pen) had the habit and would loan me
his balm stick. He would look first to make sure I wasn't wearing lipstick,
because he didn't want any of that icky female stuff transferring onto him.
For some obscure reason probably related to temporary insanity brought on by
hormone poisoning, using his lip balm turned me on almost as much as swapping
clarinets without washing the mouthpieces. I borrowed his lip balm every day
after band or orchestra practice and sometimes after school or in the evening,
too, during Diplomacy games or chamber music sessions, for several years,
until I realized that where I'd had no problem with dry, chapped lips to begin
with, I now had a major problem, most likely an acquired allergy to the
medication. By then, I had accepted "just friends" status with my fellow
clarinetist (whose lips still looked as aristocratically perfect as ever, btw;
but the one time he used them on me, he started giggling uncontrollably and
said, "This is ridiculous--it's like kissing my sister!" and so of course I
forced out something resembling a laugh and said, "Yes, yes, of course it is,
and we'll never do THAT again, will we?!"--and we never did), so I broke the
lip balm habit, and have never had a chapped lip problem since then. On the
rare occasions when I get a sore lip from excessive practicing (hah!), I use a
non- medicated product. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Lelia
LeliaLoban@-----.com

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