Klarinet Archive - Posting 000657.txt from 1999/12

From: Mark Gustavson <mgustav@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] circular breathing
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 08:56:15 -0500

Maybe it's only dangerous to circular breathe when you're on heroin.

------------------------
Mark Gustavson
Composer/Clarinetist
Adjunct Faculty, Brooklyn College Prep Center for the Performing Arts

ShawThings@-----.com wrote:

> For those who've not been following it, the "circular breathing" issue came
> up because of a reference (via a daily newspaper) to an article in the
> British Medical Journal (BMJ) of 18th Dec entitled "Unsafe Sax" in which the
> authors, Sanjay Kinra & Mona Okasha, attempt to show that circular breathing
> allegedly practiced by by many great - (or at least sufficiently notable to
> be listed in bio-discographies) jazz saxophonists - contribted to their
> premature death.
> BMJ is available free online - http://www.bmj.com - and the full text of the
> article (BMJ 1999; 319:1612-3 of 18th Dec) really deserves a look, along with
> some of the responses. It/they should have been published on April 1st!
> A couple of respondents point out (?with deadpan seriousness) other risk
> factors such as "toxic" metal mouthpieces and narrow neck straps.
> The authors' reply " Famous saxophonists use circular breathing to produce
> long solos which would also increase the exposure to copper" (from mpc) "...
> There is anecdotal evidence of ... this ... John Coltrane once told his boss
> (Miles Davis) that once immersed in a solo, he didn't know how to stop.... '
> Try taking the saxophone out of your mouth' said Davis. This suggests an
> astute early awareness of public health issues in Mr Davis."
> Honest, this is a direct quote!
> Klarinet list postings, which verge on the ridiculous at times, pale into
> insignificance beside this!

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