Klarinet Archive - Posting 000258.txt from 2000/02
From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] re: alcohol and plastic mouthpieces (+plug)
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 22:07:18 -0500
"W. Edinger" <wde1@-----.com> Subject: [kl] alcohol and plastic mouthpieces
For those of you who hadn't heard this, several people a while back
commented that alcohol makes plastic brittle and after exposing a plastic
mouthpiece to it, the mouthpiece would break cleanly and almost
spontaneously right where the alcohol was applied (something of a trick in
itself, I think). Their testimony was pretty emphatic. Although I'm the one
who posted the second-hand warning about the effects of alcohol on plastic
mouthpieces, I must say, as a professional scientist with more than a
little chemistry training, that it never made sense to me. Do those of you
who insist alcohol makes plastic brittle have any solid evidence or just
anecdotal evidence and coincidental events? And am I too gullible when I
believe most of what's posted on this list? David Blumberg's extensive
experience [that there is no effect] is a lot more persuasive to me than
what I'd heard from the other point of view, but I'd like to see this
resolved (along with whether swabbing wears out mouthpieces, "blowout" is
real or imaginary, etc., etc. I'm hoping the odds are a little better for
this one.) Bill Edinger
---------------------------
To me, the best thing that a teacher can tell a student for care of the
mouthpiece is to take it off first, and put it on last. Students who
assemble the M.P., then the barrel, body, etc. are asking for trouble. When
finished, make sure to secure the Mouthpiece first, as it will be what will
drop on the floor the easiest.
I have found as a rule that when the weather gets cold at first, the
younger students hands are more susceptable to dropping the mouthpieces.
One year I had 5 broken student mouthpieces the same week!!!!
Maybe the invention of a weighted bottom of a Clarinet Mouthpiece would be
a good idea.
here's the "plug"
--------------------------------------------------
xxx how's this for cool? - I have sold 45 Cd's just since Feb 1!!! xxx
Gosh I would love to see some more Wind players with their music on MP3.com
There is $$ in it too. A friend of mine (Ernesto Cortazar) is pulling in
$3500-4000 a month just in page hits and Downloads alone. Doesn't even
count the 3000 CD's he has sold since August. If anyone has a recording of
themselves, contact me, I can give more details - it's a great place to get
your stuff "out there". I'm pushing for the top 40 on the site, about 60
away from it out of 300,000 works in all Generes. Several new pieces were
added just this past week to listen to at no cost, so feel free to "stop on
by" my page, or Radio Station :
http://stations.mp3s.com/stations/19/horowitzs_piano_students.html
David Blumberg
music@-----.com
http://www.mp3.com/mytempo
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