Klarinet Archive - Posting 000200.txt from 2000/12

From: MUSIC43@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] The Pregnant Clarinet: A Survey
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 13:52:03 -0500

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What, play clarinet while you are pregnant?!!!! Of COURSE you can!!

I can happily say that I played as an amateur - 2 - 4 times a week -
while pregnant. Made me happy. "If Mommy is happy, then baby is happy" - so
they say.

I even played in a concert where the Millville American Legion Nabb
Leslie Post 82 concert/marching band (volunteers) played a joint concert with
the US Army Band of the East Coast. We played the first half, Army played
the 2nd half. Then we all got on stage and played 2 pieces jointly. The
finale was all of us playing the "Stars and Stripes" - definitely put a chill
up your spine when we played that - you HAD to feel patriotic after that.
One advantage to being pregnant during the concert was I wore my own clothes
- not a uniform - and I got to sit in a chair - half of us had to stand up
for the joint part of the concert.

Playing while pregnant will get you the name "breathless". You don't
quite phrase your music like you should. Probably a good idea to play while
pregnant because you will need that breath control to do a natural birth or
to relieve stress before and after a C-Section. And, the baby is relaxed in
your belly while you play.

My son was born approx. 2 weeks late - but - he was the first child. I
started out having him natural but ended up in a C-Section at the end. He
was going to be anterior (normal). Second child, my daughter, was completely
a C-Section that I knew would go that way before I got to the hospital. She
was 2 days early due to scheduling of OR and the doctor's vacation!!

Recovery - after a C-Section, your abdomen and stomach are in a deal
of pain. You might be able to play after - actually it might help to make
the muscles contract faster.

However, do you really think that you will have time to practice or
play somewhere soon after delivery?? Maybe not - unless you have a nanny and
a very understanding husband.

I must add that my children DO ABSOLUTELY LOVE MUSIC as a result of me
playing all the time when I was pregnant. I always played classical music in
the car when they were falling asleep - actually helped them fall asleep. I
always play a great mix of types of music in the house. They both are
musically talented - one plays clarinet like me and the other plays alto
saxophone (mainly because I had one clarinet and one saxophone in the house
besides my nice wood clarinet).

Recently there has been talk by the "experts" that playing classical
music when the children are babies helps to develop their minds - makes them
"brilliant". I do believe that because both of my children are in
accelerated classes - one in Math and one in Language Arts. Could it just be
the simple constant involvement of the parents with the children's school
work?

So, play while you are pregnant and then after delivery. Make sure
you take the child to your next rehearsal if possible after delivery and to
some outdoor concerts. Having the child surrounded by people playing
instruments makes a difference - it will seem like a normal thing for people
to do in your child's eyes. My children have gone to many of my concerts
(mostly outdoors) and they really don't seem to have stage-fright now that
they are playing because I have explained different things to conquer that.
They have heard many different kinds of music through me.

And, while you are in the delivery room having the child, make sure
you take your favorite cassette tape/CD and player to listen to while
delivering - you know how music relaxes you. I was the first to do that at
the hospital I delivered in. The nurses actually appreciated it because I
listened to the Christian music instead of screaming!! Good luck!!

MUSIC43@-----.com
Johnette Halpin

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