Klarinet Archive - Posting 000165.txt from 2007/02

From: "Ted" <tedcasher@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] re facial hair & embouchure
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:46:45 -0500

Ted Casher here. I have been playing sax and clarinet with a full beard &
mustache since 1968, and have not had any trouble with sound.

Tim Roberts alluded to having a facial hair caught in the screws of the
ligature! This happened to me, also. Besides, I once caught a hair in the
mesh of my Oleg ligature---OUCH! But this only happened while playing
clarinet. The spatial relationship of the tenor to the jaw keeps this from
happening in this case.

If you wanna see the beard-cum-shaved-head and hear me play, go to your
search engine, type in Jazz Tuber Trio, and you will see and hear Eli
Newberger, Jimmy Mazzy and me playing "Bei Mir Bist Du Shain" on the Liz
Walker Show, out of Boston.

Besides, the facial hair keeps me warm in the winter, cool in the summer,
and reinforces my identity with my audience! I once had a black beard and
looked scary. Now I have a white beard, and don't scare anybody---except
maybe other tenor/clarinet players!

Off topic---I just got the boxed set of the complete recorded works of
Reginald Kell. I studied with him in the Fifties---an unforgettable
experience! What a wonderful set of CDs!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> It's the Woodwind.Org 2007 donation drive!
>>> Visit https://secure.donax-us.com/donations/ for more information