 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-06-29 11:05
We all use reeds and, using reeds, they always go into our mouths, right? The question came to me- In this age of super worry in the world about this or that pesticide on the vegetables or bacteria in the food, etc.
What do we know about the chemicals, bacteria, pesticides that might be on reeds? I know some reeds are marketed with "organic" cane, so I assume there are not many pesticides on those, but what about the "non-organic" cane? What pesticides do the producers use? How well is it regulated? Is cane sterilized from possible bacteria in the production process at some point?
Post Edited (2008-06-29 12:59)
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Author: timg
Date: 2008-06-29 13:11
I don't know about chemicals, but as for bacteria, well nothing else worth putting in your mouth is sterilised. In any case, instrument cases, mouthpieces and reed carriers will all be stuffed full of microbial life.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2008-06-29 17:11
(Disclaimer - owner of Arundo Donax Musicalis and Stone Mountain Reed Co.)
At least the 3 big reed companies use commercial farm fertilizers N,K,P - which are also used on vegetables not labeled organic (of course CA is the only State with some criteria for what organic actually means). Arundo Donax is surprisingly resistant to bugs and pests and pesticides are not needed during a growth cycle (personal experiences on 3 continents)although the mottling on cane surface comes from a mold that grows under the leaf sheath after the cane is harvested but to my knowledge is not harmful to humans. There is no sterilization process going on through manufacturing but a dry piece of "wood" is not a good culture medium for bacteria, virus or further fungus growth. Tumbling reed against reed cleans and further polishes the reed surface during manufacturing.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-06-29 17:26
I can’t speak to the subject of chemicals etc. but I know I could not teach if I could not pick up my students instruments from time to time and play their reeds etc. Of course I do ask them if they have cold first, if they do I force myself abstain. I would not suggest doing that with young students, they tend not to take the reed off their MP so it doesn’t get cleaned for long periods of time, I know, I used to teach young students, yuk. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457 (Listen to a little Mozart, live recording)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-06-29 18:24
Ed Palanker wrote:
> I can’t speak to the subject of chemicals etc. but I know I
> could not teach if I could not pick up my students instruments
> from time to time and play their reeds etc. Of course I do ask
> them if they have cold first, if they do I force myself
> abstain. I would not suggest doing that with young students,
> they tend not to take the reed off their MP so it doesn’t get
> cleaned for long periods of time, I know, I used to teach young
> students, yuk.
Yeah, what on earth do we have our immune system for?
I bet that half an hour of morning traffic will put a lot more of bad stuff into our systems than the occasional reed of some pupil or shaking hands with the beggar round the corner. (After all, societies tend to share 99% of the bacteria living on them, so no need to get anal and all that)
Who would grab their listerine bottle before applying rescue breathing to a drowned swimmer?
That does not mean that we shouldn't avoid chemicals where they can be skipped without negative results. Best for us all is not to release all that stuff into the wild in the first place.
--
Ben
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-06-29 18:43
Thankfully, Vandoren, with their Flow Pack packaging has hermetically sealed in all "chemicals, bacteria and pesticides" from those harmful outside environmental hazards...
Like dust.
...GBK
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-06-29 21:37
I figure if they haven't killed me after all these years, it isn't a serious issue. ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2008-06-30 11:46
I think I'd be far more suspicious of synthetic reeds... ?
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Author: vjoet
Date: 2008-06-30 16:14
Dr Henderson,
Stone Mountain Reed Company? Hmmmm? Do you have something new and wonderful coming out soon?
Vann Joe
(amateur)
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2008-06-30 16:48
-- "I figure if they haven't killed me after all these years, it isn't a serious issue.
Jeff" --
You obviously have never worked in marketing or politics. ;-)
If there's a chance to make money/win votes, it's automatically a 'serious issue'.
Steve
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2008-06-30 18:01
Stone Mountain Reeds is just another interlocking corporate shield for reed products that you end up sticking in your mouth.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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