 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-07-18 23:39
So I have run into a problem...
After having my wisdom teeth pulled my doctor told me not to play for at least 10 days. Saturday will be the 10th day, and I just got a call to do 30 mins of playing something (apparently sightreadable, not sure what) at a wedding in the city here and get paid $75.
I would like to do it, but should I risk it? Not just the healing, but also the fact I really am not up to snuff in my playing right now because of it, and don't want my reputation to be tarnished in case playing turns out to be a problem!
I tried to find someone else to fill cover it for me... but nobody else can do it that I know of... Anyone in Calgary here who wants to take this off my hands?
Ideas anyone... what would you do?
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-19 13:30
I've been in the same situation (two wisdom teeth pulled, then a surprise band job (R & B in my case) that same evening). However, my contribution to the music was probably at a higher degree of intensity that you are likely to experience with the clarinet (it was typical R & B baritone playing, with all of the motions and all). Based upon my experience, I thin that, at worst, you will experience some additional minor hemorrhaging, and while that can seem to be nasty to you (and which may color the reed you are using to the point that you will be grossed out) the audience most likely will never know that it happened.
One thing that you SHOULD NOT DO is to "suck" down on your mouth, such as to clear excess saliva (or blood). This will have a tendency to disturb the clotting that is a part of the healing process (hence the admonition not to do any drinking from a straw over the short term following extractions). Instead, swallow away, secure in the knowledge that your body will be recycling the iron that you are bleeding away.
When I had the second two of them extracted (this being some thirty odd years ago), I went sailing with all of the hauling, hiking out and other such effort that it entailed. No harm there either...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-19 14:25
I think what you should not do is ask us, who aren't doctors and who have no idea what has gone on in your mouth the past 10 days.
I KNOW that what you should do is call your oral surgeon and ask what the implications are, and then make an informed decision. Anything you hear from us is anecdotal and not worth the electrons that are flowing back & forth ...
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Author: Markael
Date: 2006-07-19 14:54
We're not doctors, but we are clarinet players. Sean specifically raised the question of whether he should risk the gig due to lack of practice. That part of his concern is not a medical issue.
As for the medical aspects: Of course it goes without saying that this board is no substitute for the advice and counsel of a trained physician! However, I think that anecdotal evidence such as Terry's experience can be very helpful as a supplement to what the doctor says.
Doctors, with all their training and knowledge, cannot always give absolute answers. They often talk in terms of norms and statistics. There is always someone who falls outside the norm. That's why surgeons always come in before surgery and give a litany of the things that could go wrong.
I wholeheartedly agree that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and so is the practice of playing amateur physician. On the other hand, gone are the days when people blindly follow doctors without thinking for themselves and using a little common sense.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-19 15:25
Markael wrote:
> We're not doctors, but we are clarinet players. Sean
> specifically raised the question of whether he should risk the
> gig due to lack of practice. That part of his concern is not a
> medical issue.
"Not just the healing,"
of couse implies that "the healing" is included.
> As for the medical aspects: Of course it goes without
> saying that this board is no substitute for the advice and
> counsel of a trained physician!
But some people (and I know this as fact) DO use this BBoard as a substitute for asking their doctor, and that is a very dangerous thing and CANNOT be emphasized too much. Whether or not someone feels they may not be up to snuff is a question that is secondary to health. If the question were:
"My doctor says it's OK to play, but I don't know if I should ..." then there's a wholly different slant.
> However, I think that
> anecdotal evidence such as Terry's experience can be very
> helpful as a supplement to what the doctor says.
Certainly. As above, after discussion with the doctor.
> Doctors, with all their training and knowledge, cannot always
> give absolute answers. They often talk in terms of norms and
> statistics. There is always someone who falls outside the
> norm. That's why surgeons always come in before surgery and
> give a litany of the things that could go wrong.
Right. Informed decisions. But I don't see in the question (as phrased) that there's been any information sharing.
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Author: William
Date: 2006-07-19 15:29
After ten days off and recovering from surgury??? My reputation as a clarinetist is more important than $$. I would say thanks, but no.
(for airfare & a Motel 6 room, I'll do the gig)
LOL
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Author: seafaris
Date: 2006-07-19 19:22
Basically what would you do if you were sick or out of the city? None of us know the details, but I wouldn't see this as my responsibility to find someone to play, but the person asking.
Jim
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-07-19 20:24
Sean,
You wrote "I tried to find someone else to fill cover it for me... but nobody else can do it that I know of... ".
If there is a musicians' union in Calgary they might know someone.
Hans
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-07-19 22:38
Ok, I should have mentioned that I talked to my oral surgeon and he said I would be fine to play because I only got the top two out. The problem with that (as the reason for this thread) is that I cannot play before the gig day and I would definitely not be up to snuff, even if it is "simple sight readable music" as it was called.
I called the person today while I was at work before reading any of these and said that I was not comfortble performing anything in front of an audience after not playing for 10 days.He understood and I am not responsible to find a replacement because I never really agreed to the gig. This was a good call I think.
Interestingly enough when I inquired about what exactly the gig was... he said it reading music from a C score with several other instruments of diferent transpositions!! Needless to say this would have been HELL for a first time playing in 10 days... let along a sight reading paying gig!
On the medical note... Of course I would not trust the advice of people here to make decisions based on my health... and all my posts about this issue (and others pertaining to my wisdom tooth removal) have been related to other people's experiences after the surgery and did/would not affect this or other decisions concerning my health.
In other words I would not have posted this thread before talking to my surgeon... I just forgot to mention that rather important aspect.
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-19 23:49
Ah, the old "we've got music so we assume that you can play it" ploy...
We did a wedding a couple of years ago where the bride's family insisted that some friends of theirs could handle a performance of "The Fox", a Nickle Creek tune from a few years back. I have a policy of having any one reasonable tune arranged for the client, this as part of the fee for the job.
I talked to them on the phone, got the key they used and a copy of the recording that they styled it after. Had the tune set, rehearsed it up and then waited for the talent to make the obligatory rehearsal.
Naturally, they didn't show. ("Something came up".) Comes the wedding, the lead friend of the bride shows up while we're setting up, wanting to run through the tune. I set up the bass player, piano and drummer and they try to run through it.
Turns out that the sheet music that we were given (the one showing the key "that we used") was really only a guide, and they had transposed the tune down a couple of steps to accommodate one of their vocalists...
In the end, we just did the tune with our vocalist. Since that time, I try to avoid such relationships unless they've deign to show up for a rehearsal first.
Then there was the time my boss volunteered me to play in a "combo" without me knowing about it. Turns out the "combo" consisted of a drummer, guitar and bass player, all of the C & W genre, and they worked from memory - no lead sheet even...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-19 23:57
Terry Stibal wrote:
> Turns out the "combo"
> consisted of a drummer, guitar and bass player, all of the C &
> W genre, and they worked from memory - no lead sheet even...
Yes ... your point?
I made a living for a while doing just that ... (except I was the bass player, called in often and late to sub ... all the bands worked from memory, even the local jazz bands).
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-20 00:03
The only country that I knew at the time was a smattering of Western swing, and then only the baritone parts...not much material there to "fake it"...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-20 00:10
When I was working (back in my late 20's - 25 or so years back) I was expected to be able to sit in on just about any genre - from polkas to C & W to rock to assorted top 40 to musicals (luckily the musicals had "real music"). I wonder if this is a declining talent.
Led to some recording gigs at small studios on the left coast (I was living in Seattle at the time) that are still paying (small) residuals
"Hey Mark, this is how it goes ... Can you come up with a good intro? ... Cool!"
"I hope the engineer had the tape running - I'll never be able to do that again ..."
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Author: skitrees
Date: 2006-07-20 08:59
Sean,
I know this post has already officially ended, but I would like to share my story in the event someone else stumbles across this in the months to come and has a similar "wisdom teeth" type of question:
I was in a very similar situation to you, except I had just had four impacted wisdom teeth removed. I was attending a very small high school at the time and played clarinet in the band, Tenor saxophone in the Jazz band (lots of solos and stuff), and was in a five piece "dixie-land" band on clarinet. We had a concert seven days after my surgery. Well, four days afterwards, I decided to ignore my doctor's advice and practice during normal rehearsal.
Big mistake. I distinctly remember the feeling of the stitches popping and instantly my mouthpiece was full of blood. I spent the next seconds running to the restroom in order to keep bleed out into the sink.
Along with being terribly traumatic to a few of my classmates, it put me behind on my recovery schedule and greatly increased my chance of infection - so basically, it made a big dent in my life at that time because I then had to baby the situation so much, and it delayed my return to playing again.
Again, I realize that this doesn't apply to you, but I wanted to post it in the event it might help someone avoid the problems I caused myself (and my fellow classmates) by NOT following my doctor's advice when it came to wisdom teeth.
Happy Keystrokes and Footsteps,
- Skitrees
Make music, not ego รดรด
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-07-20 17:31
^^^
Yes... listening to the doctor is always a good idea. Dry sockets do notn sound like any fun so I've completely avoided ANYTHING that could cause them (straws, clarinet.... nacho chips). Well maybe not the chips.
Since the surgery actually I've had an incredible craving for Doritos. I swear, as soon as I can eat chips I'm going to buy a huge bag of Doritos and a block of cheese... shred the entire block of cheese over the entire bag of chips... microwave... and eat the whole thing in one sitting.
I'll let you know how that goes... hopefully I wont' need my stomach pumped!
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-20 19:12
You mean to tell me that they now have cheese in Canada? Will wonders never cease...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-07-20 19:24
Terry Stibal wrote:
> You mean to tell me that they now have cheese in Canada?
Only on the border with Wisconsin ...
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