Author: Jacqueline
Date: 2007-06-21 06:59
What a fantastic load of responses!
Here is the scenario. I just graduated from uni and (as all budding professional clarinettists find they do once graduated...) have just started teaching. One school I'm at just gave me 9 fresh new students andone hour to teach them so I spilt them into a group of 4 and a group of 5.
Now, during the very first lesson, fresh reeds, fresh mouthpieces but very old school loan instruments, one student couldn't make a noise out of her instrument. I thought to myself - is it the mouthpiece? Is it the reed? The instrument? (and to make a little excuse for myself, I was a little stressed having only ever dealt with one on one tuition before - the noise was, well, I'm sure you can all imagine how 4 enthusiastic, 11 year old, beginner clarinettists sound when they just realise how to make it work!) So, I just grabbed this student's clarinet, wiped it off with my fingers (as I have done and seen done a million times), placed it in my mouth and blew. It worked, I wiped it off again and handed it back to her.
The next week the head of department pulled me aside with a letter of complaint from the student's mother. Thank GOD my head of dept is a clarinettist so she understood but suggested that I find out a perhaps more hygienic way of doing this (and let her know of course).
To all those interested, the best solution I have heard (apart from 'don't do it') is a small spray bottle filled with Listerine mouth wash - spray both mouthpiece and reed before and after and wipe. It goes along the same line as the alcohol swab but is probably a little yummier.
It is a really tough problem because when you come across a new student with some random, home-made mouthpiece their old teacher gave them and they are making a crap sound you just have no idea what is going on unless you try it yourself.
So thanks for responding! It's been enlightening! (and reassuring!).
Also, a side point worth making...(as I have indeed spent quite a bit of time reflecting on this issue), perhaps it could be worth using a double embouchure if you have to use someone else's instrument to check the set-up. Now, I know the lips are located directly near all the gooey saliva stuff but this would certainly minimise the direct contact between reed / mouthpiece and the inside of the mouth, especially if you used a huff start rather than a toungued start to avoid touching the reed as well...just a thought...
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