 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2007-12-01 22:30
What is your policy on playing after people, and letting people play your horn? Are you the kind who won't let anyone touch your horn? Do you have to wash out the mouthpiece out before and after someone else uses it? Will you play second generation reeds?
I ask this because the general policy in my band is that no one cares if you play immediately after someone, reed, mouthpiece and all. This also extends to food, forks, drink, and pretty much anything else that goes in your mouth. Unless you are sick of course. I am interested in what the professional consensus on this is.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-12-01 22:44
I think it depends on the individual rather than the place that it's being done. I myself don't mind switching instruments or even mouthpieces. I just quickly wipe the mouthpiece and that's fine for me. However I WON'T play on someone else's reed. If they need a reed and all I have are some that I've broken in, I'll let them have it if they want, but I won't want it back.
Where I work, most people are along these same methods of thought. Some ask you to disinfect the mouthpiece after using and disinfect yours before they use it, but otherwise the woodwinds seem to have no problem switching around horns and mouthpieces for testing or diagnosing problems.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-12-01 23:11
i dont have a problem with any of those things. clarinet, mpc, reed whatever. as long as the people borrowing them( or whos instruments i borrow) isn't sick or anything.
i do, on the other hand, wipe out and clean my own mpc before i hand it over to someone else if they happens to care about it. you never know how others feel about these things...
and for all the other things, foods, drinks, forks etc: as long as i feel good eating/drinking/using them its okey. when i start feel disgusted about the taste/smell/look, there is where i draw the line. :P
but then, im a student, and thereby i have to get use to these things to survive on a minimal studygrant....
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-12-01 23:35
With the recent cases of MRSA, many school districts have now implemented policies against the sharing of musical instruments ...GBK
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Author: skennedy
Date: 2007-12-01 23:47
Sharing instruments without proper sterilization is just another form of Russian roulette. There are some very real life threatening diseases that can be communicated that way. Good Luck
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Author: Jesse
Date: 2007-12-02 01:43
No. I'm a bit paranoid about germs, so if someone wants to see "what a clarinet is like" I pull out the mouthpiece first. And I can't trust a non-clarinetist to not abuse the reed, which I'm also paranoid about. I've never shared an instrument with another clarinetist, I guess our section seems to be happy enough with our current horns.
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2007-12-02 02:29
Here we consider it respectful to NOT share mouthpieces with others unless they're at least washed with soap and water. There are exceptions of course. But when trying out clarinets with students to see if theirs works or for them to try out mine we always use our own mouthpieces.
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Author: marcia
Date: 2007-12-02 05:53
Any time I have tried out someone else's instrument, (or vice versa) the first thing that happens is that we both remove our mouthpieces. No compromise on that.
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Author: D
Date: 2007-12-02 15:40
I find this one tricky. Generally speaking I don't have a problem with it - I play recorders and because you often have one per piece, rather than the much easier, A and Bb, then often we share as we are not all millionaires. However, if it becomes the norm then you always get someone whose dental hygiene is suspect, and then you feel an obligation - which makes me very uncomfortable.
Post Edited (2007-12-03 21:19)
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Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2007-12-02 15:57
I do not like sharing mouthpieces or reeds. i recently purchased my own mp and ligature for my colleges Eb clarinet because i did not want to share reeds and mouthpieces with the other Eb players. i only let a few close friends use my horn and mp if they are just giving my horn a quick play to see how it plays. but no extended playing and use. i bought my horn for me, not other people. and germs..ick. there's lots of weird "stuff"out there. be careful.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-12-02 16:29
I'd share my gear with anyone whom I'd kiss without first being anaesthetised.
We had a rather longish gig last month (15 minutes' play, 2 hours wait, 15 minutes' play etc) and some of the [section name withheld] got curious about other people's gear. I later got the flutist's flute (looked expensive) to try, a trumpeteer got my clarinet (after the tenor sax lady gave it a honk). Not a big deal, I think. We thoroughly washed all germs down with some special kind of bore oil.
--
Ben
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Author: hans
Date: 2007-12-02 18:44
Only my wife gets to play using my mouthpiece and reed. No exceptions, ever.
The probability may be low, but infection can be a very high price to pay.
Hans
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-12-02 19:38
Don't do it at school - you are asking for trouble. Sharing the horn can give you a number of sicknesses including gum disease.
I'll only use a students setup if I first put an alcohol swab on the mouthpiece and reed (both sides of the reed) - then after trying it I wipe the keys and use purell for my hands.
Using someones instrument is like using their toothbrush
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: lj
Date: 2007-12-02 20:10
Thanks for bringing up this topic! It reminded me to talk to my middle-school-aged daughter about this issue. Now I know she won't share her instrument with another student. I don't mind sharing with her (or vice versa; although, frankly, she spits enough to give me pause) but as GBK points out, MRSA and other infections are rampant now. Her band director will use students' instruments, but only with his own reed and mouthpiece. This thread gave me an opening to discuss this matter with her. I love this board!
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-12-03 03:18
No problem letting anyone try the clarinet, be my guest. They can try my mouthpiece as long as they don't swab as that might screw up the inside facings, and that i personally approve which is like 99% of the time. the only thing i don't really do is share reeds, i mean i'm perfectly fine with the idea, but the digestive enzymes in your saliva sometimes eats too much of your reed.
sharing is caring! there's a clarinet player that at first wouldn't let anyone touch his clarinet as it was his personal instrument, but after everyone started sharing, he kind of felt left out.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2007-12-03 03:25
I agree with David Blumberg, its like sharing a toothbrush... would you do that?? I would only share my mouthpiece and reeds for a quick test play with people i am close with, and very seldom does that happen.
The whole "sharing is caring" idea kind of sounds like the "free love" of the 70's. I guess you would feel left out if you weren't participating with your friends...
Anyway...
My take = Gross (with seldom minor exceptions with people i know well and have good hygiene.)
Neal R
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-12-03 12:25
There was the exact same subject about 6 months ago in the thread 'Teacher germs'.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-12-03 14:01
I can imagine that the folks reading this who also were reacting to the "washing the swab" thread a while back are having a serious attack of the "willies!" ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
Personally, I don't mind others trying out my instrument, but I draw the line at reeds and mouthpieces. Reeds for obvious reasons, and I wouldn't want to chance damage to my mouthpiece. I really like my Grabner K13 and it would be expensive to replace it!.
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: Robyn_765
Date: 2007-12-03 16:55
There are many really yucky viruses and bacteria spread through saliva that are contagious before you have symptoms (mono, meningitis, even the flu to name just a few) And I know mono can actually be "carried" by people that never actually get the symptoms of the virus, so they would not appear sick. So sharing as long as you don't feel sick might not be a great idea either... I think the time is past where we can safely share things that touch our mouths.
-- Robyn
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2007-12-03 18:55
My teacher plays my setup as if it's his....haha (once or twice vice versa if somehow my equipment were broken)... that includes the reed, hahaha.... I don't really see this as any different from say, sharing a drink/straw with another person.
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Author: MichaelR
Date: 2007-12-04 19:37
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> Don't do it at school - you are asking for trouble. Sharing the
> horn can give you a number of sicknesses including gum disease.
>
> I'll only use a students setup if I first put an alcohol swab
> on the mouthpiece and reed (both sides of the reed) - then
> after trying it I wipe the keys and use purell for my hands.
First, I'm of the "I'll share" school.
Many of you have ... reservations. I suggest a review of Dr. Germ's page.
Dr. Germ is University of Arizona professor Charles Gerba, the "nation’s expert on domestic and public hygiene."
He completely dismisses anti-bacterial soaps as ineffective and goes on to say:
"Disinfectants, on the other hand, “blow up the germ. Disinfectants have worked for 100 years and are still as good as they were. Disinfectants kill both viruses and bacteria.” Chlorine bleach, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide are all good disinfectants."
His intro page is http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/6.11.html
An interesting counterpoint is the "Hygiene Hypothesis" of disease, which states we're too clean for our own good health, is discussed at:
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002421.html
If you don't want to share due to health issues chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol (everclear is great, over 21 only in USA) are your friends. Purell is a ethyl alcohol based disinfectant.
Side note, I found the above referenced websites in a book review:
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2007/11/30/dirt_on_clean/
To read the review you'll need to watch an ad if you are not a Salon subscriber. I decided to get the book from my local library.
--
Michael of Portland, OR
Be Appropriate and Follow Your Curiosity
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Author: MichaelR
Date: 2007-12-04 20:36
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> A bit a reality here:
> in school kids just wipe (if that!) the reed and honk away on
> another kids horn.
>
> That is just careless.
No more so than kissing anyone agreeable and agreeing. That's pretty typical high school behavior. Heck, wiping is a major improvement over kissing, at least in terms of hygiene.
--
Michael of Portland, OR
Be Appropriate and Follow Your Curiosity
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-12-05 04:07
yeah money is DIRTY who knows? maybe that coin you just got from the cashier was sitting in dog poo. sucks to be you!
i'd rather play a clarinet.
p.s. i loathe carrying any change in my wallet. if i do have change, the minute i have a chance to get rid of it i do. gross.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-12-05 11:36
There's no way of knowing whether or not some potential mouthpiece-sharer might be coming down with a bug. Most viruses are contagious *before* the symptoms show up. I'd share a mouthpiece with anybody who shares my home, because we're all exposing each other to the same cooties anyway, but if I were still in school, I'd think of the mouthpiece as the other kid's tongue. Would I want it in my mouth? If not, no sharing.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: dgclarinet
Date: 2007-12-06 13:56
This thread again brings up a question: If you're teaching a person how to play clarinet and you won't put their horn in your mouth, how do you judge their setup? Do you keep a bottle of clorox to dip everything into before and after you play the student's horn? Or do you not worry about why they sound different today...be it bad reed, leaky horn, terrible mouthpiece, etc?
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-12-06 15:20
C2thew, change isn't as dirty as paper currency.
Yes, of course a teacher needs to try their students setup. That's why I use alcohol swabs on the reed and mouthpiece. After I play I then use Purell on my hands.
I never ever get sick, and there never had been a trend of students getting sick either.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-12-06 16:35
just curious, why is paper money dirtier then coins? finger oils getting trapped in the paper?
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2007-12-06 16:45
I use a deinfectant spray called Mi-T-Spray or some such. Nice pepperminty kind of thang that come in real handy for trying other instruments and mouthpieces.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-12-06 18:18
I usually let anyone who wants to try my clarinet/mouthpiece and rarely someone doesn't agree that I try theirs. I need to do it sometimes to see if someone has a problem with their setup for example. We usually don't do anything to clean them before. That's pretty common here for almost anyone I know.
I was told by several people from USA that people are more paranoid there about these things. It's interesting that pretty much all the posts (the few of them) of people not saying right away they won't share mouthpiece or reed are from people not from north America (Sweden, UK, etc).
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-12-06 20:13
I say the polite thing is simply always to play your own mouthpiece when trying someone else's instrument. Unless you know them /really/ well, sharing mpcs and reeds is just wrong. But trying other people's instruments with your own piece is fine.
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-12-06 21:35
i go with the "to-clean-disease"theory. i think that the more bacteria and virus one are exposed to the more resistant you get.
and how much harm can come out of trying a mpc unwashed? maybe death or unthinkable pain. but life isnt for real without some excitement. right? :P
and then of cours, i dont hesitate kissing allmost anyone who wants to either, (presupposed its a girl. )
btw, i have heard that you people "over there" have chlorine in your tapwater. is that true?? do you have to buy water in bottles to drink then?? lol. its really another planet.. :P
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Author: Pam H.
Date: 2007-12-07 03:03
The thought of sharing someone else's mouthpiece and reed grosses me out. Plus, I don't want anyone else messing with my reeds.
If I were to exchange horns to try it would be with each person using their own mp/reed.
Sharing isn't too common in any of the groups I play in. When I do use (borrow) another person's instrument and need to use their mp/reed, I clean the mp before/after and replace any reeds I've used. We don't share any previously played on reeds. Yuck.
Another thought on germs. If you are recovering from a cold/flu or whatever, it's probably wise to clean and disinfect your own pieces. You may prolong your own illness. I'm not a medical person but a friend recommended this and it seems to make sense.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-12-07 03:10
All in all, if someone wants to clean my mouthpiece before using it and asks that I clean their's before returning it, I have no problem with that whatsoever. It's just that I don't ask that of people. All I do is ask if they've recently been sick or have anything contagious that they know of. And I wipe it free of saliva (albeit not with disinfecting wipes) before using it. And I also don't share reeds. At least I won't use someone else's. If someone wants to use mine, that's for them to decide.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-12-07 06:57
>> i have heard that you people "over there" have chlorine in your tapwater. is that true?? do you have to buy water in bottles to drink then? <<
Assuming by "over there" you mean American (or USA), when I was there the water was some of the best I've seen (mostly in New Jersey but also other places). The water was also very good and pretty much the same in some places in Europe (for example in Holland). Comparing to the water we have here it's ridiculous. So I'd say at least in some places in USA the water is just great.
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-12-07 10:50
by very good. do you meen drinkable from the tap? or just pure enough to clean your hands with? :P
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-12-07 14:32
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> If Jersey is the cleanest water you have tried in the US, you
> haven't tried much.....
>
>
>
Ba-ZING!!!
Alexi <- spent life and grew up in NJ
US Army Japan Band
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Author: MichaelR
Date: 2007-12-07 14:51
pelo_ensortijado wrote:
> by very good. do you meen drinkable from the tap? or just pure
> enough to clean your hands with? :P
In the US all tap water is considered drinkable. Municipal codes require treating the water, with bleach in many cases, if it is not.
"Good" varies. I have the good fortune of living in Portland, Oregon. Our water supply is a mountain reservoir that is so pure it goes through no treatment. Tastes wonderful and has a very low mineral content. Most places get water from wells with variable purity and mineral levels and must be treated to be palatable. This affects the taste greatly.
But yes definitely, the tap water is considered drinkable. There are many people who buy bottled water for drinking because they don't trust the municipality to properly treat the water without leaving chemical residues. They are a minority. Lots of people also buy bottled water for convenience.
The biggest problem I have with this is I've developed a habit of drinking from the showerhead or from the bathroom tap when brushing my teeth. I have to break the habit when I travel.
--
Michael of Portland, OR
Be Appropriate and Follow Your Curiosity
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2007-12-07 15:28
MichaelR wrote:
> There are many people who buy bottled water for drinking
> because they don't trust the municipality to properly treat the
> water without leaving chemical residues.
Many brands of bottled water are bottled - straight from a municipal tap!
"... Glacier Clear Water is not from a glacier in Alaska. Its source is tap water from Greeneville, Tenn.
Big-selling Dasani and Aquafina are also just reprocessed tap water from cities around the country. One of Aquafina's sources is the Detroit River!"
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=728070
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