Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Can you still practice the Clarinet and the Saxophone when you are sick?

This is a very important question because for many people it is a big problem.  I do play all my instruments when I am sick because  I am teaching, and I don't want to give up working if I have a little cold.   I don't want to lose my technique, hand muscle tone, and cheek muscle tone, that might happen if I wouldn't play for two weeks.  I could keep up on guitar, mandolin and organit, but I like to also play the woodwinds.

As you can see in this picture, I have disinfected my clarinet reeds and mouthpiece with Hydrogen Peroxide.  I don't put a lot, but if I see white bubble forming on the reed or the mouthpiece, then there was an infection there.  I put a drop from the dropper bottle on each reed and the mouthpiece until I don't see any white bubbles there anymore.  Then I know that all the bacteria and viruses are gone.

I used to use alcohol, which is ok for the reeds, but not the mouthpiece, it tends to turn the mouthpiece a deep shade of olive green.  I like my mouthpiece to stay black.:)

So the answer to the question is that you can still play woodwinds when you are sick, but you have to disinfect your mouthpiece and reeds,  otherwise you will continue to reinfect yourself.  I just did my clarinet reeds this morning and I have to go get more Hydrogen Peroxide from the pharmacy, It is quite cheap, only 10NIS or so, it is quite worth it.

Keep on Making Music!

Rachael Alice
I still have a Bundy Saxophone for rent and a Geimnhardt Flute for rent! Call for pricing.

rachaelalice@gmail.com , 

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