Posted by Doug Elliott on December 18, 2003 at 00:35:00:
In Reply to: Teaching and reality posted by no name on December 17, 2003 at 21:30:12:
I'm going to jump right into your second question. I'm not afraid to talk about the "tuba taboo" - I'm not a tuba player. I have taught lots of older trumpet and trombone players who "lost their chops." It's always the same thing - years of incorrect playing that worked at the time. I have thought for a long time that "dystonia" in a professional is a breakdown of the muscles of the embouchure due to many years of hard playing with an embouchure form that works but is nevertheless incorrect for the particular player. I have been studying and teaching embouchure, mostly trumpet and trombone, for almost 30 years now, and have seen that the same problems that are quite evident on the smaller brasses are much less noticeable on tuba, and therefore can develop for a longer time before they become unmanageable. Correct form is extremely important to longevity as a player - unfortunately most players have no idea what that means. Every embouchure is different. I have not worked with any players who have been diagnosed with dystonia, but I would like to, because I think that it is probably completely reversible with the techniques that I use. I invite any big-name players with problems to contact me.