July & August Videos 2018

I have a couple of videos I uploaded. One was made yesterday on the 2nd briefly going over mouthpieces and lower-lip struggles, but the lighting and resolution turned out not so great. The other video covering scales high and low was filmed back in early April, but I hesitated to post it because I really did not look that good and I am angry at myself (health-wise right now). haha! However, I am very proud of how far I've come in being able to add back in tonguing, and moving up and down through each register step-wise/scale-wise. That's all that really matters, is showing my rehabilitation efforts.

Honestly, one of the reasons I haven't been posting as many videos is because of my health unfortunately. I haven't been in the greatest shape, thus my huge hiatus from blogging and facebook in order to refocus on my efforts to get in shape. Exercise is really important to me, and I have been happy with losing 20 pounds since then, yet I have a long way to go still.

Mouthpieces and Lower Lip Struggles with Embouchure Dystonia Part 1

Mouthpieces and Lower Lip Struggles with Embouchure Dystonia Part 2

Scales High and Low, Fast and Slow

  

First Orchestra Concert in Six Years!

I had the honor of performing with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra in Colorado this last weekend. I took a risk and said yes to subbing for the 4th horn player, thinking that it would be doable with a couple easy pieces and one large more difficult piece.

But boy was I wrong about the programming! The concert included Pines of Rome, Enigma Variations, Daphnis & Chloe, and Strauss's Four Last Songs. There was transpositions in bass clef and old notation in some of the pieces and a tiny solo for 4th horn.

I had never been much of a low horn player, even before dystonia, I primarily held principal positions. It was too late to turn back now. Plus I had worked so hard and looked forward to such an opportunity for so long! I decided to prepare for it and hope for the best come rehearsal time. We only got two rehearsals and then the concert.

I was surprised that things went so well! I was so nervous about my dystonia kicking in during the long stretches of held notes throughout all of Strauss. I was scared that either spasms would violently through me off the notes (i.e. ending them abruptly), or I wouldn't have enough grasp on the notes to adjust my intonation if needed to (combined with using my right hand in the bell). But all the pieces turned out to be totally doable thanks to my mouthpiece that made things so much more comfortable.

I have been playing trumpet on a daily basis with my students. I have one class of literally 10 beginner trumpet players this year. For over a year now I've been having to play so many different instruments due to teaching; mainly flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, and trombone. On all of them I started out shaky, but my dystonia symptoms have receded a great deal over the year.

Trumpet is the one instrument I've spent the most amount of time playing. My dystonia symptoms are actually significantly less severe on trumpet than any of the other brass instruments. Luckily I own a french horn mouthpiece designed by a trumpet player (you can totally tell if you ever get the chance to look at it) and it looks like a trumpet mouthpiece almost. The rim is contoured like a trumpets, the body is funnel-shaped, but then it is a heavy and thick/dense mouthpiece. Probably as heavy as a trombone mouthpiece.

The feeling of the trumpet rim (it's A LOT of RIM!) on a horn mouthpiece has done a bit of sensory trick for me and my symptoms don't kick in as often. I can't play very much in the high range, but that's due to the mouthpiece and it's rim contour and thickness. However, my notes are stable.

Enough about my mouthpiece! Here are some photos from my first rehearsal. Both rehearsals and the concert went smoothly. I definitely needed that feeling of playing in an orchestra again. It was way over due. I took a risk because I knew I could do it, even if it took a lot of physical effort. I was very proud of how much progress I've made and that I'm able to perform even the slightest bit or every blue moon again. There have been so many days, months, and years missing playing with an orchestra, so even having the chance to relive it once again, just once, is a dream come true!

Progress!

I think I made some major progress today with rehabilitation. This last week my embouchure muscles have felt less tense while warming up, and oddly the muscle spasms go away after about half an hour compared to the 2 hours of routine it takes just to feel slightly less tense and uncontrollable. Still doesn't feel completely natural, but one small step closer. Also, I haven't been swelling up as quickly.

I've been doing a lot of mouthpiece buzzing/free-buzzing, pedal register playing, long tones if can (all very difficult things to do with embouchure dystonia), stretches, ice-packing/heat-packing, taking my daily nutrients ( I added Womens One-a-day to my daily intake), and making sure I don't take things too far (nothing above a treble clef "B," and a lot of middle/low/pedal register focus). Today I felt strong as it’s been one of my good days, and I thought I would try out my G17 mouthpiece. Usually I can't because it's too big of a cup, doesn't have enough resistance, and my embouchure can't handle it, resulting in spasms, troubleshooting, and air leaks on the spot.

But I had a gut feeling I should try switching after about 15 minutes of warm up on my Farkas DC; which is the one I've been using for rehabilitation because it provides the right amount of resistance and comfort, and it's the one I started on when I first began horn.

I attempted to switch and the G17 worked!!! I didn't have spasms, and though I couldn't play high like usual, it at least didn't feel foreign like everything with my playing has been feeling for the longest time. Then again, rehabilitation is always two steps back, one step forward, and repeat. Who knows if I'll be able to do it again, but I will keep trying. It is improvement, even if short lived. It's a good sign that the control of my muscles are coming back. Eventually the capability to play will last longer. I just know it will….I believe it will!