about 3 years ago (in the uk)  a young female student clarinetist died of meningitis: the authorities had to find the source of this dangerous virus. Eventually it was discovered that her teacher was a carrier but not a sufferer and her dirty mouthpiece had cultured the virus. it was the first time in medical history that this illness had been seen to be passed in this manner, resulting in more research and articles in medical journals.
equally there have been similar reports on the degeneration of ebonite, or hard rubber and its carcinogenic properties.
how far do members feel these discoveries go in warning payers about their possible problems and should there be some kind of campaign to publicise them especially in light of the growing interest in vintage mouthpieces?
prof weinberg

Respectable prof. Winberg: (please,dissimulate my poor English language)

I dn´t know overmuch respect diseases; but one thing i have well-informed, "That not there are disease but yes persons deceaseds" and
i "We be that we eating". I have years retouching mouthpieces with the cianoacrilate liquid and gel, lute epoxy and on hard rubber and plastic or metal mouthpiece and nothing in particular happened.

Have you an official statistics to respect? Will be very much important to know that for to actuate thereby.

I be left grateful with you for warning us; but i think that this virus can generate or survive indoors or outside of mouthpieces by absence of hygiene. For example: I take a little plastic bottle with vinegar or much better acetic acid to 4% (40 cc or cm3 to one liter of water) for cleanse my proper mouthpieces and the fo my clients.
Logically the odor isn´t agreeable but for me is better than alcohol.
Equally, anyone pharmacologic buccal watcher remove overall phatogen problem. Not only mouthpiece but reeds, neck and all contacts with the fingers 

Fraternally your

Silverio


--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "anton.weinberg@..." <anton.weinberg@...> wrote:
>
> about 3 years ago (in the uk)  a young female student clarinetist died of meningitis: the authorities had to find the source of this dangerous virus. Eventually it was discovered that her teacher was a carrier but not a sufferer and her dirty mouthpiece had cultured the virus. it was the first time in medical history that this illness had been seen to be passed in this manner, resulting in more research and articles in medical journals.
> equally there have been similar reports on the degeneration of ebonite, or hard rubber and its carcinogenic properties.
> how far do members feel these discoveries go in warning payers about their possible problems and should there be some kind of campaign to publicise them especially in light of the growing interest in vintage mouthpieces?
> prof weinberg
>

thankyou for your reply; unfortunately there are no official figures kept by authorities as this problem is quite new to them. i do know of colleagues who have become ill but this is too anecdotal to be helpful. there is some research done by the Horniman museum with their collection and apart from that there has only been the reported cases that i mentioned that have reached the press. society does not keep a watchful eye on its musicians!
anton

--- On Fri, 7/8/09, silpopaar <silpopaar@...> wrote:


From: silpopaar <silpopaar@...>
Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: mouthpiece hygeine
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, 7 August, 2009, 6:42 PM


  



Respectable prof. Winberg: (please,dissimulate my poor English language)

I dn´t know overmuch respect diseases; but one thing i have well-informed, "That not there are disease but yes persons deceaseds" and
i "We be that we eating". I have years retouching mouthpieces with the cianoacrilate liquid and gel, lute epoxy and on hard rubber and plastic or metal mouthpiece and nothing in particular happened.

Have you an official statistics to respect? Will be very much important to know that for to actuate thereby.

I be left grateful with you for warning us; but i think that this virus can generate or survive indoors or outside of mouthpieces by absence of hygiene. For example: I take a little plastic bottle with vinegar or much better acetic acid to 4% (40 cc or cm3 to one liter of water) for cleanse my proper mouthpieces and the fo my clients.
Logically the odor isn´t agreeable but for me is better than alcohol.
Equally, anyone pharmacologic buccal watcher remove overall phatogen problem. Not only mouthpiece but reeds, neck and all contacts with the fingers 

Fraternally your

Silverio

--- In MouthpieceWork@ yahoogroups. com, "anton.weinberg@ ..." <anton.weinberg@ ...> wrote:
>
> about 3 years ago (in the uk) a young female student clarinetist died of meningitis: the authorities had to find the source of this dangerous virus. Eventually it was discovered that her teacher was a carrier but not a sufferer and her dirty mouthpiece had cultured the virus. it was the first time in medical history that this illness had been seen to be passed in this manner, resulting in more research and articles in medical journals.
> equally there have been similar reports on the degeneration of ebonite, or hard rubber and its carcinogenic properties.
> how far do members feel these discoveries go in warning payers about their possible problems and should there be some kind of campaign to publicise them especially in light of the growing interest in vintage mouthpieces?
> prof weinberg
>

In doing woodwind clinics in schools I have seen some very nasty mouthpieces. 

I asked a young girl, "You won't kiss boys because you think they have cooties, but you put THAT in your mouth?  Did you kiss your mother goodbye this morning with that mouth?"

I propose that beginning students be supplied clear acrylic mouthpieces so that they and everyone else will see what is inside their mouthpiece, and hopefully they will wash the mouthpiece as instructed.

Paul Coats

One of my students came to his lesson with a mouthpiece that a fruitfly had laid eggs and rather than go into the disgusting details, you can guess what was crawling inside the mouthpiece. 

From then on part of the lessons included washing the mouthpieces out with a twisted paper towel and antibacterial soap with a cool water wash and rinse.  Written instructions to repeat this process twice a week were given. 
>
> 
> In doing woodwind clinics in schools I have seen some very nasty mouthpieces. 
> 
 
> Paul Coats
>

your experience is very like mine; thanks for the contribution as i am convinced that schools need to pay much more attention to mouthpiece cleanliness: careful that the water is not too hot as it will start a chemical reaction in the ebonite (hard rubber) which will render the mouthpiece carcinogenic. after some time the mouthpiece develops a greenish hue and then some time later tastes bitter--that is the danger signal. 
prof weinberg

--- On Sun, 9/8/09, Greg Wier <gregwier@...> wrote:


From: Greg Wier <gregwier@...>
Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: mouthpiece hygeine
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, 9 August, 2009, 3:28 PM


  



One of my students came to his lesson with a mouthpiece that a fruitfly had laid eggs and rather than go into the disgusting details, you can guess what was crawling inside the mouthpiece. 

From then on part of the lessons included washing the mouthpieces out with a twisted paper towel and antibacterial soap with a cool water wash and rinse. Written instructions to repeat this process twice a week were given. 
>
> 
> In doing woodwind clinics in schools I have seen some very nasty mouthpieces. 
> 

> Paul Coats
>

great original idea
prof weinberg

--- On Sun, 9/8/09, tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@...> wrote:


From: tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@...>
Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: mouthpiece hygeine
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, 9 August, 2009, 3:18 PM


  




In doing woodwind clinics in schools I have seen some very nasty mouthpieces. 

I asked a young girl, "You won't kiss boys because you think they have cooties, but you put THAT in your mouth? Did you kiss your mother goodbye this morning with that mouth?"

I propose that beginning students be supplied clear acrylic mouthpieces so that they and everyone else will see what is inside their mouthpiece, and hopefully they will wash the mouthpiece as instructed.

Paul Coats

I'd be a bit leery of basing my rapport with young kids on anything having to do with the "S" word.  Regardless of how innocent and cute it seems, you never know who's parent is going to misinterpret the situation, genuinely or otherwise, and it only takes once.  Besides, while you think you are embarassing them, you just don't know.  A friend of mine substituted for the Jr High Band Director once.  He had the clarinets play a passage one at a time.   One girl had a very flimsy reed and got almost no sound.  "Sally, I'd say you needed a new reed." he said.  She leaned back in her chair, throwing her arms back and sticking out her chest, "Your'e right Mr. K.  A good stiff one is what I need." 

--- On Sun, 8/9/09, tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@...> wrote:

From: tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@yahoo.com>
Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: mouthpiece hygeine
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 2:18 PM






 




    
                  

In doing woodwind clinics in schools I have seen some very nasty mouthpieces. 



I asked a young girl, "You won't kiss boys because you think they have cooties, but you put THAT in your mouth?  Did you kiss your mother goodbye this morning with that mouth?"



I propose that beginning students be supplied clear acrylic mouthpieces so that they and everyone else will see what is inside their mouthpiece, and hopefully they will wash the mouthpiece as instructed.



Paul Coats




 

      

    
    
	
	 
	
	








	


	
	


      

From: tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@...>

(trimmed)
> 
> I propose that beginning students be supplied clear acrylic mouthpieces so that they and everyone else will see what is inside their mouthpiece, and hopefully they will wash the mouthpiece as instructed.
> 
> Paul Coats
>
--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, ANTON WEINBERG <anton.weinberg@...> wrote:
>
> great original idea
> prof weinberg


Thanks, Anton!

BTW, guys, for you that have music stores with lots of student customers, I can get clear acrylic mouthpieces from Runyon.  These are not tinted, but clear as glass, in the Model 22 alto sax, tenor sax, and Bb soprano clarinet models.  Experienced adult players have enough problems with "crystal" or glass mouthpieces.  Such mouthpieces would be a disaster for beginning students.  But the clear acrylic is just right for the youngsters.

The Model 22 may be more familiar to you as the Conn Precision, King, and a few other proven beginning mouthpieces.  It plays easily, with good tone quality and intonation, works well with all student instruments.  The material is excellent and the price is good.  I can get them in black, of course, transparent red, amber, blue, white, and clear.  Stock them in school colors and all that.

----
An aside... if you are not familiar with the Model 22, I would send you one for a modest price, and would like you to compare to a Selmer S80 C*, or other similar mouthpiece.  Play, listen, compare.  Or have someone else play, you listen, a "blind test".  I think you will agree, excellent for students, not just beginners.
----

An ordinary Gerber Baby Bottle Nipple Brush, which Mom can get from the grocery store, or may have one in a kitchen drawer, is perfect for cleaning mouthpieces.  The shank is covered with plastic tubing so that the tip rail will not be damaged.

Encourage students to clean the mouthpiece weekly with the brush to keep out deposits.  And after each playing to wipe out with a cloth or paper towel.  Hot water should not be used, though a drop of dishwashing soap may be used if necessary.

Soaking in lemon juice will dissolve calcified deposits.

But what about that nasty green or brown oxidation?  Use water and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  It works!  Then after you have it back to black, you can polish BY HAND ONLY with Kit Scratch Out (automotive stores have this, for polishing plexiglass windshields and motorcycle helmet faceshields), Flitz, or other fine polish.  You will be pleased with how a clean, shiny mouthpiece gives your customers a real impression of YOUR quality work.

Paul Coats

i always do my criticism in the presence of the parents and/or teacher for maximum impact but then i am quite forthright in my opinions and lucky enough to have the standing to even tell teachers where to go ( 5 professorships gives one a certain edge which i am quite prepared to use for the common good). surprisingly i still do have many friends
prof weinberg

--- On Mon, 10/8/09, MartinMods <lancelotburt@...> wrote:


From: MartinMods <lancelotburt@...>
Subject: Re: [MouthpieceWork] Re: mouthpiece hygeine
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, 10 August, 2009, 1:21 AM


  







I'd be a bit leery of basing my rapport with young kids on anything having to do with the "S" word.  Regardless of how innocent and cute it seems, you never know who's parent is going to misinterpret the situation, genuinely or otherwise, and it only takes once.  Besides, while you think you are embarassing them, you just don't know.  A friend of mine substituted for the Jr High Band Director once.  He had the clarinets play a passage one at a time.   One girl had a very flimsy reed and got almost no sound.  "Sally, I'd say you needed a new reed." he said.  She leaned back in her chair, throwing her arms back and sticking out her chest, "Your'e right Mr. K.  A good stiff one is what I need." 

--- On Sun, 8/9/09, tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@ yahoo.com> wrote:


From: tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@ yahoo.com>
Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: mouthpiece hygeine
To: MouthpieceWork@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 2:18 PM


  


In doing woodwind clinics in schools I have seen some very nasty mouthpieces. 

I asked a young girl, "You won't kiss boys because you think they have cooties, but you put THAT in your mouth? Did you kiss your mother goodbye this morning with that mouth?"

I propose that beginning students be supplied clear acrylic mouthpieces so that they and everyone else will see what is inside their mouthpiece, and hopefully they will wash the mouthpiece as instructed.

Paul Coats