a concern about post braces by a musician

Message

#1 Post by **strugglebuggy** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:10 pm

hi.

I am due to get my braces off the end of September, and I have a slight concern pertaining to the 2 1/2 week wait for my retainers. I am a musician... I play the clarinet- have been for almost 25 years. It puts a lot of pressure on the teeth, and I have a recital coming up on October 7th. I am not due to get my retainers until October 15th, I think. I get the braces off on Sept. 26th. Will my constant practicing for this recital make my teeth shift? I am so worried that when I go back for my retainers, things are going to be all messed up. 2 1/2 weeks seems like a reallllly long time to wait for retainers. I will raise this concern to my ortho at my next visit, but I was just curious to know if there were any other musicians that were in a similar situation.

Thanks.

#2 Post by **strugglebuggy** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:27 am

They can do that?

I know they are talking permanent retainer on the bottom... is that something they do right away after the braces come off?

#3 Post by **strugglebuggy** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:05 am

Boy I'd feel better if that were the case. I practice everyday for about an hour. The piece I am working on right now goes up to a G four lines above the staff. It's pretty dang high and it require me to put a bit more of a bite on the mouthpiece. I don't want to damage 2 1/2 years worth of work, you know?

Website · #4 Post by **alexa** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:31 am

Hmm. Good question.

I also play clarinet! I played pretty seriously as a kid and even went to an arts high school where it was my major. I sort of laid off it for a few years after graduation, just picking it up once every few months. I played even less while having braces because it just wasn't particularly comfortable. I'm just now starting to get back into it...played for a good hour yesterday. Felt good!

They say that clarinet is just about one of the worst instruments for the teeth, so your concerns seem reasonable. Although I know you're dying to get the braces off, maybe they can leave them on until a little closer to the gig, so that you won't do too much damage...or mabe they can do a temp permanant retainer or essix for your uppers to hold you over.

Good luck...let us know how it goes! What piece are you working on, btw? I miss not studying privately anymore...no one to introduce me to good pieces. I've just been reworking Stamitz's Concerto in Bb. It's pretty easy, of course (I played it originally 10 years ago), but since I've been away from clarinet for awhile, I find I really need to go back and rework old stuff...get my fingers used to runs and fast passages again, get my embrasure solid enough to get a good tone. Really need to get some new music though!

#5 Post by **strugglebuggy** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:11 pm

Hi Alexa.

I am working on a piece called Hirtenlied. It's by Meyerbeer. It's for soprano with piano and clarinet obligato. My sister in law is studying vocal performance and pedagogy for her masters degree at Penn State, and she has a recital coming up. We did the piece for her senior recital when she went for her Bachelors. I am also working on a piece by John Williams called the Tale of Viktor Navorksi. It's for my community band and we'll be doing it next summer. You may remember it from the movie The Terminal.

I'm going to talk to my ortho next appointment to discuss the options, I guess. A couple more weeks in braces won't kill me. We'll see.

PS- I studied too!

Went to West Chester University for Music Ed. Didn't graduate, though and I could kick myself for it. Ugh.