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Thread: When it is time to stop playing?

  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by John Morgan View Post
    Adrian - Your comment about dialing back your volume got me to thinking about what we do in the local New Horizons Band, which has many older people of varying hearing abilities. The director uses a wireless mic headset which connects to a couple of speakers on stands. We started this on my recommendation 3-4 years ago (I saw this being done at a New Horizons Band Camp in Washington state), and it works wonders in people being able to hear the director, and the director not having to shout or not being heard. I highly, highly recommend this. Many of the New Horizons Bands around the country do this, and even some other type bands (community, etc. with folks that aren't real old).
    Hi John,

    I've only seen this one once and that was with a convention band at a conference a few years back with 150+ people. Never really thought about doing it with my own groups, especially since I usually manage to be heard OK and haven't had any voice problems yet. But it might be worth a try. I think I'll have to get out of the habit of muttering to myself during rehearsal first, though...
    Adrian L. Quince
    Composer, Conductor, Euphoniumist
    www.adrianquince.com

    Kanstul 976 - SM4U

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Hidden Valley, AZ
    Posts
    1,034
    I'll play as long as I can hold the horn properly (no gizmos allowed), and I get along with the conductor.

    The former is not a problem yet, and I control the latter...

    Dennis

  3. Playing alone

    I'm 52 and quit playing 2 years ago due to hyperacusis in both ears. It is severe and accompanied by tinnitus in my right ear, which I attribute (at least in part) to many years of playing upright bell euphonium*. Custom, audiologist-fitted noise reduction earplugs and tinnitus retraining therapy have helped, but I could no longer tolerate sitting in a room with other musicians and finally packed it in.

    I really missed playing, so...

    A few months ago, I returned to playing tenor trombone and recently switched to Eb alto trombone and bell front alto horn, which are now my instruments of choice. Sound is directed away from my head and they can be played quietly enough that both are quite tolerable in my home practice room. As a bonus, they are both very easy to hold which has alleviated hand and wrist pain. I'm also using sound absorption panels to adjust the room acoustics to suit my needs. While my ensemble playing days are most certainly over and I can no longer attend most live shows, films in theaters and sporting events, I've found that I rather enjoy playing music alone. I play an hour or two a day and work on tone and technique just as I did before, but now I play for an audience of one.

    I needed to adjust my situation and now I'm having fun again. In the end, that's what counts.



    (*Playing bell front euphonium or any tuba now induces dizziness and nausea, which may be attributable to vestibular hyperacusis. The symptoms are interesting, though somewhat disturbing. At any rate the damage is done.)
    Last edited by altobone64; 05-14-2017 at 08:39 AM.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    US East coast
    Posts
    193
    I got my BA in Music Ed. as a voice major by default, since my instrument was bass clarinet, and the clarinet professor said he’d resign if he had to try to teach me soprano clarinet. I loved being a voice major and got pretty decent as a singer, and still played in every instrumental ensemble on campus, and sang in every choral ensemble except Opera Workshop.
    After teaching general music for a year I realized I definitely didn’t want to do that for long, and happened on a state fellowship in speech therapy, for which I was accepted, and worked as a therapist and special ed. Teacher for most of the rest of my professional life.
    The thought never once occurred to me that I wouldn’t at some time return to music.
    When I retired I began harp lessons and bought myself a beautifully restored pedal harp, and at almost the same time learned that I had arthritis in at least two fingers, and my left pointer quickly became deformed. Almost at the same time, my voice was severely damaged by medications.
    So, H*ll bent for music, but no instrument. Along comes my grandson, who is born with an orthopedic handicap. At about 2 1/2 years old, he began to ask to see tubas and French Horns and trombones on my iPad.
    OF COURSE, I bought him a pBone, and since it was 2’ taller than he, I started to play it myself, and was amazed to find that I could actually play a scale on it. One day while watching pictures of tubas, the grandson came across a bunch of people in holiday gear playing tubas. “Yikes!”, I thought, “That REALLY looks like fun!”
    Out of my misty past I remembered when I wanted more than anything to play Sousaphone, and wasn’t allowed to because “Girls don’t”. NOW, girls DO!
    I’ve played euphonium for almost 3 months in a community band, have connected to a great teacher, and practice every day. I’m within inches of being able to get through the euphonium parts of the Holst Suites, and aiming at Grainger. Can’t wait to get a tuba.
    I will never NEVER stop again. This thread is amazingly inspiring. You are my HEROES.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,867
    Quote Originally Posted by ann reid View Post
    I got my BA in Music Ed. as a voice major by default, since my instrument was bass clarinet, and the clarinet professor said he’d resign if he had to try to teach me soprano clarinet. I loved being a voice major and got pretty decent as a singer, and still played in every instrumental ensemble on campus, and sang in every choral ensemble except Opera Workshop.
    After teaching general music for a year I realized I definitely didn’t want to do that for long, and happened on a state fellowship in speech therapy, for which I was accepted, and worked as a therapist and special ed. Teacher for most of the rest of my professional life.
    The thought never once occurred to me that I wouldn’t at some time return to music.
    When I retired I began harp lessons and bought myself a beautifully restored pedal harp, and at almost the same time learned that I had arthritis in at least two fingers, and my left pointer quickly became deformed. Almost at the same time, my voice was severely damaged by medications.
    So, H*ll bent for music, but no instrument. Along comes my grandson, who is born with an orthopedic handicap. At about 2 1/2 years old, he began to ask to see tubas and French Horns and trombones on my iPad.
    OF COURSE, I bought him a pBone, and since it was 2’ taller than he, I started to play it myself, and was amazed to find that I could actually play a scale on it. One day while watching pictures of tubas, the grandson came across a bunch of people in holiday gear playing tubas. “Yikes!”, I thought, “That REALLY looks like fun!”
    Out of my misty past I remembered when I wanted more than anything to play Sousaphone, and wasn’t allowed to because “Girls don’t”. NOW, girls DO!
    I’ve played euphonium for almost 3 months in a community band, have connected to a great teacher, and practice every day. I’m within inches of being able to get through the euphonium parts of the Holst Suites, and aiming at Grainger. Can’t wait to get a tuba.
    I will never NEVER stop again. This thread is amazingly inspiring. You are my HEROES.
    What a delightful story!! So very glad and happy to see you playing euphonium and perhaps tuba eventually. Check out Wessex. I am a euphonium player for life, but I did get a Wessex Eb tuba a year ago for a really great price, about 2K. It is delightful. If you almost have the Holst Suites down (congrats by the way), then you indeed are well into the euphonium world. Look for David Werden's arrangement of the Holst Suite for euphonium and piano. It is quite nice.

    Keep playing! Stay forever young!
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  6. #26
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Truro, Cornwall, UK
    Posts
    111
    As a late-ish starter and someone who relishes the learning challenges playing Euphonium provides, I only know that the end of enjoyment will be the catalyst for my retirement. How or why this will happen, I’ve literally no idea! And even that not knowing is part of the fun!
    1983 Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign
    Denis Wick SM4 (original series)

  7. #27
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Truro, Cornwall, UK
    Posts
    111
    Quote Originally Posted by John Morgan View Post
    What a delightful story!! So very glad and happy to see you playing euphonium and perhaps tuba eventually. Check out Wessex. I am a euphonium player for life, but I did get a Wessex Eb tuba a year ago for a really great price, about 2K. It is delightful. If you almost have the Holst Suites down (congrats by the way), then you indeed are well into the euphonium world. Look for David Werden's arrangement of the Holst Suite for euphonium and piano. It is quite nice.

    Keep playing! Stay forever young!
    Can’t go wrong with Holst. Weirdly we don’t go in for it much in the UK, but what I’ve played is very nice.
    1983 Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign
    Denis Wick SM4 (original series)

  8. #28
    This and the other thread on "playing forever" are gold! Thank you for sharing your story, Ann!
    "Never over complicate things. Accept "bad" days. Always enjoy yourself when playing, love the sound we can make on our instruments (because that's why we all started playing the Euph)"

    Euph: Yamaha 642II Neo - 千歌音
    Mouthpiece: K&G 4D, Denis Wick 5AL

    https://soundcloud.com/ashsparkle_chika
    https://www.youtube.com/user/AshTSparkle/

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