I finally understand how people with a handicap feel. If you have somehow been left out of a large portion of the history of my life, then let me tell you now that I play the French Horn. And quite well too. Anyways, I just recently had braces installed on my upper and lower teeth. And sharp metal brackets and a solid metal mouthpiece with a flab of skin vibrating between them is not the most pleasant of all experienced. Anyways, because of the physics of French Horning, erm, French Horn playing, the braces and subsequent wax layer I use to protect my lips result in my not being able to play the notes that would normally be in my higher range. That may not seem like such a handicap, until you realize just how nice it is to play high notes. There are times when I'm playing a piece with a lot of passion in it, and the horn line just goes ripping up into the statosphere, and I'm stuck on the launch pad. I get to play the low harmonics, but it's just not as fun as showing off your high, high C (French Horns will understand). So yeah, after a 2 hour rehearsal, I can hardly play a high C. Let alone anything above that.
So now I'm stuck with the problem of what to do. As far as I know, I have 3 options. I can buy some sort of brass-players mouthguard that fits over the braces, except they're only avaliable online. Second, I can continue to go through cases of wax every time I play, and get my orthodontist to pay for that. Or, I can do as my dad suggests, and squeeze hot glue onto the top to make a semi-pernament cover for my braces. I'm just not sure I like the idea of that hot gun beside my mouth....
Anyhoo, that's my probelm. And handicap. And heartache.
TTFN - Ta Ta for Now
