> Keep those interesting suggestions coming. < Wait a minute, fellas, I'm not suggesting anything other than to keep an open mind to things previously unheard. What I'm really doing is sharing information, ideas, experiences, etc. What's done with the information, ideas and experiences is completely up to the individual. If I hear anything new & relevant that seems even remotely plausible and related to improving horn performance -- like zinc supplements or water bottle mutes -- I'll be sure to share and hope you'll do the same! :o)
And yes, I agree, the copper absorption/excess theory may be sound kooky if you're unfamiliar with medical conditions & treatments that involve imbalances of metals (Wilson's disease, ketopyroluria, hemochromatosis, mercury poisoning, lead poisoning, etc.) The diseases caused by metal imbalances usually have a degree of neurological dysfunction, such as tremors, dystonias, etc. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that the fine motor control needed in musical performance could be profoundly effected by even a slight imbalance of metals in the body, especially zinc which is involved in dopamine synthesis as well as dozens of other biological processes. Neurological manifestations of a slight metal imbalance would likely be undetectable or ignored in a non musician, but be devastating to a musician. (Zinc & copper have a kinda see-saw relationship in the body, when one is too high, the other is too low. High levels of copper can "complex" with dopamine interfering with it's action in normal muscle movement.) And yes, who knows what else we absorb from our horns and what happens to these metals once inside our bodies? Different metals are absorbed through the skin at different rates depending on a number of factors such as pH, molecule size, what the chemical form is, etc. Perfectly healthy people have mechanisms in place to balance metals and eliminate excesses, but unfortunately some folks have defects in these mechanisms due to faulty physiology and/or environmental influences. For me, the significant fact is that I'm acquainted with several brass players who report a decline in unwanted embouchure motions after taking zinc supplements. Two of them started taking the zinc for completely unrelated medical conditions. It was only in hind sight that each realized their embouchure control improved after they began taking the zinc. And the improvements came after struggling with the condition for a long time. They were not expecting any improvement in their embouchure function from taking zinc, which rules out the placebo effect in their individual cases. You may disagree with my research acquaintance's conclusions as to why these brass players improved after taking zinc, but please explain the rational behind your conclusions if it's anything other than you've never heard of this before? Does previously unheard of mean untrue? If I could make another point in this discussion it would be this: not all unwanted embouchure movements are the result of psychological or mechanical issues as is often assumed in music discussion forums. The brass player with these problems is frequently blamed and shamed, as if he brought the problem on himself with poor technique, presumed emotional "weakness", inability to "properly" relax, etc. It's obviously true that the symptoms can be profoundly effected for better or worse by technique, equipment, psychological/emotional status, etc., but that doesn't mean any of these elements are the root cause of the disorder. Unwanted movements in the embouchure can be the result of underlying, subtle physiological anomalies coupled with environmental factors. These unwanted movements may be remedied by using specific nutrients, diet, various supplements, medications, etc. Sometimes we need to dig a little deeper beyond what's conventionally believed & discussed for solutions. And always, I believe we should keep an open mind to new ideas. -- Valerie Wells The Balanced Embouchure Method http://bebabe.wordpress.com/ http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/ _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
