Editorial ~ 2005 December

This month we discuss the physical benefits of brass playing and 'fondly' reflect on the Christmas Season.

Brass Players – Wind Bags!

How often do we hear someone say that they can't play a wind instrument because of asthma? I get it all the time as a teacher – particularly when students are considering which instrument to choose: students with asthma (or parents of) often assume that a wind instrument is not an option.

The interesting thing is that a wind instrument has been proven to improve respiratory ailments. The respiratory benefits from the exercise of playing a wind instrument are a known and proven fact.

How It Works:

In order to sing or play a wind instrument you have to continually take deep breaths. This expands your lungs, promoting healthy clearance of mucus. If you're a shallow breather, small portions of your lung can collapse, interrupting the circulation of mucus out of your lungs, eventually leading to respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

Inflating your lungs all the way also enables your chest wall (the muscles and other tissue surrounding the ribs) to fully expand, giving the muscles a healthy range of motion.

Elasticity (flexibility of the chest wall, which some therapists call elastance) is important too. You don't want your chest wall to lose its elasticity and get stiff because your respiratory muscles (the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs, called the intercostals) will have to work harder to allow you to breathe. These muscles enable you to exhale and inhale, and weakening of them also increases the chance of infections in the lungs or respiratory system.

That's why singing or playing a wind instrument is great exercise for the chest wall. It's not going to make your respiratory muscles stronger, but it will make it much easier for them to function because they won't have to work so hard to move a stiff chest wall.

If you've experienced problems such as shortness of breath, singing or playing an instrument should increase respiratory function. The same rule applies if you're prone to respiratory infections. On the other hand, if you haven't had any problems, playing a wind instrument will hopefully keep you that way!

(Information source: "The Secret Weapon for Respiratory Health" by Kathy Wechsler)

I'm often intrigued to know more about the physical benefits of playing brass – I certainly believe there are psychological ones! I'm interested to hear any stories from people who have something to share about the physical benefits (or not!) of brass playing.

What do you think?  Send us an email to downunder@4barsrest.com

Seasons Greetings and all that stuff (and boy I'm tired)

Well, the silly season is certainly here for us brass bandies! This time of the year is always jam-packed full with pageants, carols by candlelight, concerts….and more. Since the age of nine I've been playing in all of the above – I can't remember ever sitting and holding a candle, and singing with the ‘ordinary' folk.  And how many of us have memorised Jingle Bells? Hmmmm?

So we drag out the same old carol books and compilations; Rudolph gets a good showing, as does Mary's Boy Child. We deal with community choir conductors (you know the type) and vocal soloists who want to sing in E. We drag out the tinsel to wrap around the instrument, don the Santa hat (looking a bit shabby now), and prepare for the unrelenting Silent Night.  Oh, and there's always the one new tacky addition to the attire each year – last year it was a pair of flashing (very heavy) reindeer earrings. They only lasted two gigs.

But despite all the whinging, I can't but help feel sort of ‘special' or ‘important' at this time of year.  Imagine Christmas without the brass bands? Wow, it sure would be empty. We certainly play a big role in the ‘Christmas Spirit' thingy.

And you know, I think if I ever sat in the audience with a candle to sing, I'd probably just wish I was up on stage with the band!

Have a great one – from Downunder : "Christmas where the gum trees grow…."

What do you think?  Send us an email to downunder@4barsrest.com

^back to top