Dear Mr. Snake, I have been working with the Balanced Embouchure technique this summer and have had positive results. I doubt a few minutes of using these exercises per day could damage ones embouchure. It is, after all, a muscle. Ms. Lewis's dealings with embouchure problems deal mostly with overuse. I have been following her writing for years and find that her advice makes sense. I certainly wouldn't consider her the foremost expert on brass player injuries. She is one that has taken the time and effort to write about it. I had personal experience with overuse injury in college and found that taking a few days off put me be back in the drivers seat.
The BE method does not involve lots of time practicing the extreme embouchures. I find that it does develop my embouchure in a positive way. The immediate result is that my endurance is much better. I think the best feature of this method is that it is not a sudden change and restructuring ones embouchure, but a gradual exploration and development that can result in positive results. Personally, I do not bunch up my chin when I play. Just can't get my chops to be that relaxed. It is more relaxed than before, which is a good thing. One thing I have noticed about the really great players in the world is that they all seem to produce tone in every register effortlessly. The method does not result in a goofy looking embouchure. Check out Steve Park's videos on Youtube. I don't think anyone would fault his embouchure. The method is very simple. Valerie could destroy the small income that Jeff Smiley receives from his book with one posting on the list. I'm glad she doesn't. So many people have given up trying to make a living in the music business because of widespread stealing of copyrighted material. My son, an accomplished techno artist, quit trying to sell recordings because everyone just steals him blind. He only makes money in live performance. I am curious to know why you think that doing the exercises in the BE method could damage your embouchure? Have you read the book and tried the exercises? After being on the list since its inception, I have learned the function of the delete key. With some threads, I read the first installment and just hit the delete key for the remainder of the jousting match. Some go on for weeks. Others I find quite interesting, so I read them. I suggest that if you do not like Valerie's posts, just delete them and don't be rude. She is a very sweet lady and very excited about a method that has helped her horn playing tremendously. I was very skeptical about the method for a long time, but have come to appreciate the benefits of the exercises. Speaking of throwing money away, I blew $60 on a "Joy Key" that I never installed on my horn. Want to buy it? ;) Thanks for the info about Scott Hartman. I will check it out. Always looking for better ways to play the horn. Luke Zyla On Aug 8, 2011, at 9:46 PM, DB wrote: > Luke, > > Unless you buy the product you do not know what this technique is. Valerie > refused to answer a direct question of what it is intimating you had to buy > the product to find out. And you know that it helps little kids play the > full range but that is about it. However, What you do not know is that if > you follow the instructions to the letter you could damage your embouchure > that could take weeks if not months to overcome. > > As a brass player the last thing you want to do in playing your instrument > is bunch up your chin. Check with Cindy Lewis of the NJ Symphony she is the > foremost expert on brass player injuries. You will find that it could be the > quickest way to end your career. > > I play daily from pedal c to f above high c and there is not a hint of a > bunched chin. It can be done without bunching up your chin and puffing your > cheeks looking somewhat like an idiot. > > If you want to throw your money away be my guest, heck I did, but you can > get better results from Scott Hartman's left coast exercises which are > similar and they are free to download and the instructions will not > potentially harm you like Valerie's product will. > > I am sorry I offended some on this list but there are plenty of vendors on > this list who do not abuse their presence are not obnoxious. I for one > welcome a reminder that someone is around every couple of months or so. > > Ralph Snake > Hornplayer Extraordinaire > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of Luke Zyla > Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 5:27 PM > To: The Horn List > Subject: Re: [Hornlist] Andrew's latest comments > > Valerie, > Please don't stop. This is great information. Ralph, Do you prefer we start > another discussion on which valve oil is the best? Three week discussion? > I must have missed it. Information about this performing technique IS NOT > SPAM! > > Luke Zyla, 2nd horn > West Virginia Symphony Orchestra > www.wvsymphony.org > (striving to become more extraordinary) > > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Aug 8, 2011, at 4:03 PM, "DB" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Valerie, >> >> Please stop spamming this list. We just had a three week discussion of the >> merits and demerits of your product. It is time to stop trolling this > list. >> >> Thank you, >> >> Ralph Snake >> Hornplayer Extraordinaire >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf >> Of valerie wells >> Sent: Monday, August 08, 2011 2:28 PM >> To: horn list 2 memphis >> Subject: [Hornlist] Andrew's latest comments >> >> After 3 years, Andrew Joy is still pleased. >> http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/ >> -- >> Valerie Wells >> The Balanced Embouchure Method >> http://bebabe.wordpress.com/ >> _______________________________________________ >> post: [email protected] >> unsubscribe or set options at >> > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/dbhorn%40nc.rr.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> post: [email protected] >> unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/lzyla%40suddenlink. > net > _______________________________________________ > post: [email protected] > unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/dbhorn%40nc.rr.com > > _______________________________________________ > post: [email protected] > unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/lzyla%40suddenlink.net _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
