Re: [Hornlist] Big Lips vs. Smaller Lips

[Wilbert Kimple]

I started my musical adventures playing clarinet in
the fifth grade.  My family moved when I started
eighth grade, and my new band director asked me to
change from clarinet to tuba.  I was a poor
clarinet player, at best, and he needed tubas for
the band.

Many said I would be unable to play tuba because my
top lip is very thin.  Yet, I made the West
Virginia All State Band, and got into the music
school at West Virginia University, all on tuba.

While at WVU, I was asked to change to horn,
because they had tons of tubas, but few horns. 
They gave me a full scholarship to make the change,
and, being no dummy, I took the money and changed. 
Again, some said I would not succeed, this time
because my bottom lip was too big!  Well, that was
more than thirty five years ago, and I'm still
playing horn, quite well, thank you very much.

I've heard stories that Mr. Ashby had this burning
desire to play the horn from an early age, and that
most told him he would not succeed.  Well, he's
been in one of the world's greatest orchestras for
years, and is probably laughing all the way to the
bank.  As Dave from Brassarts said, he's a very
nice guy, and one fantastic player.

Wilbert in SC
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RE: [Hornlist] Big Lips vs. Smaller Lips

[Jonathan West]

I can't now remember where I read it, but I remember reading a story of a
horn player (possibly in the 19th century) who thought that his abilities in
the high register were as a result of his unusually thin lips. With
advancing age, his felt that his lips had thickened somewhat, and he found
himself unable to hit the high notes in quite the same way.

He tried to get a surgeon to pare his lips down to their original thickness.
When he was unable to find anyone who was willing to perform the operation
for him, he did it himself with a razorblade, ruining his embouchure for
ever!

Jonathan West


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Re: [Hornlist] Big Lips vs. Smaller Lips

[YATESLAWRENCE]

In a message dated 30/05/2003 15:17:02 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
writes:

 he did it himself with a razorblade, ruining his embouchure for
 ever!

Heinrich Gugel if I remember correctly - the story was recounted in either 
the Robin Gregory book or in the Morley Pegge book.

All the best,

Lawrence

http://lawrenceyates.co.uk
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