[TPIN] Air pressure injury?

[MikeSpengl at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/22/2006 12:14:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
chappells at everestkc.net writes:

I'm a  come-back amateur player, been playing again for about 4-5 years after 
25  years off the horn.  Things have been going pretty well but I've recently 
 
developed a problem.  Occassionally when I'm playing a high note I  get this 
sharp pain in the soft area below my right ear and behind my  jaw.  It feels 
like something gives there from the air  pressure.  I'm playing in a 
community theatre musical pit band right  now and it happened about 3/4 way 
through the show last night.  I  continued to play but it continued to bother 
me, and I'm somewhat  concerned about playing again tonight.  What's this 
about?  Has  anybody experienced this and have any advice?  Thanks.

Stan  



Stan-
 
      I'm taking a wild guess here, but it's a  not-all-that-uncommon 
problem. It could be that what's "giving way" are the  remnants of "vestigial gills" 
that we all have as a result of evolution. It's  not muscle, just soft tissue 
that reacts to physical stress.  In some  players, you'll see a bulge in that 
area of the neck as a result. The "fix" is  fairly simple, but not an 
immediate "magic bullet." It involves both posture and  air. And "conscious practice."
 
   1). Use a mirror when you practice. See if your neck is  extended. If it 
is, its blocking the free flow of air.  Try mimicking a  "yawn"- yawning is the 
body's way of getting a maximum intake of air. Think  about holding your head 
back so that it doesn't jut forward, and your jaw down a  little. This should 
open the throat a bit, so the air can flow freely. 
 
   2). Air. I studied for a long time with Ed Treutel, who once  said "90% of 
all playing problems can be fixed with more air." Have someone  stand behind 
you, place their hands (fists) on your sides at the bottom of your  ribcage 
and press in gently. Breath in deeply, with the idea that your ribcage  sides 
are "pushing out" against the fists and that you're taking air in from top  to 
bottom. 
 
      Or- when you're sitting in your chair, bend  all the way forward so 
that your stomach/chest front are against the tops of  your legs. If you take big 
breaths in and out, you'll feel your ribcage  expanding/contracting. Same 
with breathing out. Think of the diaphragm as a  firm "anchor" and push from the 
sides.  Then be conscious of breathing  like that until it is an unthinking 
habit. 
 
   Combined with a proper neck posture, that should fix the  problem. I had 
something similar- a small area in the same location you describe  would "pop 
out." I applied what Ed taught me at the time, and that almost  instantly 
prevented the problem. Now, years later, I can't even make that area  "pop out" 
even if I try....
 
      (Another example: I toured with Diana Ross  from '81-'87. Due to the 
lack of any humidity, she always had vocal  problems during those 2-3 week Las 
Vegas runs. In '85 after a two-month  layoff, we started a tour in Vegas. She 
announced at sound-check that she  had studied yoga- including breathing 
techniques- in the off-period. I  noticed when we started the show that the rear of 
her ribcage was expanding  every time she took a breath. She had no vocal 
problems during that  2-week run....). 
 
   As far as the whole "practice mute" thing goes, I've never  used one 
either. But that's not (in my humble opinion) as important an issue as  correct 
posture and use of the air...
 
   I wish I could explain it better, but hope this helps.  

All the  best-           Mike  Spengler