Waterpik

I bought a Waterpik to help clean behind the brackets and I've finally managed to learn to use it without soaking myself/the walls/the ceiling/the floor etc!

I've got the 'ultra' one because it had an orthodontic attachment with it. It seems just to be a fine rubber tip on the end of the plastic tube, but it is quite effective. The first couple of times I used it my gums absolutely poured with blood (EWWWWW!) but they seem to have settled down now, and I am getting used to using it now so its a lot more effective than just brushing. I'd definitely recommend using one as its much more comfortable than flossing with braces on, and seems to be effective at reaching into places that might have been missed. To be honest, there is no point going to the trouble of straightening my teeth if they are going to all drop out when I am finished with treatment!!!

Got my 'normal' dentist check up in three weeks, and then the ortho the monday after. Have to admit that I have removed the ligatures from my front two teeth. They had gone a really horrible colour and I am having to wait 8 weeks for my next appointment. I have to have my new staff photo tomorrow and I'm not having gross looking braces for a picture that is going to be in the front bloody entrance of the school!!! As the front teeth are the ones being pulled back the wire is kept in place quite easily by all of the other brackets and ligs.

New Mouthpiece?

I am losing a serious amount of air out the side of my face on the left side when I am playing. Where the (evil-hooked) bracket sits on the canine tooth it is preventing my lips from creating a seal with the heritage mouthpiece, and unfortunately as my teeth move, the problem is getting worse as the arch returns to its normal place.

I am going to try a mouthpiece with a wider rim to see if that helps. Probably wont help my high range, but as it is pretty much non-existent past top G I can't see that being a problem.... I can squeeze out about two top A's and then I die at the moment. It was getting better before the break, but the two weeks we had off killed me. I don't know what it is about home practise, but its not the same of two solid hours of band. Grrr, its like going back 10 years to when I started on Cornet!

Where did I put that damn Clarinet again....?! ;)

Practise makes?

Holiday from band - 2 weeks off! Great on the old bank balance, but not so great on the lip, especially as we have a concert in just under three weeks. The programme is quite a heavy blow - including Festive Overture to finish (love it, but it goes on and on and on!) and I'm sure Indiana Jones will be in there somewhere. I love Festive Overture - it proves certain things to me, but the less said about that the better. I am a much better player than I was a few years ago, and its nice to feel that some people have confidence in my ability. Finding the right mouthpiece was part of it, I do love the Heritage range by Denis Wick. I've had endless discussions with various people about it, and a mouthpiece really is a personal choice. The braces aren't really helping, but sometimes at the moment I am getting this really, really lovely sound - even better than pre-braces. It just stamina that is currently the problem. On Friday I was practising hymn tunes in the afternoon, just working on production etc, and someone stood outside my front door listening to me play for about 10 minutes! Not sure if that is flattering or just plain weird....

Last week my friend from Yorkshire, Geoff, came down for a visit with his other half. We spent most of the weekend talking about brass bands, and he brought Elvis down a tape to have a listen to. Amazing the sound of the bands he used to play with in the 80s - its funny how he *always* tells me about beating Dyke at the area!!!! Claims to fame, eh ;)

I have been practising the test piece for Folkestone Contest, which is in a few months. The piece has got quite a lot of double tonguing in it, if played correctly. I'm not quite sure of what speed we are aiming for, but as my front teeth have moved back significantly its all coming out a bit 'fluffy' at the moment. Practise makes, eh?

3rd Adjustment picture on its own

I'm publishing a picture of just my teeth from yesterday on here because I want to post a picture on the Metal Mouth message board :)

Adjustment 3

Hurrah! I have got a thicker wire on the top, so hopefully I should start to see some real movement there again. My teeth ache a little, so it'll be interesting to see what happens at band tonight. Elvis spent all of the weekend watching a brass band competition in Welsh, so I thought I'd do some practise and it didn't go so well.

I'm so disheartened at the moment with banding. I'd feel better if someone at least said to me 'I know its hard, I know you're trying, and you've improved a lot since they were first put on. Stick with it!' No, apparently not.....

It's so hit and miss with pitching, and I have to be so careful and I am determined not to cause a callous on my lip from playing. Also (shhh!!) getting a bit fed up with the traveling up and down the country. I enjoy band, but after spending nearly four years now doing nearly an hours commute to band its starting to get me down, and my poor car is showing some real signs of excessive mileage (132,000 miles roughly on a 7 year old Fiesta). Now I've got quite a demanding job and trying to do the MA on top of it, I'm so much more exhausted in the evenings now so things have changed a lot since I first started doing roughly 40 miles to band. The only problem is because Elvis is playing in the same band, I feel bad if I stop playing, and I'm not even sure I really want to, if I'm completely honest? I just don't want an hours commute and a kings ransom in petrol.... plus I'm now paying subs on top of that.