Ever been too sick to play?

[asoalin]

I've got this awful cold right now-scratchy cough, stuffy nose, headaches...the whole bit. I've been trying to practice anyway, but I can only play for about 5 minutes without having to cough and then after 20 minutes or so of playing my throat feels really bad, and I have to stop for a while. It stinks because I'm in such the flute-playing mood right now. I know I could really make progress on some songs I'm learning if only I wasn't sick!

Have you ever been too sick to play?

[nasxxx]

Got the Flu here so coughing bring up green flem not good, it does really close your throat down, + wince for air whilst playing....,,,,, throat gets very dry also. Try drinking water or hot water / lemon and honey helps.

[MrBaz]

In my Senior year in High school I was 1st chair in All-County. I came down with something nasty and had to skip a preactice RIGHT before our performance. I showed up to the performance and the conductor said he was sweating bullets hoping I would come. Then, one of the other directors told me that the second chair had to play all of my solos and sounded terrible.
Then, the second chair flute told me she was so nervous that she was going to have to play the solos. I had a good performance, but crashed when I went home later on.

[fluteguy18]

Most of the time, I play through my sickness. I have had monstrous sinus infections and still got through it. I even continued playing when I got my wisdom teeth out. But, I did take a day or two off from playing when I got them out.

Last year, I became horribly sick. But, my flute professor made me play and come to my lessons anyway. She thought that playing while congested would force me to "open up" more to have a good sound. It would force me to find alternative ways to resonate and produce a different sound than I usually do, and would become an interesting learning tool.... it didn't work. Instead... I became more ill. Thank goodness we had a break shortly afterward, and I slept through it.

[Claiken]

actually... ive been scared to play while sick... i fear pasing the germs onto my flute, then re-getting sick when i play & im better....

is that possible for the germs to live on the flute?

[fluteguy18]

Yes, it is quite possible. Viruses and Bacteria can live in your flute if you don't have it sterilized after you become ill. But usually, you won't get sick from it again because you will have the antibodies in your system [I believe... but I am not a doctor]. The only danger is if you let someone else play your flute, or if you have a weak immune system.

[sidekicker]

Last year, I became horribly sick. But, my flute professor made me play and come to my lessons anyway. She thought that playing while congested would force me to "open up" more to have a good sound. It would force me to find alternative ways to resonate and produce a different sound than I usually do, and would become an interesting learning tool.... it didn't work.

Forgive me for asking, but are you still studying with this dope? That has to be one of the dumbest pedagogical quack ideas I've heard in a long time. I, too, was a college flute professor for a while and I wouldn't dream of asking a student to do something like that, nor would I come up with such an asinine reason for it. Even if you could find one of those "alternative ways" to be more resonate, there is no guarantee that the reason it happened was because you were sick. That helps little when you are well. And it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to find the same solution every time you are sick because the body physics may be altogether different with the next bug you catch.

This is an easy one, folks. Getting sick is part of life for most of us. And we do our bodies no favors trying to do things as though we are well. You are much better off resting from everything so your body can heal quicker. The odds of illness going longer is going to increase the more you push yourself while you are sick. If you absolutely must play a performance, go ahead and do so; but bear in mind that things might not go as well. But when it comes to practising, take the time off. Your body will thank you.

SK

[Claiken]

Yes, it is quite possible. Viruses and Bacteria can live in your flute if you don't have it sterilized after you become ill. But usually, you won't get sick from it again because you will have the antibodies in your system [I believe... but I am not a doctor]. The only danger is if you let someone else play your flute, or if you have a weak immune system.

that I do. What can be used to sterilize it? anything that can be found around the home?

[fluteguy18]

Sidekicker- Yes I am still studying with her. Her Pedagogical knowledge is indeed a little lacking, and I have taken to studying pedagogy on my own. Some aspects of Pedagogy she knows really well, but when it comes to technical things like flute repair/construction and body/physicality stuff, she seems a little off.... There are times when I go and look at other schools because of things like this, and there are others that I listen to her playing, and hear what a good player she is. Then, I think about her teaching style and what I need to learn, and from a teaching aspect, she is what I need the most now. Her mantra about teaching is all about musicality and phrasing. In her eyes, musicality serves technique, not the other way around. So, technique becomes clean when your music has good phrasing and inner phrasing. I have another teacher that I study with that achieves musicality through clean technique first, then musicality is added.

So, I blend the two together, and I am improving very rapidly. So yeah... her pedagogical skills arent the best, but because I need a teacher who teaches phrasing, she is the best around. The rest of the profs in the state put more emphasis on technique, but my technique is already quite clean. But... I dont know. She uses very similiar teaching techniques as her flute professor did, and she studied with Doriot Dwyer. Mrs. Dwyer would do similiar things, because if you missed a lesson for any reason, she gave the slot to someone else. So, I don't know. There are times when she drives me crazy with things like the above, and others when I have a Eureka! moment because of one of her techniques and my playing leaps to a new level. For example: she changed my embouchure last year, and it was an earth shattering improvement on my tone and overall flexibility.

But believe me... I have been very blunt with her. Because of the illness issue last year, and the fact that she seemed lazy in my lessons [she wouldn't push me], I told her that I was considering a different school. I didn't tell her this, but this fall semester [fall 2007] was her last chance, and she has shaped up wonderfully. She is much more intense, and I like it. I don't honestly see myself transferring unless issues arise, and her teaching becomes ineffective. But, as a sort of safety measure, I do study with other professors at different during every break I get. So, this past few weeks, I have been studying with my other 'standard' professor who teaches at two private universities, freelances, and subs with two local orchestras. This summer I am considering studying with the man that SHE studied with who actually lives about 20 minutes from where I do. He is a very good teacher.




Claiken- I personally recommend taking a *clean* lint-free swab, and soak it in denatured alcohol. Then, wring it out to where it is slightly damp. Swab your flute out [particularly your headjoint making sure to get up near the crevices around the stopper]. Then take another *clean* swab and dry it out. You can also clean the lip plate in a similiar fashion.

Just be careful not to get anything on the pads, and that you dry it out immediately.

[sidekicker]

fluteguy --

You are quite smart to do what you are doing. I think most of us tend to forget that the goal of developing into a professional flutist is not to be like everyone else; it is to be the best you can be and individualise your playing style. That will be the biggest asset you will carry with you into auditions. You absolutely must be different, or at least show the capabilities of being different. So getting ideas from across the widest spectrum possible, i.e. studying with different teachers, will really help you accomplish that.

When I auditioned for graduate school, I won the single open spot against over 200 auditioners. After I started school, I asked my teacher, "why me"? He told me it was because I was the only person who was able to sound like 3 different flute players in the 3 pieces I played. Everyone else was merely the same flutist playing 3 different works, sounding the same in Bach as in Mozart. That taught me a huge lesson I'll never forget: it's not all about fingers. Yes, you must play all the right notes. But soul and individuality in your playing will get you much further. It's easy to play all the notes correctly, but that's just the minimum requirement. The really hard part of flute playing begins after the notes are down.

SK

[concertpianist16]

When I'm sick I try not to play any wind instruments. What I'll do is just practice fingering and that will supplement practice. It's not the same but it's hard when you go into coughing fits to practice properly.

[Flute_star3]

Can you hurt your muscles by playing for the same amount of time that you usually do when your sick? Is there long term consequences for practicing when your sick?