| Look Mom, No Pads! or I've Got Hydraulic Valves |
Scenario 1: One day before the first day of school, fall
1990. A clarinet player decides to check their instrument out for the first time since the
last day of school. It does not play, they are confused. They take it to the repair shop,
and find out that moth larva have spent the summer eating the pads. To make things even
worse the shop is swamped because several other people have done the same thing, and the
clarinet will not be repaired for 2 weeks. Scenario 2: One day before the first day of
school, fall 1990. A trumpet player decides to check their instrument out for the first
time since the last day of school. The valves are very slow, and the tuning slides do not
move. It worked fine last year, what could be wrong. They take it to the repair shop, and
find out the plaque has coated the valve casings and frozen the slides. To make things
worse the repair shop is swamped because several other people have done the same thing,
and the trumpet will not be repaired for 2 weeks.
To avoid these scenes there are several things that can be done. The most important
lining is to follow a proven maintenance schedule that will prevent the build up of plaque
and with woodwinds take measures to repel moth larva. The second most important thing is
to have your instrument checked be a professional at the beginning of the summer. And of
course you could practice regularly during the summer. Please encourage your students to
plan ahead and get in line early.
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