This burned lip is healing and has gotten to the point where I can stretch it and contract it without it hurting, and most of the burned skin has sloughed off, I'm figuring out that it was a bad enough burn so as some of the muscle tissue inside it was also damaged - and that's healing as well, but I think I've gained a new sympathy for people who love to play, simply don't have really good lip muscle structure, and just can't quite make the most beautiful sounds or get quick enough response to really play at a top level... so I believe I'm referring to people who know exactly what to do, no exactly how to get there, and know exactly what type of sound and everything that they need to achieve, but just can't quite physically do it.
This year, a couple of my upcoming Christmas jobs have several difficult passages. Because of the burned lip thing, I got the music in advance for these jobs and I'm working on it. My lip just isn't vibrating and responding as quickly as before during this healing process and nor with the type of resonance to which I'm accustomed. Fast passages require more work for clarity and quick jumps to low pitches have to be anticipated even earlier.
btw...
No one need caution me about being careful and not playing too much and all that kind of jazz. I'm not trying to overwork this injured lip, but I'm just trying to carefully rehabilitate it to the point that I can get through some jobs and collect those checks. I think it's probably better to do some playing and keep it from becoming too stiff during healing than too not play at all, because I do believe that using the muscles and vibrating the lips is helping this lower lip muscle to heal in a way to restore the suppleness. Further, tolerating just a little bit of pain while stretching and contracting it - while repairing instruments, driving the car, watching tv, or doing whatever - I believe has also contributed to promote/suppleness during healing. It's easy to tell someone else who has been injured to be careful, but I believe the injured person leads to use their own body's feedback to determine how much activity is helpful and how much is too much. I've done the same thing in the past when I've burned weird places in my hands which have to stretch all the time while I'm working to repair instruments, and I carefully stretched those places while they were healing, so I could continue to work with full extension.
I guess I need to be patient regarding the return of my world class sound.
EDIT:
OK...
Here's an example of needing to CHANGE some playing strategies - with this injury.
Here's where (apparently?) some zealous tuba-lover wrote an arrangement for orchestra and choir for
Ding Dong Merrily on High.
As I can't remember the precise tempo (alla breve...aka "cut" time) that we rehearsed this piece on Wednesday, I'm BOTH running these passages at about 100 bpm (which seems "right" for this carol), and also at 110 bpm (just in case). ...Not THIS choir director/conductor, but one of my per-service orchestras' music directors likes things on the top-ends of tempi which are appropriate, so I always work on pieces - both at appropriate tempi and ABOVE appropriate tempi - as a precautionary measure.
What I'm finding - with this injury - is that the lowest pitches in these runs (rather than adding MORE air/sound) are needing to be played at a bit more moderate volume level (and with a bit less air) in order for the lips to respond (as well as they can - at this time) through those portions of those runs...
...At least (sort of being self-aware, in my playing, I suppose...??) I'm figuring out what needs to be done - for now - in order to get through this stuff and while still delivering a marketable product. (
...and no, it was some past player -
and I believe I recall, at one time, this church briefly had a members orchestra, as I recall them asking me to sell some of their instruments for them - who marked in the beats.)
one other thing: I'm needed to breathe in MORE air for long-phrase breaths (as my lips are currently vibrating LESS efficiently, so it takes more air flow to get them to vibrate somewhat - and best I can manage for now).
