Cardio/dental comeback

[hornhonker]

Hi all
My first post under a new name, I previously posted under the name Laurie but had to re register after a long absence.
I'm in the process of coming back after suffering a heart attack,followed by loosing 6 front teeth. Prior to this I was a reasonably competent weekend warrior,playing in a couple of party bands and the local community orchestra.
major issues so far.....
Articulation...the plates get in the way
Soft controlled playing...my chops have changed completely.
Goop...stopping the denture fixative from messing up the mouthpiece and trumpet.
I've got some work to do,but I will get there eventually.
Cheers

[ButchA]

Welcome back!!

Take it slow and easy at first. Check out some of the other "comeback player" threads for solid advice for rebuilding your skills.

I wear a full upper denture plate and use Fixodent for an adhesive. I don't have any of it gooping up the MP or into the trumpet. Hmmm...

Do you have both top and bottom denture plates? My bottom teeth (thank God) are still real, but eventually one of these years, will probably need to go. I would work on slow long tones and lip slurs, something like, "C....G...." and then go back down "G.... C....". Your plate shouldn't move at all.

The only time I can feel my upper plate "pop" is if I'm trying to do a Bill Chase or Maynard Ferguson impression, and (try to) scream up into the stratosphere.

Lots of solid advice on this forum... YOU CAN DO IT!!!
_________________
1967 Holton Collegiate Trumpet --> my grade school band trumpet. I just can't part with it!
1975 Olds Ambassador Cornet --> my new/used eBay special. Sounds great!
2018 Regiment WI-800 Bugle --> my inexpensive Chinese made bugle from Amazon.

[GeorgeB]

Good advice there from Butch. I came back last year after a 50+ year hiatus, and the second time around I had many age related issues as well as upper dentures. Mine fit good so I don't use any adhesives. If yours are really loose perhaps a re-line would fix things for you. I have no trouble with dentures as long as I don't use excessive pressure when playing.
In my case I still had a well worn trumpet method book, the one I used in 1953 when I studied at the local conservatory of music. I just went back to the beginning and went all the way through it again. It worked back then and it worked even better the second time around because I spent more time on the exercises and practiced more than I did as a youngster.
Like Butch said, take it slow and easy and it will come.
Good luck.
_________________
GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet

[Rod Haney]

Hi great idea to comeback after heart problems IMO.

I had an unfixed upper plate for awhile and it was just not working. Had my cousin install 6 implant anchors and everything fell into place, no issues and as stable as real ones but a little pricey for the surgical implants I had. But there are some new procedures for implants that are not so invasive or expensive that you may want to check out. Some may have been able to overcome this with straight plates but I feel I never would have come this far without the anchors.

To the heart. I had 6 stents and and abdominal aneurysm repair done and most of my issues cleared up after the repair. But I was just holding my own on yearly exams and not getting better with vascular health but not getting worse either. 3 years of its OK but you could do better. I started playing again and really concentrating on breathing correctly and started to play an hour then 2 and I’m now up to 4-5 on a good day. The 1st year after starting to play again when my exam results came in the Dr. called me and told me he didn’t know what I was doing, but to keep it up. Same improved report next year but this time he wanted to know what I was doing. Truth is nothing healthy but playing my trumpet, matter of fact I was starting to enjoy some guilty pleasures I probably shouldnt have. When I explained to him how much of a cardio workout it seemed to me to be, and how many times a day I do it (30 minutes with 15 min to 30 min between) he totally understood my improvements. I now take a far smaller dose of BP med, feel better and have better wind than I have had in 30 years (despite a cigar or 2) and my entire chem panels are much improved. He tells me that I should never have any more issues if I keep this up, and I’m enjoying it much I dont think ill quit. One other thing I would caution you about is playing above hi -c, my Dr assures me that nothing I going to do will split the patches in me, but you should talk to your cardiologist prior to Using the kind of pressure to get high in the range. I did try to be extremely efficient in returning to play and there are ways to get range other than with the hit it hard methods. I helped me a lot to have known a great hi note and all around player who played with great control and without the huge pressure so I knew it could be done (at least good enough to play lead for Kenton).There are methods out there if you wish to play in that range without BP spikes. But there is also a big world under those notes that will help you regain and strengthen your heart. Hope this helps and gives you some hope.
Rod

[hornhonker]

Thanks for the words of encouragement.It often seems like one step forward and two steps back, but it will all come together eventually.