Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 7)

written by Bruce Chidester on April 25, 2024

Short but helpful suggestions: Handling the hose- To keep from being strangled to death with your hose, run it from your machine over the back of the headboard and down to your pillow. In this way it is controlled and you will not fight it all night as you move around. Use the least amount of tension on the mask straps and still have an air tight seal. Those with stuffy noses from allergies can find relief with Vicks VapoRub. Each night I unscrew the lid, stick my nose into the jar just enough to feel the ointment, then draw…

Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 6)

written by Bruce Chidester

Do you have to use your machine every night? NO! Knowing that involuntary habits can actually be retrained made me wonder if the Bipap/Cpap therapy is something that needs to be continued indefinitely. My answer to that question (in my case) is an emphatic No! I began my test to…

Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 5)

written by Bruce Chidester

#1 Complaint- Dry mouth After visiting with other sufferers of Sleep Apnea, the most consistent complaint seemed to be dry mouth. The dryness in my mouth each morning was so severe that I eventually developed a lesion in the back of my throat which progressed into a serious problem. After…

Sleep apnea – What they don’t tell you! (Part 4)

written by Bruce Chidester

Setting up the equipment The next step after gleaning this useless information was to receive your own machine which will solve all of your Sleep Apnea problems. My first question at that time was, “How can an involuntary action (apnea episodes) be retrained to become voluntary actions”? I was assured…

Which Trumpet should I buy?

written by Bruce Chidester

If you are a beginning student and are interested in starting trumpet/cornet, your music teacher will be able to guide you in this area. Usually your first instrument will be rented which gives you the opportunity to find out if you want to continue. If you have been renting and…

Lead Trumpet Players

written by Bruce Chidester

No explanations is need for this entertaining animation. The question would be, “How many of your trumpet playing friends remind you of the lead player”?

Update From The Dark Side

written by Bruce Chidester

This is another update from the DARK SIDE. For those unfamiliar with my use of this term I will explain. This past Christmas my wife gave me an unusual gift for a trumpet player… a trombone. It wasn’t that she dislikes my trumpet playing for she has far less desire…

What You Should Know Before Buying A Flugelhorn

written by Bruce Chidester

To many people, the flugelhorn is a unique and interesting instrument. It looks bigger than a trumpet and in some ways it is bigger. It is heavier and has a larger bell. But when stretched out to its full length, a Bb flugelhorn is exactly the same length as a…

Guidelines When Including a Trumpet In Your Wedding Ceremony

written by Bruce Chidester

In order for the wedding planner, bride, mother of the bride and/or musicians to save time, important terms and their definitions which will be used are listed below and should be helpful to lessen the potential of any misunderstanding. Terms used when discussing music concerns for a wedding- Music- Any…

Curry Sound Sleeve Mouthpiece Tone Intensifier – Review

written by Bruce Chidester

(The following is taken from their home page) Standard Sound Sleeve is best for all-around work, balanced to give the right amount of slot-lock and sound centering qualities. Sound Sleeve “Y” model fits slightly higher up on the shank to accommodate the longer Yamaha andBenge trumpet receivers. Lead Sleeve is designed for…

Classical Musician and Jazz Musician – What’s The Difference?

written by Bruce Chidester

My Observations You might think that this is a joke, something like- “There is no difference, neither one can make a living”. But that would be silly. My discussion is geared more towards the intellectuals among us. Those who ponder the real meaning of questions such as “How am I…

Product Review – Yamaha PM7 Silent Brass System Pickup Mute

written by Bruce Chidester

Created by Yamaha’s wind instrument design team, the PM7 Silent Brass pickup mute is made of lightweight plastic, with a unique rubber sealer to hold it securely in the bell. When used with the Silent Brass system, it has none of that stuffy restricted feeling of conventional practice mutes. In fact, it…

Opening The 42nd Annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Festival

written by Bruce Chidester

Some jobs are taken for the money, some are taken for the prestige and still others are played only because they are fun and that’s what the past week was all about. A very good friend invited me to play with his Dixieland band at the opening of the Bix…

Improved Long Tones- Part III

written by Bruce Chidester

Now that the dust has settled and we have heard from a reasonable number of readers about the importance of Long tones, I think it is time to review our material as I see it. My original statements regarding the three elements of long tones- 1.Boring, 2. Adds to stiffness,…