hold that jaw open!!!


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Posted by The Mad Flute on February 10, 2001 at 16:38:48:

My son Phillip's band director is about at the end of his ropes with Phillip. Phillip is a special ed - depression, ADD, LD and gifted student. He loves to make funny farty sounds on his tuba, but is having a hard time keeping his jaw open and lips relaxed. After several attempts to get Phillip to practice saying "O" so his jaw would be open, which resulted in Phillip getting more and more aggravated so that he just ended up saying "O" through clenched teeth, the director has suggested an appliance designed to hold the jaw in the proper position. He suggested in the meantime trying Phillip out with clean erasers between his molars when he plays. Phillip is highly sensitive to tastes (it took 12 years to find an acceptable toothpaste) so an eraser isn't going to stay in his mouth. The director then suggested cork. I went to my local music/art store where the owner said he had cork, but nothing that would be clean enough to put on one's mouth. Does anyone know of a place around Manassas that might have clean cork, or suggestions for other alternatives that Phillip might be willing to hold in his mouth.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

L Miehm


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