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Here is an article I put together on my blog:

http://sousacentral.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... ealth.html

What do you think? Am I completely off base? If you are a medical professional and I have missed the mark, please let me know!

A guy who works at one of the repair shops around here, and usually handles new work that comes in the door, can be counted on to declare that your instrument is a "health hazard" (and therefore needs a chem clean on top of whatever else it came in for.) He would probably have some defense for this, haven't asked, but I think they prefer for various reasons to work on clean instruments and the "health hazard" thing is a rhetorical expedient.

I sure don't worry about it myself, but it could be the kind of thing where you run a very low but finite risk that something very bad will happen to you. We live with an awful lot of that, of course, but personal experience can completely change your perspective. Maybe we're soon to hear from someone who has looked a mom in the eyes, at the funeral of her tuba playing son who didn't clean his tuba often enough and died a horrible death, and we're jerks for laughing at this very serious matter.

Brass has anti-septic qualities like silver. Getting sick from playing my tubas is the last thing I think about!

There was some 'research' a while back that noted that making repairs with leaded solder was a health hazard, too. Then there was the study about 'brass poisoning'. Funny... I couldn't turn up one document case of either causing problem.... only some alergies to certain metals.

Reads like basic Evening News scare-mongering to me. In fact, most musicians I know don't pay too much attention what they put in their mouths. *HEYOOOOO*

dxnmrl wrote:Reads like basic Evening News scare-mongering to me. In fact, most musicians I know don't pay too much attention what they put in their mouths. *HEYOOOOO*

You are correct, sir!

I had heard about brass poisoning in the past, and then I went to a few factories and watched how they finish tuba and sousa bows after they are bent. If brass poisoning were a real thing to be worried about, guys who take tuba bows to belt sanders all day would be incredibly sick.

The point of my analysis is that there isn't enough data to prove one way or the other that used musical instruments are a health hazard. I agree with Donn, if a student instrument comes in for service the first step should be to clean it. I also use my own mouthpieces as testers.

I have to comment with 2 real life experiences.

As far as brass instruments go, I used to get pneumonia every year until I started playing baritone then moving on to tuba. After that, no more issues which I always chalk up to strengthening my lungs with tuba playing.

Concerning getting sick from playing an instrument, my wife loaned one of her clarinets to a friend who brought it back right before a concert. As my wife was sitting on stage, the "friend" hands her the horn and says "I have been really sick with the flu all week, but don't worry, I cleaned the mouthpiece". Since she didn't bother cleaning out the main horn, you can guess what happened. My wife came down with the flu two days after and was out of commission and work for two weeks. The friend went home and to bed after delivering the viral bomb.

Jim

jstrother123 wrote:..... "I have been really sick with the flu all week, but don't worry, I cleaned the mouthpiece". Since she didn't bother cleaning out the main horn, you can guess what happened. My wife came down with the flu two days after and was out of commission and work for two weeks. The friend went home and to bed after delivering the viral bomb. Jim

I handle lots of instruments and never concern myself about getting sick from someone's horn. Of course... I keep all the mouthpieces I need to play-test instruments... both woodwinds and brass but I am not concerned about the rest of the horn.

I just observe all the same precautions as you should as you go though your daily routine at the office or a visit to Wal-Mart. Don't rub your eyes and try to avoid being around people who are sick. I also wear Nitrile gloves when in the shop.

Your body has a way to deal with germs and viruses that go in your mouth. It's stuff that gets in your eyes and nose you need to worry about.

TubaTinker wrote:

jstrother123 wrote:..... "I have been really sick with the flu all week, but don't worry, I cleaned the mouthpiece". Since she didn't bother cleaning out the main horn, you can guess what happened. My wife came down with the flu two days after and was out of commission and work for two weeks. The friend went home and to bed after delivering the viral bomb. Jim

I handle lots of instruments and never concern myself about getting sick from someone's horn. Of course... I keep all the mouthpieces I need to play-test instruments... both woodwinds and brass but I am not concerned about the rest of the horn.

I just observe all the same precautions as you should as you go though your daily routine at the office or a visit to Wal-Mart. Don't rub your eyes and try to avoid being around people who are sick. I also wear Nitrile gloves when in the shop.

Your body has a way to deal with germs and viruses that go in your mouth. It's stuff that gets in your eyes and nose you need to worry about.

Yup.

I don't think that it would be true to say that brass is "anti-septic", but it is true to say that copper has anti-microbial properties, so even if a brass instrument is warm and moist, it is probably not an environment conducive to bacterial growth. It should not, however, mean that you can ignore other basic hygiene measures such as keeping your equipment clean, and soap and water is as good as anything for that.

LJV wrote:Bacteria may not grow on brass or copper, but it loves the schmutz that people blow into there horns...

Like what?

well, 2 things - remember to blow into your instrument not spit into it, and clean your teeth before playing

peter birch wrote:well, 2 things - remember to blow into your instrument not spit into it, and clean your teeth before playing

Don't suck on it, either!

Of course I see slime almost daily. I just think that very little of what is in your mouth makes it into your horn except air. Of course this is enough to carry bacteria and germs.

It is just my opinion that schmutz isn't something that gets blown into a horn. I could be wrong.