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Dan Gosling · 07-19-2005, 12:11 PM

Dear T-Blower,

Dan the ChopSaver guy here! Boy, can I relate! Last week I played one of the hardest concerts I've played in quite awhile - music from all 6 Star Wars movies with the Cincinnati Pops! It was a blast in every sense of the word. Lucky for me, the zit was on my lower lip and really "reared it's ugly head" after the concerts. In my career, I have noticed zits and other mouth irritations can, on occasion, coincide with heavy playing. In my case, I was able to take it easy. And yes, I did apply ChopSaver, and it did help the healing process. But I knew it would also take some time.

Zits and pimples seem to take awhile because they are not just surface injuries. There's all that nasty stuff underneath that has to dry out. Maybe a good over the counter acne medicine would also help.

If you have been taking it easy, that will help a lot. But I would be careful about "getting in some good practice" the day before camp starts. In other words, don't try to make up for lost time or you will go into camp feeling sore and fatigued. I always try to go into a hard week "feeling fresh" as opposed to "feeling strong", like an athlete would. For me, "feeling strong" is one step away from "feeling stiff." It's a fine line we tread. Believe me, it took me a long time to finally figure that one out! But keep in mind that mararthon runners do not run marathons the week before a race. I feel that musicians are way behind the curve in terms of how we take care of our bodies. For too long, we have gone by the mantra "Practice makes perfect". Well, that's true only if you are practicing the right way. If any of you would like to read more about this kind of stuff, there is a fantastic book called The New Toughness Training For Sports by James Loehr. The basic message is recovery must EQUAL stress. We musicians can learn a lot from our athletic friends. And there are a ton of good, positive things you can do in a practice session without just pounding away. Mental practice is an amazing thing, by the way. While I'm recommending summer reading, you might also check out Performance Success by Don Greene. Great stuff!

So, I hope this helps a bit. Stay smart and have a great camp!

All the best,

Dan

07-19-2005, 12:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dan Gosling New Friend Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 26	I have a lip problem... Dear T-Blower, Dan the ChopSaver guy here! Boy, can I relate! Last week I played one of the hardest concerts I've played in quite awhile - music from all 6 Star Wars movies with the Cincinnati Pops! It was a blast in every sense of the word. Lucky for me, the zit was on my lower lip and really "reared it's ugly head" after the concerts. In my career, I have noticed zits and other mouth irritations can, on occasion, coincide with heavy playing. In my case, I was able to take it easy. And yes, I did apply ChopSaver, and it did help the healing process. But I knew it would also take some time. Zits and pimples seem to take awhile because they are not just surface injuries. There's all that nasty stuff underneath that has to dry out. Maybe a good over the counter acne medicine would also help. If you have been taking it easy, that will help a lot. But I would be careful about "getting in some good practice" the day before camp starts. In other words, don't try to make up for lost time or you will go into camp feeling sore and fatigued. I always try to go into a hard week "feeling fresh" as opposed to "feeling strong", like an athlete would. For me, "feeling strong" is one step away from "feeling stiff." It's a fine line we tread. Believe me, it took me a long time to finally figure that one out! But keep in mind that mararthon runners do not run marathons the week before a race. I feel that musicians are way behind the curve in terms of how we take care of our bodies. For too long, we have gone by the mantra "Practice makes perfect". Well, that's true only if you are practicing the right way. If any of you would like to read more about this kind of stuff, there is a fantastic book called The New Toughness Training For Sports by James Loehr. The basic message is recovery must EQUAL stress. We musicians can learn a lot from our athletic friends. And there are a ton of good, positive things you can do in a practice session without just pounding away. Mental practice is an amazing thing, by the way. While I'm recommending summer reading, you might also check out Performance Success by Don Greene. Great stuff! So, I hope this helps a bit. Stay smart and have a great camp! All the best, Dan