Smoking & playing sax

[Tenorsaxer]

how about smoking pipes? has that affected any of you?

[Bootman]

Place some keys on it and play it like a sax!!!!

Man that cat is smokin'

[Gandalfe]

This is kind of a sad thread. I suspect the question is not a sax question as much as a habit thang. Let's say we convinced you that you would be better off not smoking. (You could buy more reeds at the very least.) Could you quit, just like that. Yeah, kinda sad...

[Alex]

I've smoked on and off for a few years.. I found at some points it made me feel pretty damn unhealthy, but never really affected my playing. It's odd how many horn players I know who smoke.
Most of the kids I'm in jazz school with are full on serious and won't do anything to jeopardize their lung power, but all of our teachers smoke.

[Huggy Bear]

I smoked habitually in high school for about a year, but have now again started smoking habitually. Not heavily, only about half a pack a day, usually only 8 cigarettes. I actually came here looking for advice on the subject, as I have worried about it effecting my playing, and intend to quit. Ironically, I promised myself I wouldn't buy another pack, but broke down since I was getting nervous and irritable, and I needed to play for my sax jury!

Here's a tip, something I did to help my lungs a bit: I know some of you guys smoke the other stuff. I mean, you are musicians! I built a vaporizer according to instructions at www.potcooker.com. I'm not affiliated with the guy (a fellow musician), so this isn't spam. It saves alot of money, and it's been proven to eliminate carcinigens and tar, as long as you don't run it too hot.

[msdickerson]

Also, there has never been a documented case of anyone dying from second hand smoke. If your paranoid, then buy a gas mask.

Yea sure -

Nor is there any problem with drinking and driving. Just keep the stupid people off the road that don't want to get killed.

Smoking is stupid in all cases.

I figure I lost about 5-10 years of my life expectancy from playing in bars during the 70s/80s. Breathed in lots of other peoples crap.

[Thomas]

and what would be so important that you'd be contributing in those 5-10 years you think you lost, that you can't do now?
Smoke 'em if ya got 'em-get some if you don't!

[Hurling Frootmig]

I don't think you should be telling anyone to get into smoking.

What a stupid retort.

[stitch]

I've played the horns over 50 years now and have smoked 40 of those years. I have no smoking related issues with blowing the horns. I believe that smoking should be mandatory and introduced at an early age the philosophy being that something's gonna kill you sooner or later so you may as well enjoy yourself. Personal observation proves to me that the propaganda generated by the anti-smoking folks is not true. Far more people smoke than do not. Tobacco is a huge generator of revenue for most governments and it would be unpatriotic to quit and the thought that my contributions to society,through taxes on tobacco, is a truely unselfish sacrifice gladly made for the betterment of my fellow man. Smoke often and heavily!

and what would be so important that you'd be contributing in those 5-10 years you think you lost, that you can't do now?
Smoke 'em if ya got 'em-get some if you don't!

That makes two inflammatory statements Thomas has made, Hurling. He seems to be trying to justify his drug addiction; I don't think sensible people would take him seriously.

[Hurling Frootmig]

If you ask me he sounds like a bitter old man from Mass.

[stitch]

If you ask me he sounds like a bitter old man from Mass.

You may be right Hurling, but he has the same right to add his tuppence (two cents?!) worth as the rest of us .... even if it is a load of fetid dingo's kidneys.

[Thomas]

HF & s-gentlemen(or ladies)........correct on all six observations!

[stitch]

HF & s-gentlemen(or ladies)........correct on all six observations!

er ... just so we know ... which six? :P

BTW, dunno about Hurling, but I'm a gentleman .... well, male anyway

[Hurling Frootmig]

Let's hope no one would name their child Hurling if the child was a girl.

[stitch]

Let's hope no one would name their child Hurling if the child was a girl.

I don't mean to offend you Hurling, but I truly thought your name was a nom de forum! ...

[Hurling Frootmig]

I don't mean to offend you Hurling, but I truly thought your name was a nom de forum! ... [/quote]

You are correct. Now off to lunch!

[shmuelyosef]

I think that Commander Cody (Lost Planet Airmen) said it best, and I quote:

"Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate
...that you just hate to make him wait.
You just gotta have another cigarette."

He drank heavily...

[brassnaked]

I smoked for a few years and was smoking when I started playing sax a year ago...I quit smoking 12-03 and can HONESTLY say that I can't tell a damned bit of difference? Of course I STILL go to the gym for 1-1/2 hours EVERY day without fail and NEVER inflicted that guilt trip on myself while I was smoking. The REAL reason I quit wasn't health or anything else so wonderfully dramatic. The SMELL started bothering me...I didn't like the SMELL...that's all. Besides, you are either pre-disposed to the negative effects of something or you're not. This explains why my Dutch grandfather smoked EVERY day of his life, ate an incredibly high fat diet of eggs, butter, lard, cheese, whole milk, whiskey, rum, beer, etc. and died at the age of 98! You mean if he didn't do ALL of these "BAD" things, he might have lived another year? If you think you're going to get sick...guess what? YOU'RE GOING TO GET SICK!!! If you don't think about it at all, it probably wont effect you adversely. JUst my opinion...I could be wrong,

"Always & Never the Same"

[saxobell]

You guys forget the innevitable statement about death that Thomas made, we will all die one day. This is a given fact. Most players I know smoke. I wish I could quit but it seems to go hand in hand with an addictive personality.

Hey, Bootman! That sounds like something I used to say. You're right about addictive personalities. I even got hooked on nicorettes for 2 years. Smoked for 41 years and smoked myself right into emphysema/COPD. Now instead of playing sax for fun, I'm playing sax for theraputic purposes (hehehe its still fun). Turns out that its a great therapy instrument as it helps me blow out the poisonous gases that get trapped in my lungs, strengthens the diaphram to make breathing easier and keeps me a few steps ahead of hauling a tank of oxygen around with me. One thing is for sure, you'll either quit smoking or smoking will quit you.

QUIT SMOKIN' AND KEEP ON SAXIN'

[Randall]

brassnaked,
I buried a buddy who said EXACTLY the same things as you, with exactly the same workout regime. He looked the picture of health....
Except he didn't quit.
Cancer started in the lungs, went into the lymph system, spread to the brain and then all over.
Try watching someone suffer through chemo-therapy, lose control of their bodily functions, then have strokes and then not be able to even control what words spill from their mouth becasue the brain cancer has eaten up the speech centers of the brain...then watch them stuggle for every breath of air for a few weeks before they finally expire, gurgling in their own fluids.

Just saw my cousin go through the same thing. He managed an incredible 18 months of chemo....then the same gruesome end.

I urge you all to put them down. You WILL meet the same end.

I am counting 9 friends and relatives as of today....