[Dixielandjazz] Trombone Focal Dystonia

[Charlie Hooks]

On Sunday, August 7, 2005, at 07:34 PM, Steve barbone wrote:

>  He was not familiar with the term focal dystonia and can play all
> day long with a high energy sound.

Most players are not familiar with it--until suddenly they get it, or 
some friend gets it and is instantly a former musician.   Having iron 
chops is apparently no protection: the freezing up can happen in mid 
chorus; and once it does, you are usually toast.  Close friend of 
mine from Mississippi, on verge of making it in New York, got hit 
with focal dystonia [while Stan Getz was playing in his (Clyde's) 
non-air-conditioned hotel room, stripped to the skin for sweating 
purposes only] and never played another headline gig.  He ended in 
the Ph.D. program at Michigan where I met him, and later became 
Academic Dean of the University of Alabama.  Could play roughly 4 to 
8 bars of the damndest trombone you ever heard before blowing air 
only.
My friend, Dan Havens, one of the truly fine trumpet players of OKOM, 
also became an academic, Professor of English at Southern Illinois 
University, now retired and able to play all he wants--except that he 
got hit with focal dystonia about the same time.
"Poo-tee-weet..." as Kurt Vonnegut wrote.

The first oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra had to retire in 
his forties after developing focal dystonia in his left little 
finger.  It ain't no fun and there ain't no cure, and you'll shout 
when it hits you, yes, indeed...!

Charlie Hooks
>
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