Kelly Deklinski, reporter

“Take a chance. See if it works. And don't be afraid to experiment.” These where the words of Susan Slaughter, principal trumpet of the Saint Louis Symphony, who emphasized open mindedness in her one hour clinic. Stephen Chenette, Past President of ITG, introduced Slaughter, giving her ample credit for advancements for women trumpet players. Chenette was not mistaken in this regard. Not only is Slaughter the first female to be named principal trumpet in a major symphony orchestra, but she is also the founder of the International Women's Brass Conference and the Monarch Brass Ensemble.

Having seen “Trumpet Technique and Problem Solving” as the clinic's title, the audience most likely expected some analysis of major problem areas like multiple tonguing, range, and endurance. But this was no run of the mill clinic. What Slaughter offered the standing room only crowd was an informative and enlightening look at dental structure and its affects on trumpet playing.

Slaughter, equipped with molds of her own teeth as reference, described some of her dental problems and went on to share more than ten years of research and experimentation she has personally made in this area. Slaughter described that one side of her teeth recede into her mouth, making it difficult to create a seal between the lips and mouthpiece. The following analogy might help here. Imagine sitting in a four-legged chair, except that one of the legs is considerably shorter than the others. You'd probably wobble around a good bit because you would not have a stable surface area to anchor on. The same is true of this type of dental problem. In this case, the mouthpiece cannot rest comfortably without slipping or creating a side buzz.

Slaughter has worked with a variety of materials, some colleagues, and her own dentist for more than a decade to investigate this problem. She now uses several materials, such as wax, to fill in gaps and the recession in her teeth, and to create a better seal with the mouthpiece. Another benefit of using these materials in the front teeth is that the extra support creates a fuller vibrating surface. Slaughter passed around several examples of these materials to the crowd. She finished her clinic with a question and answer session, where several conference attendees inquired about their own specific dental issues.