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Focal Dystonia: One of the Best Things to Happen to Me
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2020
- In this video I will discuss my journey with Focal Dystonia. It was an experience that could have ended my career, but turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to me. I was forced to learn a new approach of playing my trombone, which turned out to be far more efficient than my previous technique. This video details my dystonia and my road to recovery.
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#TheChopsShop #Trombone #FocalDystonia #EmbouchureDystonia #BrassPlayers
From one musician who conquered focal hand dystonia to another. I'm so proud of your accomplishments!! This didn't stop us
Hat's off to you! I'm glad your were able to recover. Can't stop, won't stop!
How did you cure it ?
@dave89891 As I stated in the video, there were various steps I had to take to overcome Dystonia. The easiest way to say it is, I learned how to play with a new embouchure. This was all done under the careful guidance of my coach/teacher at the time, Jan Kagarice.
I also have focal hand dystonia. How did you overcome it? I’ve had it for almost 20 years now 😢
@@GiovanniBottaMuteWinter Well, it was a difficult but essential retraining process I went through with a specialist named Jan Kagarice. After about 6 months of working with her I eased my way back into playing professionally. It really requires a holistic approach to learning a new way to play the instrument. That's very difficult especially if you've had success in the past. Sorry to hear you have been dealing with this for so long.
Your story is *so great* for all trombonists to hear. Thank you for sharing!
Much appreciated!
I wish my own story had an ending as happy as yours...I was diagnosed a month before I started college as a music student. I got through the degree, but at the end my chops were totally destroyed, paralyzed. I haven't played my trumpet in over two years, but I have been mulling a comeback....and seeing your awesome channel makes me want to try. Sure wish I'd had a resource like it during my (attempted) recovery!
I'm sorry to hear about your issues with FD. I knew nothing about it until it happened to me. I really wanted to share my story so at least people know they are not alone. Never lose hope, with the right approach we are capable of accomplishing more than we know!
I would search for Jan Kagarice. You will not regret it. Best of luck
Did you watch the video?
Keep Telling “Your Story” Brother! Keep Sharing Because The World Needs What You Have To Offer. At 78 Years Of Age, I’ve Had My Share Of Challenges (Example Bone Lost Due To Dentures etc.. ) But Destiny and Purpose Keep Speaking and I Continue To Press On With What I Have ! Many Blessings ...
Thanks for the blessing. I’ll absolutely keep telling my version of my story! It’s a blessing to have the courage to do so. I plan on using every bit of that courage to help others.
Hi Dion! Thanks for this video (Eddie Allen sent me the link) and for sharing your story. It is remarkably similar to mine in that I was also on tour (late 90s) when the tremors became a real, rather than manageable, problem. I eventually went to see John McNeil, built a "new" embouchure and got another 10 years of playing before that one, too, fell apart. I was diagnosed with FD at Mt. Sinai and sold my horn and gave up. Eventually, I did start working with Jan Kagarice as well and made incredible progress but wasn't able to return to playing. I appreciated your story because some of the people who claim to have recovered don't actually return to their playing careers but go into the business of helping people with Dystonia, which is great, but it's inspiring to me to see someone go back to playing and even feel that they are better than ever! I feel closer than ever to being able to play well again. Cheers!!
Hey Mark, thanks for sharing your story with me. I had no idea you had gone through that. I’m happy to hear that you’re still playing! I know the mental side of things can really take over and it’s hard to crack. This situation taught me so much about life, the lesson has been invaluable. It feels good to know my story can help others.
I was in the college group hanging with you guys in Sao Paulo! Came across your video by chance. Had no idea you were dealing with Focal Dystonia during the tour. Glad you could rehab. Thanks for sharing your story!
I had no idea what was going on either. I'm glad everything worked out for the better.
hats off to you brother! after 33 years of not being able to play banjo because of focal dystonia I'm FINALLY finding a way around it! I plan on posting videos about this as soon as I can play better. it's a miracle I can play at all! cheers!
Share your story, it will be helpful to others. I’m glad you’re on a path that brings you joy not frustration. Thanks for reaching out!
Good video, thanks for the story of your journey. My experience with dystonia has led me to the same conclusions - it's about the whole, not the specifics. The more I focussed on my tremors, the worse they got - but in the end, following the same ideas of improving diet, sleep patterns, meditation and exercise - and treating playing as the whole body producing the notes, not just my mouth, then I started to get real improvement. I'm not back yet to where I'd like to be playing wise, but in other ways, things are so much better with all the lifestyle changes, so much so that if I can continue to improve my playing it will be a blessing, but not something that is the be all and end all, which is what it used to be like. I can play, which is the main thing and still love it - but that fundamental idea that the author of this video mentions - that you play with your whole body - was the thing that finally got me away from dwelling so much on the tremors and other dystonic symptoms. There is hope, it can be dealt with - the holistic approach can be the way to beat it - and it will improve your life in so many other ways.
I’m glad to hear that you found a path that works for you! I hope you continue with the new found life success.
Im glad I found out about focal dystonia. I guess in the old days it was called "losing your lip". Im an amateur player and planned to retire early and play music pretty much full time. Then this happened. not knowing what was going on, I just put my horns in their cases and started studying bass and electric guitar both of which I can play ok but not well enough to sit in with people who can really play. Now I'm sticking with one trombone and one mouthpiece and taking small steps to return to playing. With this info I can come up with a plan. thanks.
I’m glad to hear you’re encouraged to get back to playing. Dystonia is one of the most difficult things I’ve had to deal with in my life but I’ve learned so much from this experience. A steady diet of patience and persistence is necessary. If our brains are in the right place, the body will follow! Good luck with everything, you can do it!
I teach pubic school, and in brass class your video's have been an inspiration to me. The kids love you and wonder what is Dion going to over next!!!! I have a friend who is demoralized with focal dystonia. I'm passing this over to you. Great story, a real inspiration.
Thanks, I appreciate you and your students checking out the content! I love passing the knowledge on especially to the next generation. I'm sorry to hear your friend is dealing with Dystonia. If there is anything I can do to help them get through this difficult time, please feel free to reach out. Thanks for your inspiring message!
Man, what a great story. Glad to see you make a full recovery and be able to soar to new heights.
It truly is one of the best things that’s happened to me. Adversity necessitates change. Change can be a really good thing.
Great story.....I caught a bad cold in Dec 2020 and stopped playing and practicing for three weeks. I was fortunate not to have lost my chops.
It’s amazing how our brains are able to recall complex functions relatively easily.
I followed Sam Burtis’ advice for a glottal stop problem I had. Timing was the issue. I followed his advice and cleared up the problem.
Timing can clear up quite a few issues. Changing our focus of attention can help us get our mind off the physical aspects of what we’re doing.
I’m so glad to have come across your video and put a name on what I’ve been experiencing after an unfortunate lip injury last year. Keeping up with my Caruso’s and gonna look up Jan. Thank you so much.
I'm glad the video shed some light on what you may be experiencing. Jan is the best in the business when it comes to this type of rehab. I'm here to help if you need it along your journey.
Great video, thanks for sharing it. I went through almost the exact same thing - jazz trombonist, and I spent time with Jan. Glad you’re back up on your feet, appreciate the positive message!
Jim Pelz thank you! I’m happy to share my story and I hope it can be of help to others.
2:42 you killed that solo that had so much flavour
Thank you! 🙏🏾
Thanks Dion for the video, I am suffering the same as you since 2000 and I still can't play like I use to. I have not give up yet. I will keep trying. Thanks!!!
I’m sorry to hear the Dystonia bug bit you too. I admire your dedication to overcome this issue. Did you ever retrain with someone or have you tried to overcome it with techniques you already know?
I am a trumpet player from Brazil and the dystonia changes me ,its a very dificult accept but we can stay better think ourself and how we can stay better with us with dystonia its the moust dificult thing in my life.
I’m sorry to hear that you are dealing with Dystonia. It was life changing for me, I could not have anticipated the journey it’s taken me on. The best part was overcoming the fear Dystonia brings with it. If I can beat Dystonia, I feel like I can beat anything!
Thanks for sharing your story and knowledge. I’ll certainly take them to heart and will share with my students and colleagues. Cheers and all the best! ✌🏼❤️🎶😉
I’m glad I could be of assistance, I hope it helps you and your students.
great thank you very much
You are welcome!
Great “testimony“! You have such a beautiful sound in the trombone. One of Jan’s students referred me to one of your videos. My Dystonia started in August of 2019. In January I was not able to return to work with the orchestra. I was able to scrape up some $$ and in September started working with Devin (one of Jan’s assistants). I’m not on the horn at all, but I certainly see this as a blessing in disguise. Thanks for sharing this, it’s nice to see/hear someone that’s on the other side of it! 😊
Hello Michelle, thanks for checking out the video. If you’re working with Devin you’re in great hands! He helped me out quite a bit. Your mind is in the right place, look at this as a blessing. Lean into this journey wherever it may take you. Be patient with yourself and trust the process, I know you can find a new/better way to play. I’m always here to help as I know exactly what you’re going through. Stay positive and happy, healthy practicing.
@@TheChopsShop thanks!!! I’ m really enjoying your videos 😊. Very kind of you to share your knowledge
Man, thanks for sharing your experience. And your intros and outros are so harmoniously pure. Love them. If it's part of a song, what is it? You make it seem effortless.
Thanks so much for checking out the channel. The intro song is something I came up with for The Chops Shop. I did have some actual musicians play on the track.😉
Thanks for a great testimony! Thanks for sharing it.
It’s my pleasure to share. If I can help even one person not go through what I went through I’ll be happy!
I studied with caruso for many years I'm glad to hear that it helped I'm a trumpet player however this can happen to any brass player.
The mental aspect of the Caruso exercises help me quite a bit. It got my mind off my chops!
Thank you for sharing your experience.
It’s my pleasure. I know there are many people who can benefit from this story.
Sir, your chanel is a gold mine....
🙂 Thanks so much!
So maybe the etiology of the problem is an initially imperceptible injury, possibly occurring over top of a history of bad habit. Immediate efforts to double down on training make the problem worse. Ultimately, a re-set on several fronts is the best way to recover from focal dystonia. Take the time and gentle effort to give yourself the best chance of recovery.
When I was retraining I did have to reset many things mentally before the physical would follow. Like I said I’m the video, it was one of the best things to happen to me.
i am very happy for you
Thanks so much, I always try to turn a negative into a positive!
Thank you for posting this video
Wow that's great, good for you! I really appreciated your sharing this issue.
Thanks, I appreciate you checking out the content! This was a huge learning event in my life.
@@TheChopsShop Yes I can WELL imagine.
You expect to just go through life and at least have your face muscles be symmetrical but noooooo, they have to start going awry.
Thanks for sharing. This is frustrating and scary because it sorts of creeps on you.
Luis Quinones yeah it creeps up on you and then you try to fix it and that’s when things get really bad. I’m happy I was able to recover and brings awareness to the topic.
The Chops Shop. I’m sorry to say this but your experience is that of a “wounded healer” you can help us because you experienced the pain first hand. I think I’m recovering but fear is a constant companion. I experienced serious issues with my tonguing specially from Bb (7th above middle C) and then lost my range and up to the 8ve above that) Fortunately I started buzzing which apparently helped. Caruso has also helped. But I haven’t done any serious playing since the pandemic began.
Luis Quinones I fully understand the fear factor. I had to change my thinking of the fear with this simply saying: (The first letter of each word spells out fear)
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
Our bodies are great at matching our manifestations so we want to change our intent to relaxation and staying out of the way. If you haven’t read “The Inner Game of Tennis” get a copy immediately. Also check out the concept I share in my Tennis Game video. Sometimes we need to refocus our attention away from our issues. We can change things when our mind is in the right place. You can do it I know you can, Stay positive and if things get worse I’m here to help.
The Chops Shop I initially thought this would be the end of my trombone playing days. I don’t even remember how I saw your video. I wasn’t even looking for info about this. But yesterday (or a day before yesterday) I just opened CZcams and there was your video. Now I’m hopeful I can still play a couple of years more. Maybe I will recover and still be able to play lead trombone.
Sometimes we get a sign from the universe that shows us our potential. I shared my story to help people just like you because I know I was looking for anything that could help my situation. I found little bits and pieces that gave me hope! I had to refocus and get back to work and I’m glad I did. If you need any help retraining feel free to reach out for a lesson.
God bless You, Dion!
Thank you so much for the blessings, I really appreciate you for that!
Thanks a lot for yours words
It’s my pleasure to share. I hope it helps someone out there!
Dion, thank u. I have been dealing with embouchure dystonia and have recently started to rehab after 10yrs of dealing with symptoms not knowing what was happening
Sorry to hear that you are dealing with this issue. Stay optimistic and focused! Anything I can do to help, please reach out.
Hey Dion , great video man! You are such an amazing musician and person. I have a few friends with this situation. I will certainly turn them on to your channel!
Sly, what’s up bro. Thanks for the kind words. This situation was kind of a turning point for me. Thank god, it’s for the better. Great hearing from you. 🙏🏾
@@TheChopsShop Hey bro, your story is so inspiring! You connected to higher level of self awareness and turned the situation into a starting point of a new found inner strength! This video can help a lot of people! It is great to see you and to see that you are doing well! Peace and Blessing!
Thank you my brother!🙏🏾
So helpful, all you’re generously sharing, Dion! Big gratitude!
Thank you, doing my best to help the community!
This is so excellent. Thank you.
Thanks for checking out the video! 🙏🏾
Beautiful
Thanks, I appreciate you checking out the video!
Thanks for this inspiring story, Dion. I've had two embouchure catastrophes and recovered from them both. -Mike Stone
Man that’s great to hear Mike.We may be down but we are never out of the fight! Keep it going brother.
Amazing story!
Thanks Roy! I can’t believe it’s mine to tell.
if only it was this easy for runenrs dystonia... going on two years now.. tried everything
I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with dystonia. All forms dystonia are difficult to deal with. Does it effect your ability to walk or does it only kick in if you try to run?
Scary shit, guys.
B.G. To say the least! It’s important information for the community to know about.
OMG, thanks for sharing this video. I just suddenly lost the upper register yesterday and I'm really worried it might be the same thing (I'm a trumpet player). I have air leaking out the sides and I'm getting headaches from the pressure. No jaw pain, though, and I don't feel any involuntary movements. Not sure what to do next.
Sorry to hear you are dealing with embouchure issues, you’re not alone. How long have you been playing? As players, sometimes we lose our connection to “natural” playing. The first thing I would tell you is rest for a few days if you can. When you try to “fix” what’s going on, that usually leads to things getting worse. If the problem still persists, I would be happy to work with you to help get you back on track. In the meantime, I have a lot of videos on this channel. See if some the information is in line with your concept of brass playing. A slight adjustment can go a long way.
Hi Dion, could you please make a brief statement of how long it took you to recover fully from FD and how much time you spent daily? I am asking, because I would love to bring my dystonia on the trombone away and want to plan for the future
I would say it took me about 6 months to get back to the point I was prior to Dystonia. After 8-9 months, I was playing far better than I ever had in my career. My day to day practice time varied in the beginning. There was not much time spent on the trombone. I could only play about 5-10 minutes at a time. I spent a lot of time blowing into a straw while retraining my entire system. I had many short practice sessions throughout the day. I did not play any performances for 6 months and completely invested my life into retraining. Most importantly, all of this was done under the careful guidance of Jan Kagarice and her team. This was my personal experience. The road to rehabilitation is drastically different for each individual. The main thought to remember is it can be done!
👍
Great story. I will advise anyone to read ‘The Focal Dystonia Cure, by Ruth Chiles. If you take it ease it will be really helpful.
I’ve heard many good things about her book.
Hey D......how are You? Can you please send me the link again? For the zoom lesson...thanks
Sure no problem:
thechops-shop.com/lessons
Inspiring video thanks. Do you think the recovery techniques would apply to saxophone embouchure recovery?
I’m not 100% sure what a solid saxophone embouchure looks like but the way the body functions is the same. I would imagine many of the the techniques I learned would help a saxophonist.
@@TheChopsShop it’s been amazing to get some insight into the cause of my embouchure problems. It’s much appreciated thanks. I’ve recently realised that my jaw might be the root of it.
Up until now I assumed the issue was lip muscles.
It’s really important to check-in with the entire system. Our bodies will compensate in ways that cause us to focus on one part of the body.
@ Dion :
Do you think Focal Dystonia could be caused by a "the show must go on" thing?
I mean, sometimes life would tell us to stop doing one thing, and this can be for emotional reasons...
...and if we force our brain and our body to still go on ignoring the signal, that thist could lead to great troubles?
I think, as an amateur trombonist myself, the dystonia quite happened that way, and I must confess, before that, my trombone technique wasn't ok...
I was not efficient at all !
Nature is always more honest than we could ever be to ourselves. Yes, powering through life emotionally and physically can lead dysfunction or dystonia. Being forced to reset is not always the worst thing, the reprogramming is what's important. Taking the time to build new healthy habits is the key to success in life, it doesn't matter what the activity is.
1:48 could you send me the link to the rehearsals I would love to hear it
I don’t know if this Instagram link will work but:
instagram.com/p/BzMEq09AM_i/?igshid=N2NmMDY0OWE=
@@TheChopsShop thank you
Hey, Dion. Quick question: Did you place the mouthpiece slightly over to one side before FD or is it something you adopted during your rehabilitation?
I always played off center. I’m much more centered now then prior to FD but it’s still not right in the center.
Hi Dion, don't know if it's dystonia or not but I can't start a note with the tongue when it's no rhythmic context or slow tempo, I must rely on air attack.
I also have air leakin' at the corners of my mouth especially when sustaining a note or when I'm tired or starting to warm up.
What do you think ?
Mickael Pili sorry to hear about your chop issues. It’s difficult for me to know what’s causing the issues described without seeing you play. A lot of us have these problems manifest themselves for different reasons. Having an understanding of how our embouchure should function is the key. In my experience I did not have a true understanding of what should be happening, I was effective and made a career from playing effectively. That has absolutely nothing to do with my efficiency and it was not until I could not play that I realized there’s a drastic difference. I hope that you don’t have Dystonia but even if you were diagnosed the question becomes now what! If your embouchure is no longer functional I would suggest starting to retrain your embouchure’s function because the less functional it is the more your body will start to compensate and that’s where really bad things can start to happen. If you have not done so check out my video’s on Buzzing, The Embouchure, R&R and Tension. See if these concepts line up with your way of playing. If not maybe the concepts can provide some insight that will be helpful to getting you on the right track. I’m available for lessons as well and would happy to help you through your issues if I can. Either way I’m here to help however I can.
I’m a tuba player in high school and I think this is happening to me…
I’ll have a red ring above my mouth after playing and my lip starts to hurt after a while, I have had issues with tonguing since high school and I’m worried
I love playing but I’m not sure how to fix this
Many brass players deal with inefficiency. A lot of of us are taught fundamentals by non brass players which can lead to a jaded perception of how things work. Taking a lesson with a trusted instructor may steer you in the right direction. Continue to educate yourself and stay open to the possibilities in your playing.
@@TheChopsShop Yeah mines not horrible, I can still play loud with good tone quality and play decently fast I just know my embouchure could be better for tonguing
@@TheRandomWolf I don’t know if you’ve viewed my video on articulation vs tonguing. It may be useful to you.
Articulation vs Tonguing: What’s the Difference?
czcams.com/video/D73o7p-8Dhs/video.html
@@TheChopsShop Thank you I’ll be sure to check out your other videos
Are you on Duo?
No I'm not.
I can relate to your video...I also have this symptoms...can you share some exercises or methods you used to overcome dystonia?
What instrument do you play? There’s no one thing that helps it’s really a combination of things and everyone is different. Start investigating neuroplasticity to gain an understanding of the ability for your brain to change. Retraining yourself not going to back to how you were will be the key.
I'm a trombone player...I used to play In a dance orchestra....I had this condition for almost 20 years and still cannot play properly till now...I'm so amazed that you overcome dystonia for only months...so I'm became curious what exercise,method or approach you used to play the horn the way you used to be or even better
In my case I did not let the Dystonia signals sink in too deep. Once I started experiencing symptoms I stopped playing after about 3 weeks. In retrospect that was a huge deal! I also retrained with a specialist Jan Kagarice who coached me and gave me different techniques to create a new way to play. Reading certain books like “The Inner Game of Tennis” gave me insight on how we can overthink things and not let our bodies do what they know how to do. Exercise, proper rest, a good diet, cancelling gigs and giving myself space to get better were all part of the formula for me to recover and play even better.
That's very informative ...very much appreciate your kind response..God Bless and stay safe
So long notes and flexibility exercises are in not much of help to erase the symptoms? Any medicines or supplements might help?
How u recovered.. Is it really possible to recover completely😊
Yes, it is possible to recover completely. I’m not the only person who has mad a full recovery. It’s a difficult but liberating journey.
@@TheChopsShop how did u recovered fully.. What u did actually
?
@@junaidakhter8699 well, as I stated in my video, I worked with a specialist by the name of Jan Kagarice. She help me retrain my embouchure through specific techniques she’s developed over the years. There’s a lot to it which I think I breakdown pretty well in the video. Everyone’s recovery is different. This is just my experience.
Hello D......how are You? What's your link on Zoom? Would like to speak with you when you have time and a lesson
The best way to contact me is through my website. Click the contact button. Thanks!
thechops-shop.com