Hello all. I have recently joined this forum and would appreciate your thoughts on the following:
I play the clarinet and find that the amount of time I can play at any one time is restricted by feelings of pressure that build up in my ears. I do have ear wax issues and attended the hospital only yesterday to receive microsuction to remove it. How much pressure is put on the ear by playing and is there any different technique I could employ to reduce the impact?
Many thanks.

Never heard of this problem before. Does it help if you take breaths more frequently or use a slightly softer reed and less pressure?

I used to have my ears syringed every 6 months till a doctor persuaded me to try a gentler method. The drops you can buy these days are much better and some contain a peroxide that reacts with the acid in the wax and makes bubbles. These help to break up the wax and dislodge it. Have you tried them?

Steve