| This study examined the influence of instrument played, years of performing, private instruction, weekly practice hours, weekly ensemble hours, and aerobic activity on the vital lung capacity and forced expiration of performers of Western-classified wind instruments; and sought to find whether vital lung capacity and/or forced expiration differed between sitting and standing, the two positions commonly used during practice and solo performance. This study also provided essential information concerning the human anatomy, physiology, neurophysiology, and posture pertaining to the respiratory system and breath mechanism.;A total of 99 wind instrument players, between 18 and 30 years of age, (7 bassoonists, 11 clarinetists, 13 hornists, 14 flutists, 9 oboists, 11 saxophonists, 13 trombonists, 12 trumpetists, and 9 tubists) were tested. Each subject was tested three times in sitting position and three times in standing position. The best result of the three tests was included in the data.;The only factor disqualifying a subject from participation in the present study was a recent medically confirmed pulmonary disease that directly affected lung capacity and/or forced expiration (e.g., chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysema).;Findings indicated that: (a) there were no significant differences between sitting and standing for vital lung capacity and forced expiration; (b) there were no significant differences between mean levels of wind instrument players by instrument for vital lung capacity and forced expiration; (c) there were no significant differences among number of years of performing for vital lung capacity and forced expiration; (d) there were no significant differences among number of years of receiving individual lessons for vital lung capacity and forced expiration; (e) there were no significant differences for differing amounts of weekly practice for vital capacity and forced expiration; (f) there were significant differences among number of hours of ensemble playing for vital lung capacity, but there are no significant differences among the number of hours of ensemble playing for forced expiration; (g) there were no significant differences between participation and nonparticipation in aerobic activity for vital capacity and forced expiration. |
