Pliers are the one of the worst tools to bring into contact with your instrument. They can scratch and bend your mouthpiece, and using them might even start to break apart your instrument at the mouthpipe. Most band directors are equipped with repair supplies to help fix minor instrument problems.  They will likely have a mouthpiece puller that can be used. Your band director can also inspect your mouthpiece to make sure its shape is correct. Someone who has been playing brass instruments for a long time will likely have more experience with removing stuck mouthpieces. Ask them for assistance in implementing the best techniques for removing your mouthpiece if it gets stuck. Most music repair shops will use a mouthpiece puller or other mechanism to remove a mouthpiece. Often they will not charge for this service, since it’s a simple procedure and can be completed quickly. Call before you go to make sure they can pull out your mouthpiece for you. Ask the repair shop to clean your instrument and inspect your mouthpiece to ensure that its shape is correct.

Summary: Never use pliers or other tools on your instrument. Ask your band director for help. Ask an experienced brass instrument player for help. Take your instrument to a repair shop.


The flowing silk already creates a formal, feminine vibe, and adding your favorite pair of strappy heels emphasizes that even more. Treat the culottes just like you would a gorgeous dress when choosing heels. A pair of patent leather heels in a neutral color like black can look really chic.  Heels can make your legs look longer and slimmer in culottes, too.  You could wear this look on a date, to a dressy event, or even to work. Wedges have a similar height to heels, but their overall vibe is a bit more casual. The height can lengthen your leg line and make your legs look slimmer. Wear a dark pair of culottes with a white silk blouse, fitted blazer, and a pair of refined wedges for a work-ready look. Booties and ankle boots can look polished and edgy with culottes. For a fun look and a pop of color, go with a pair of peep toe red leather booties. Black suede ankle boots can look edgy and sexy with a slinky pair of black culottes. Experiment with other booties to suit your personal style. Ballet flats work perfectly when you’re trying to create a chic vibe with a flirty twist. If you have a sporty style, wear casual culottes made of sweatshirt material with a flat bottom pair of sneakers, like classic Converse, and head to the gym or into town to run a few errands.

Summary: Wear strappy heels with flowy silk culottes for a dressy look. Choose wedges if you want a slightly more casual look. Try a pair of cute booties for an edgy look. Wear flats or athletic shoes for a casual look.


Skin tags are simply abnormal growths of your skin that tend to be the same color as your skin. They are usually very small but can be as large as 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in diameter in some cases. If a skin tag gets irritated, such as if clothing rubs on it repeatedly, they can turn pink or red. Skin tags are typically not painful unless they have been rubbed or irritated in some way. Most commonly this is done when a piece of jewelry or clothing rubs against them repeatedly. However, a growth that is painful can signal some other type of growth, such as a cyst or a small skin cancer. Because of this you should have painful growths looked at by a doctor. If you have a growth that is painful, bleeding, draining, or rough, have it looked at by your primary care physician or by a dermatologist. Either type of doctor can usually determine whether the growth is a skin tag or not. If it's determined that the growth is not a skin tag, you will likely be referred to a dermatologist to find out what the growth is, why it is painful, and what treatments can be done to eliminate the pain. While skin tags are benign and harmless, it is a good idea to have changes to your skin looked at by your doctor or by a dermatologist. When you have your yearly routine exam, tell your doctor about any changes on your skin so that they can evaluate them. They will be able to tell you definitively whether or not a growth on your skin is a skin tag and whether you need to have them treated. If your doctor cannot diagnose a skin tag just by looking at it, they may have a biopsy done on it. This entails removing the skin tag and having the cells in it looked at under a microscope. Just because a skin tag is harmless doesn't mean that you want it on your body. Talk to your doctor about having a skin tag removed if it is irritated and causing you pain, or if you don't like the look of it on your skin.  Skin tags can be removed with an incision or by freezing them off with liquid nitrogen. It is more likely that the removal procedure will be covered by medical insurance if it is causing your pain and discomfort than if you simply don't like it cosmetically.

Summary: Look for a small growth on your skin. Assess whether the growth is painful or not. Have all skin abnormalities looked at by a doctor. Have skin tags removed if you like.


Only switch the hammer to a full cock position when you are ready to fire.  If you do not plan to fire the revolver immediately, then you should rest it over the empty chamber of the gun. If no chamber has been left empty, then rest it on a safety notch in between two nipples or on a safety pin. Note that it is not safe to carry the revolver with the hammer in its half cocked position over a loaded chamber. Aim the gun down range at a safe target. Pull the trigger to fire the revolver.  You should be able to continue firing until all of the chambers have been emptied. Keep count of your shots as you fire. Make sure that all of your shots have fired before you set the gun down or reload it. Wait at least one minute before reloading the revolver. Doing so allows any remaining sparks to burn out. When the revolver is ready to reload, you can reload it by following the same procedure outlined in the "Loading the Revolver" section.
Summary: Fully cock the hammer. Aim and fire. Wait one minute before reloading.