INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Most people naturally have an overbite, which means their lips are not lined up on top of each other. Moving your jaw forward situates your bottom lip directly under your top lip. Be sure not to push your jaw too far forward. The right spot aligns your top and bottom teeth straight up and down.  Practice moving your jaw forward and backward while you buzz your lips to hear how this affects the buzz. You can also feel how it directs the airflow either down to your chin or up to your nose. Aligning your teeth directs the airflow straight forward into the mouthpiece for maximum airflow. Do not clamp your teeth together as this will hinder the airflow. Your teeth should be at least ¼” (6 mm) and at most ½” (12 mm) apart. Your jaw should feel like it is hanging loosely. Get the feel for this placement by putting the narrow end of the mouthpiece between your teeth. You can also use a pen or pencil, or a straw, which can help you test your airflow. Proper embouchure allows just the right amount of air to pass through your lips. If your tongue is on the roof of your mouth or moving around your mouth, it will block the airflow. Your tongue will move and tap your lips as you play the notes, but when you aren't tonguing notes, it should rest low in your mouth.

SUMMARY: Push your jaw forward to line up your lips. Leave about ¼” (6 mm) between your teeth. Keep your tongue low in your mouth.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Make enough to fill a container large enough to fit your entire hand. Choose a container that’s also large enough so that your hand does not come into contact with the container itself. Be sure that the brand of rubber mold you use is non-toxic and safe for human contact. Hold your thumb and fingers in the pose you wish to replicate. Then dip your entire hand into the mold, keeping it well away from the sides and bottom. Leave at least a half-inch of mold between your hand and the container. Keep your hand posed within the mold for however long your mold’s directions say it needs to set. Then, if needed, wiggle your thumb, fingers, and hand very gently to loosen them. Pull your hand out slowly. Avoid any quick, jerky movements that might disturb the cast you’ve just made. Prepare enough to fill the entire mold. Then pour a small amount (not all) of your plaster into the mold. Manipulate the container so that the plaster coats the insides of the finger- and thumb-holes in your mold. Allow the plaster to settle a bit to avoid the formation of air pockets. Fill the entire mold. Then bang the table a few times to release any air pockets. Quit once you no longer see any bubbles bursting on the surface. Wait for the time indicated by the directions to your plaster. Then upend the container and empty it onto the table. Make cuts into the rubber mold with a plastic knife and peel it from the plaster cast, piece by piece. Look for any imperfections where empty space in the rubber mold may have allowed room for extra plaster. Remove gently with sand paper or a small knife or file. Then either leave your finished cast as is or paint it as you desire.

SUMMARY: Mix a batch of rubber mold. Soak your hand in warm water. Allow the mold to set. Mix a batch of plaster. Pour the rest of your plaster. Allow the plaster set. Clean the plaster cast.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Knowing why you want to drop out can help you decide whether it is really the best path and can help you decide what to do.  Some common reasons for dropping out are:  A lack of intellectual stimulation.  If you find high school to be too easy and you are bored, you may be tempted to drop out and start college or vocational training early. Feeling unprepared and behind.  If you feel as though high school is too difficult, you have missed too much content to ever catch up, or no one will support you, you may be tempted to leave high school and give up on your education. Having other responsibilities. If you are unexpectedly becoming a parent, have an ailing family member, or have to work to support your family, you may feel that dropping out of high school is your only option so that you have time to work. See your guidance counselor or a teacher that you trust and tell them your situation.  There may be a solution to your complaint that does not involve dropping out:  If you are experiencing a lack of intellectual stimulation, you may be able to take more challenging classes.  Some schools that do not offer advanced-level courses on-site may have relationships with colleges or with online-based institutions.  You may even be able to dual-enroll and complete an Associate's Degree and your high school diploma at the same time. If you are feeling unprepared and behind, you might have to work really hard to catch up if you are behind. The good news is that there are likely educators at your school that will work with you and help you, particularly if they know that you are considering dropping out.  Ask about credit recovery, offer classroom labor (like cleaning or organizing) in exchange for tutoring, and find out what work can be made up. If you have other responsibilities, talk to your guidance counselor about them.  You may be able to do a work program that earns both money and school credit.  Your counselor may also know of financial resources that could help you financially while keeping you in school.  Remember that a high school graduate's lifetime income is 50%-100% higher than someone who drops out, so dropping out may not be the best long-term solution for your family. If someone else—a parent, a friend, or a significant other—is pressuring you to drop out, tell them to stop.  This is a decision that only you can make.  This decision could have a long-ranging impact on your life, so you need to feel confident in your convictions.

SUMMARY:
Assess the reason you want to drop out. Ask about other options first. Do not drop out for someone else.