RE: "Balloon" cheeks on blow notes

["Michelle LeFree" <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello, Harp-l'ers -

I was studying a DVD of Muddy Water's bands last night.  I was struck by the
way Jerry Portoy "ballooned" his cheeks out when he played blow notes (this
is an old video, so he may well have changed his technique since).  At
first, my knee-jerk reaction as an ex-Tuba player was "ouch--he shouldn't be
doing that".  Brass players are taught not to balloon their cheeks as it
changes their embouchure, something that is usually undesirable.  I know
that there is always a counter-example or two--Dizzy Gillespie comes to mind
right off.  But then I thought, as a harp player you are taught to make your
vocal tract as large as possible to enhance resonance (i.e., holding your
tongue low, opening your jaw and throat as if saying "ahh" so the doctor can
look down your throat, etc.)  It occurred to me that balloon cheeks might
also enhance resonance.  So, my question is, is there any benefit or
detriment for a harp player to balloon their cheeks on blow notes?

Thanks, Michelle