[agargara]

Thank you all for your responses! I tried Kevin’s experiment of playing through the mouthpiece and then playing through the hose at the same angle and distance, and didn’t notice a big difference in sound or expressiveness. However, I’m a total beginner as a wind player, so who knows!

I think I’ll stick with the hose for now, since it allows more flexibility in placement of the instrument. As my technique improves, however, I’ll continue to experiment with the mouthpiece. I’m also fascinated in trying out different mouthpieces as some on these forums have mentioned…perhaps some of my musician friends will lend me their mouthpieces for experimentation.