Klarinet Archive - Posting 000455.txt from 1998/11

From: "Carl Schexnayder" <carlsche@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinet playing and fever
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 09:51:18 -0500

Good point Ed!! I, also, have never missed a performance except for once
when I was in the hospital for two weeks for exploratory surgery and I had
already arranged for someone to take my place. I was cut from just below
the center of the rib cage to about 3 inches below the navel. When it was
time to get out of the hospital, I asked the surgeon if I could play. He
said that I could if I wanted to, it would do no physical damage though it
would hurt like hell!! At the time, I was playing clarinet in a Dixieland
group. We were playing 4 jobs per week, (each 4 hour gigs). I had three
days before I had to play the first job, so I tried to practice. The first
day was murder. I couldn't play more than 10 minutes at a time and was only
able to do that three times that day, but the day before the first job, I
managed to do four hours of solid practicing while standing. I didn't miss
a single job because of that operation and I think it helped me to build my
strength back up. But those were the most painful performances I ever gave.
It hurt so much, I was white as a ghost, sweating, etc. Aside from that,
I've played or conducted with high fever, with abcessed teeth, etc. One
night, try as hard as I might, I couldn't make it through. I got food
poisening and the pain doubled me over. I left the band stand to run to the
bathroom and never made it back. I spent the rest of the job doubled over
in the back seat of one of my colleagues cars, and afterwards, they drove me
to the hospital, (another l o n g night)! But people, other than
musicians, cannot beleive that a musician would do such a thing! They don't
realize that the rest of the group depends on you and you have a
responsibility to them. In most or many cases, you are under contract as
well!

Two or three years ago, I had a tuba player who was just sitting in his
chair with his head down. When I asked him why he wasn't playing his part,
he said that his toe hurt!!????? No one in the band was aware that even a
contra tuba would require one to "finger" the notes with the toes!!! But,
to this day, students remember the kid that couldn't play his tuba because
his toe hurt!

I'm not advocating that anyone should do some of the things that I've done
in that regard, but it's not as easy to just go home and forget about it as
it is, (or seems to be), with some jobs.

As a high school band director, I've treated that obligation the same way.
If I'm at home sick, (or whatever), the school will hire a substitute. But
the substitute will know nothing about music or conducting, so that means
that the band will have no rehearsal that day. Rehearsals are sacred, at
least for the conductor, and are not to be missed! Aside from the fact that
the band will not rehearse that day, there's no telling what they WILL do.
You may come back after missing a day and find that instruments or equipment
has been damaged or stolen and of course, nobody has the foggiest idea what
could have happened to the stuff!! And this is not stuff that the school
system provided, (as it should be). Instead it's stuff you and your
students and band parents had to work like hell to provide!! You're not
going to let the sniffles keep you home and risk loosing some of your hard
earned stuff! No, it's not like other fields, (this from observation), it
is, at least to me and many other musicians, more important!

Sorry for Rambling So,
Carl Schexnayder

>On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Nicholas Yuk Sing Yip wrote:
>
>> It is not very recommended to play or play that much when you are sick.
>> When you play or sing you are working your diaphragm muscles. When you
>> are sick and working muscles you tire faster.
>
>I've been playing in various professional situations for nearly 50 years,
>so naturally I have played many times when I didn't really feel like it,
>and some times when I really should have been in bed and under a doctor's
>care. However, when other people are counting on you, not playing is not
>an option. So, to the best of my recollection, I have never missed a
>performance due to illness. Sometimes I had to take my cold remedies and
>my tissues on stage with me, but as these occasions have not been very
>frequent, I have just kept going.
>
>I missed one performance in 1950 when I was 12 years old due to being in
>the hospital to have my tonsils removed, and another one in 1981 due to
>attending the funeral of a close family member. In 1964 I was scheduled
>to play a rehearsal 85 miles away from where I lived, and didn't make it
>due to being in an automobile accident. Other than those, I don't recall
>missing a scheduled performance or rehearsal.
>
>Some say we shouldn't play when we have a cold because you can "blow the
>infection into your ears." However, doctors have told me not to be
>concerned about that. So, I don't waste any time thinking about such
>things. I just assume that I if there is a performance I am supposed to
>play, I will be there, God willing.
>
>Sometimes students will come to me to say something like, "I just broke up
>with my boyfriend/girlfriend, and don't feel like having a lesson today,"
>or, "I had a cold this week and didn't get enough practice." I regard
>this as my opportunity to give them an introduction to the real world. I
>certainly can't go to the conductor of my orchestra and say that I just
>had an argument with my wife and so I won't be able to play the concert
>tonight. If I haven't had time to practice my part, I just have to do the
>best I can. More than one such occasion, and I will be in danger of
>losing my job. Students generally can relate to this way of thinking
>about music and responsibility.
>
>Ed Lacy
>el2@-----.edu
>
>
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