 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: dhertig
Date: 2007-03-07 15:42
Is having bottled water on stage appropriate (assuming that it is drank discreetly)? Typically, I have dry mouth during performances but have never had water available. Thanks/Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-03-07 15:52
Singers frequently have a glass of water set discreetly somewhere on the piano. Toward the end of his career, Pavarotti had to have water stations at a dozen places on the stage.
It's not the best thing to do, but if it means the difference between comfort and discomfort, you do it, particularly if you might choke up.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-03-07 15:52
What kind of performance (pit orchestra, symphony, etc)? I think the answer might vary depending on the type of performance, and the type of audience you are going to be playing to.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: CPW
Date: 2007-03-07 16:10
The Sinatra Rat Pack had a whole bar set up on stage.
So I guess water is OKie Dokie ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Against the windmills of my mind
The jousting pole splinters
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Author: William
Date: 2007-03-07 16:48
Pure H20 is perfectly acceptable for all performance venues as long as its use is descreet. Also, for me, diet sodas and coffee--no cream--is OK, but I would caution against non-diet soft drinks as the sugar from your saliva may interfer with the sealing of your pads and WILL cause them to stick. Same reason why one should always brush teeth after eating before playing to avoid pad damage and instrument--especially mouthpiece--odor.
Post Edited (2007-03-07 18:25)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-03-07 17:08
I would just make sure it's ok with whoever's in CHARGE of the performance (for instance if you were hired for some sort of filling in, and the person who hires you doesn't like water on the stage, you may not get hired again . . . )
Just playing devil's advocate here.
Alexi
PS - My personal thoughts on it is whatever it takes for you to play your play your best is ok with me (excluding things that would detract from professionalism like alcohol and drugs)
PPS - An interesting sidenote . . . Amy Grant, when recording CDs in a studio, always munches on a bag of potato chips because she feels the oils in the potato chips helps her to keep her voice at it's best during a long recording session. Whatever it takes sometimes.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-03-08 05:10
I think there is nothing wrong with drinking water during a performance. In many concerts I played we had water bottles for everyone (i.e. the festival provided them, etc). If you are just hired maybe you should ask in advance but I don't think any reasonable person would refuse.
About the 'discreet' part, I think that is important with sound, you don't want to make too much noise to disturb other players. Visually there no really a way to be discreet.... and it doesn't matter anyway IMO. As long as you have a break long enough to do it I don't see any problem.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-03-08 09:52
Definitely, and especially for windblowers. So long as it looks smart. And if you're buried in a pit you can get away with almost anything. :-D
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-03-08 13:06
Drinking water discreetly also means not kicking it over, making a noise and spilling on other musicians or their instruments, so it might be a good idea to invest in a matte-finished, flexible plastic bottle with a water-tight top. Army surplus stores are good for these: the matte finish that's camouflage for a soldier in the field (no light glinting off the bottle to give away the location) also won't glare and look conspicuous under stage lights.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2007-03-08 16:21
Pit fine, but not really on a concert platform unless your right back in the section. Had an experience with this. My octet were performing an evening concert in Yorkshire last Nov. Anyway are 1st bassoonist wasn't to well with womens trouble and had left her bottle of water on the stage after the rehearsal. It was still there after we did the concert. The audience love the concert but one person did mention gthe bottle of water and that it looked a bit messy and out of place. An audience listens with their eyes as well as their ears. I personally don't have a problem with it. There have been many times doing recitals etc. when i've really needed a glass of water just to get some focus and oncentration back.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: marcia
Date: 2007-03-08 16:38
I agree with Peter regarding pit and concert stage. I have seeen groups where memebers will drink on stage, I am thinking of one of the groups at the Singapore WASBE conference (a very formal setting) and it looks very tacky indeed. Yes music is all about the sound but I think stage behaviour is also very important.
I am a person who drinks lots of water throughout the day but on stage, and it is not usually longer than an hour at a time, I survive quite well without my handy dandy bottle of water.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-03-09 12:35
I don't see why an audience should be so hyper-sensitive that discreetly taking a sip of water should bother people. There's a difference between a distraction due to a necessity (such as adjusting the reed) and a distraction due to unprofessional behavior (such as talking or reading a comic book during rests). It's distracting for a musician to swab out the clarinet during long rests or between movements, too, but I don't think any conductor would seriously argue that the clarinetist should refrain from swabbing!--because shyness about swabbing can result in an audible deficiency in the performance. If someone has a real problem with a dry mouth, then being able to wet the whistle during the performance is also a necessity. I don't see why the clarinetist discreetly sipping water should be any more distracting to the audience than the concert-master pulling loose hairs off the bow or the trumpet player emptying the spit valve.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Elkwoman46
Date: 2007-03-09 13:54
I would like to add something that has been working for me...
I had been buying these hair conditioners that had these free trial samples attached that were mini-little spray bottles of something I could care less about using, and so I poured this out, washed it, and it has become a great little mister for my reeds inbetween times. I am able to just spray my reed while it is on the instrument without any thought that I am over killing it, just a drop or so dripples down if I overkill (it is a perfect little mister), and I just take a finger and wipe it off if I sprayed too much. Perfect, when I don't feel like using other methods of wetting the reed all over again. I find this is especially helpful if I have been practicing and got interrupted for a while to come back and find reed is dry; so I just mist it and play!
Of course I filled the sprayer with filtered water...nice!
I think this would be great on stage as long as it is noiseless or non interrupting. I don't think my mister makes any more noise than if someone was opening up a cap to a water item or too much more than that...I guess it all depends on how discreetly one is doing these things.
Where I live, I have just gotten used to taking water with me pretty much wherever I go. It is just smart to do so. I think I could not perform unless I had water near by, especially if I was nervous from performing, etc.
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