 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2008-04-20 20:08
NYT 4/20/08. Serious problem for symphony musicians, discused in article. It may be worse in concert bands with heavy brass, I believe.
richard smith
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-04-21 00:54
The article mentioned that the plastic shields need to be angled so that the sound doesn't come back to the player in the brass section... I think that if the sound DID come back to them then they wouldn't play so loudly in the first place. This is not a childish 'give them a tast of their own medicine' thought, but I really think that brass players don't know what it's like on the other side of the bell.
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Author: Bart
Date: 2008-04-21 09:14
Here's another variation on the theme: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3779828.ece.
Bagpipes are in the hotseat too. I suppose we should be glad they're not part of your average orchestra ...
The whole thing is about protection of employees - in principle, that's a good thing of course. That said, the practical implications go far beyond what most people would expect. Musicians and anyone working in noisy environment, ranging from night clubs to noisy restaurants need protection of some sort.
EU member states will implement the underlying Directive in different ways, but in some shape or form, employers in the UK and across most of the continent who allow staff to go unprotected against noise face the risk of liability claims in the future if (ex)-staff do suffer hearing loss. How high claims might be is anyone's guess and probably varies substantially between countries.
I wonder which musician will be the first to launch a claim for compensation against their old orchestra once hearing loss strikes ... on the other hand, that's probably always been possible. The focus this brings on prevention of trouble surely has to bring something positive.
Further on prevention: I have tried off-the-shelf musician's earplugs that give a "flat" attenuation of about 20dB. But playing the clarinet or saxophone with the plugs in is a very strange experience - it takes out too much volume, and mechanical sounds and vibrations from the instrument seem to get amplified because of the physical contact with the instrument. Has anyone come across plugs that they are happy with?
(I do wear the 20dB reduction plugs when I go out to gigs though, they do a good job there).
Post Edited (2008-04-21 11:16)
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2008-04-21 12:46
This is a real dilemma. I remember going to a concert by the US Army Band (Pershing's Own) where the brasses were all seated behind a plastic barrier. The sound suffered -- the only piece on the program that had satisfying brilliance was the National Anthem, where everyone stood to play and the trumpets and trombones sounded wonderful, unimpeded by the sound barrier!
I totally agree with Bart about the earplugs, too -- I find it impossible to play effectively with them in place.
Unfortunately I only have questions -- no answers!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-04-21 13:07
I end up using one earplug at a time and switch sides every so often.
--
Ben
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Author: Bart
Date: 2008-04-21 16:21
I've just had a look at the EU Directive and the UK regulations.
From what I understand, professional UK orchestras/theatres etc must have provided by now "information, instruction and training", because the rules came into force for the UK music/entertainment industry on 6 April.
To the UK professionals: is there anything that's come out of those "information, instruction and training" sessions that's worth sharing with the wider music community? And are any of the professional "risk assessments" generally available so that amateur groups can get some useful tips from them as well?
Reading the NYT story again, I think it's answered my question about better earplugs. Alan Garner, oboist at the Royal Opera House, is quoted saying: "I have yet to find a musician who says they can wear earplugs and still play at the same level of quality".
Post Edited (2008-04-21 16:22)
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2008-04-21 17:24
I sit in front of the trumpets and horns and got blasted (Light Cavalry overature, etc).
I tried etymotic(R) plugs as well as others. They help quell the decibels, but I still have to pull them out partially in order to judge how my own sound fits in with the ensemble.
John Moses had an article about using plugs. Perhaps he could suggest what to do.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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