Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2010-05-29 02:31
"When I toured years ago with the Berio Ensemble, a contemporary music group. I insisted they have built instrument "trunks" that would insulate & protect out larger horns from any damage on the planes & trains on which we traveled. They may have been costly to build, but worked great!
You might consider having something like that made in Canada for your tour & any future travel plans for your group."
Hi John - We had special cases made, just like you describe. A few years ago some airlines (like Air France) lowered the allowable weight that can be sent in cargo.
In some instances, we were forced to unload the trunks at the check-in counter and put the bass clarinets on our backs, distribute music and various percussion instruments, etc.
Another things that happens with those trunks, when they are accepted, is that they don't arrive on time. Airlines sell their cargo space to brokers who resell it. The cargo which occupies space sold to brokers has priority over the cargo belonging to the passengers on the plane! If there is too much cargo, the passengers' cargo gets left behind. We learned this on a tour to Australia. The instruments in their trunks arrived four days late.
Now we rent all the instruments we used to send in cargo. It's more expensive (except in Europe where the festivals rent the instruments for us) but much less of a headache.
Thanks very much John and Weberfan for your thoughts.,
Simon
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
