travel

[dingfelder]

I am considering taking a new job at my company, that would require 30% international travel.

How do you travel with a Bari ?

And how do you go about practicing when living out of a hotel ?

Maybe I should by a travel alto or EWI :P

[MusicMedic]

How do you travel with a Bari ?

This is going to prove difficult. A contoured case is helpful. Also you will want to get on big planes with huge overhead bins. The problem is that some will let you and some will not. Calling ahead has never worked for me. This is difficult....


how do you go about practicing when living out of a hotel ?

Another difficult one. I just play until they make me stop. Problem is sometimes it's only a few minutes into the practice. After a while it gets so frustrating that I don't even want to set up...


Maybe I should by a travel alto or EWI

Might work...how important is this job :)

[saxman61]

I would suggest finding a university that has a music program. They have several practice rooms. There are usually rooms provided for the public to practice. Or just find a large parking lot or deserted area, practice right there..put some Jazz on and play to your hearts content. (deserted airfield is good too..)

I've located bands in the area and practiced and performed with them (that's alot of fun).. military bands, town bands are easy to find on the internet.

For the airline thing, get in line first and explain to them you need an overhead compartment. look and act professional with dignity and kindness, your sax is your baby, take care of it.

Good Luck to you.

Saxman61

[cmelodysax]

After a period of possibly over-the-top security paranoia, most airlines are again starting to look favourably on sensibly sized/cased instruments being allowed as 'carry-on' hand luggage.

Seems the restrictions caused absolute chaos with travelling symphonic orchestra's......

It wouldn't surprise me if eventually, musicians were asked to 'audition' at check-in or security, just to prove it was (e.g.) a bassoon and not a bazooka ;)

[Saxhound]

Bari is a tall order for a carry-on. Even tenor can be difficult with a lot of airlines. If you get an alto with a contour case you should be able to carry it on most anywhere except for Delta (major PTIA) and some of the small "puddle jumper" airlines. The AFM is asking its members to boycott Delta due to their unreasonable posture towards traveling musicians.

When I check into a hotel with my horn, I'll ask the desk clerk if they have an unused meeting room / linen closet / office that is located away from the guest rooms. Meeting rooms are especially good, since they tend to be fairly soundproof. It's surprising how many times they will accomodate you.

[bari_sax_diva]

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother taking anything larger than an alto--I've had airlines balk at my tenor, even in a countoured case. Your trip home is NOT the time to discover that the counter clerk is having a bad day and is going to make you check that big horn.

When I used to travel a lot, I'd hop in the car and find someplace to practice. Universities were usually generous with practice rooms as long as there were some available, or if it was warm enough I'd find a park. I like Saxhound's idea, though, and wouldn't hesitate to try it if I didn't have a car.

[cmelodysax]

Yes, oops, sorry, didn't realise I was in the bari section - just browsing and saw a reference to an overhead locker in a previous posting. (still hazy - good Christmas tho' ;) )

You can often get away with an alto regardless of 'class', Club class did accomodate at my tenor SKB case once (once...) But bari as carry-on, unless you're a celebrity AND flying first class, not much chance...... I've seen people smaller than a bari case !

Considered a curved soprano ?

[SOTSDO]

When I travel (I just finished a month long trip to New Orleans), I take my alto along and settle for that.

Also, I make it a point to seek out a place to practice where it won't offend (my main one on this trip was in a FEMA office building in the middle of the night) rather than just start in playing and doing so until someone complains. Particularly in a hotel, you have to consider that others are paying good money for what they are getting, and they might be there seeking peace and quiet. Starting in on Harlem Nocturne at 11:00 PM, particularly on portions that need to be practiced, may not be their idea of peace and quiet...

[JurgenWigg]

I got a beautiful mark vi bari over my winter break and I'm now thinking about how I can get it home. There's no way in hell that I'm going to check it - I've watched those airline buffoons drop a sax out of the storage area of the plane onto the tarmac, the sax fell out, and they just kind of stuffed everything back in. I called up Southwest and they said that I could carry it on if I bought a ticket for it, so that's what I'm doing. If there's trouble at the gate, which I hope there won't be, I'm going to knock some heads.

Consider shipping it to yourself - it'll be more likely to get there unharmed, and it'll cost as much if not less than buying a ticket. I just don't want to let it out of my sight.

Personally, if you don't need your bari there, take an alto, you can definitely carry them on.