Orchestra working in shifts

[Rosco]

Excerpt from an article in The Australian:

It's no good if you can't dance to it

Matthew Westwood

December 02, 2005

LIKE elsewhere in the Australian work force, an industrial revolution is happening in the pit of the Sydney Opera House. Under a new interpretation of WorkCover rules, players in the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra can't be exposed to sound levels higher than 85 decibels averaged over a day.

This will have implications for orchestral music generally, but its immediate impact is being felt on, of all things, the Australian Ballet's Sleeping Beauty. To avoid any one musician being exposed to excessive sound, the orchestra is working with relay teams of extra musicians: four separate horn sections, four of clarinets, four of flutes, and so on. The orchestra that begins a particular performance isn't necessarily the same one that finishes it.

It's a logistical nightmare and an expensive one, adding $100,000 to the ballet's production costs. And all this for a score as lyrical and romantic as Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, never mind the noisily modernist Rite of Spring.

Full article here:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...5E16947,00.html

[Rooster_Ties]

Hello, earplugs??

And no, not those cheap foam things. Professional-grade musician's earplugs, that cut all frequencies equally (or roughly equally). They're custom fit to your own ear canal. Mine have 15dB and 25dB inserts (that cut the overall volume by that much), and I suspect you can probably get 35dB inserts too.

They're not cheap (probably $200), but they're worth their weight in gold.

Edited December 3, 2005 by Rooster_Ties

[Jim Alfredson]

This is what happens when unions go bad. I agree with Rooster. Get some custom-molded ear plugs if you're that concerned about it. "But who's going to pay for that!?" You are. You spent thousands of dollars on your instrument, you can afford to put a couple of hundred bucks into your ears.

[DukeCity]

Hello, earplugs??

And no, not those cheap foam things. Professional-grade musician's earplugs, that cut all frequencies equally (or roughly equally). They're custom fit to your own ear cannal Mine have 15dB and 25dB inserts (that cut the overall volume by that much), and I suspect you can probably get 25dB inserts too.

They're not cheap (probably $200), but they're worth their weight in gold.

Rooster, are you a horn player or a rhythm section guy? As a saxophonist, earplugs have always been a challenge for me; when I have them in, all I can hear is myself. With the cheap plugs it's horrible, and with the more expensive Etymotic plugs it's much better, but still not very fun. I haven't yet shelled out the dough for custom plugs, but I'm considering taking the plunge.

The orchestra world is very weird. They all have plastic sound shields behind thier heads. And on the rare occasions that I get called to play with the local symphony, the string players all reach for thier earplugs when they see a saxophone or two setting up for rehearsal. Always makes me feel welcome!

[Free For All]

What a silly solution. When the orchestra goes deep into the red and folds there will no longer be a problem with hearing loss. Work loss will then be at the top of the list.

Although the idea of having to hire twelve trombones instead of three has got to appeal to the local dinosaur-riders.

I hate playing with earplugs, but that is the obvious solution, much more logical than hiring so many extras.

Sometimes these orchestral cats need to get over their bad selves.

[Rooster_Ties]

Someone asked before what I played. I'm just a professional symphony chorus person, I'm afraid.

Get to sit right behind the French horns sometimes, which gets really loud on occasion. Right behind the brass is pretty loud too (and I'm usually in the front row of the chorus).

I probably rarely "need" my professional custom earplugs in performance situations, but they're a godsend when going to rock concerts and such. Wouldn't be caught dead without 'em. I don't use the 25dB filters all that much, usually just the 15dB ones. I've been known to take them to jazz concerts at particular venues as well - where I know the whole thing will be way over amplified. I don't mind loud, but some places really crank it up WAY beyond all reason.

The other thing they're good for is a nice 45-minute snooze during the first three movements of Beethoven's 9th, before the chorus comes in half-way through the last movement. (Don't think I'm kidding either, cuz I've done it a time or two over the years. )

Edited December 3, 2005 by Rooster_Ties

[maren]

Hello, earplugs??

And no, not those cheap foam things. Professional-grade musician's earplugs, that cut all frequencies equally (or roughly equally). They're custom fit to your own ear canal. Mine have 15dB and 25dB inserts (that cut the overall volume by that much), and I suspect you can probably get 35dB inserts too.

They're not cheap (probably $200), but they're worth their weight in gold.

And if you're a self-employed professional musician, they're a business expense (directly deductible from your income on your Schedule C).

Saved my hearing, playing alongside a screaming guitarist and drummer enamored of his ride cymbal...

Edited December 5, 2005 by maren

[Free For All]

I've never been able to play with earplugs. Can't tell how loud or soft I'm playing. I never sprung for really good ones, just used those foam things.

Now after years and years of playing in big bands, usually sitting next to the drummer and in front of the trumpets, I have some pretty good tinnitus going. I have to sleep with some kind of droning noise in the room, like a fan, otherwise I have to listen to "oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..."

[Jim Alfredson]

Yeah, I have to sleep with a fan as well, or the tinnitus drives me crazy. Mine is very very high pitched and has not yet affected the lower registers of my ears. I try to take decent care of my ears, as much as possible. I think I'm going to spring for some custom molded earplugs that I can attach in-ear monitors to very very soon.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

This is what happens when unions go bad. I agree with Rooster. Get some custom-molded ear plugs if you're that concerned about it. "But who's going to pay for that!?" You are. You spent thousands of dollars on your instrument, you can afford to put a couple of hundred bucks into your ears.

I doubt that this is a union problem. It certainly doesn't mention the unions in the article quoted. It's much more likely to be a Civil Servant problem; make up a set of rules, then shoehorn or bludgeon in all the exceptions they forgot about when making the rules.

MG

[Joe G]

Hello, earplugs??

And no, not those cheap foam things. Professional-grade musician's earplugs, that cut all frequencies equally (or roughly equally). They're custom fit to your own ear canal. Mine have 15dB and 25dB inserts (that cut the overall volume by that much), and I suspect you can probably get 35dB inserts too.

They're not cheap (probably $200), but they're worth their weight in gold.

I finally went for a pair of these, and I couldn't be happier with them. 15db is just about right for onstage. I feel like I can hear everything more clearly, and the sound level is just about right. Loud enough that I don't feel disconnected from the music, and quiet enough that I don't flinch when Randy does those end-of-song bash-outs on his china crash.

[7/4]

Hello, earplugs??

And no, not those cheap foam things. Professional-grade musician's earplugs, that cut all frequencies equally (or roughly equally). They're custom fit to your own ear canal. Mine have 15dB and 25dB inserts (that cut the overall volume by that much), and I suspect you can probably get 35dB inserts too.

They're not cheap (probably $200), but they're worth their weight in gold.

I finally went for a pair of these, and I couldn't be happier with them. 15db is just about right for onstage. I feel like I can hear everything more clearly, and the sound level is just about right. Loud enough that I don't feel disconnected from the music, and quiet enough that I don't flinch when Randy does those end-of-song bash-outs on his china crash.

And those Keith Moon freakouts where he destroys his drum set can be a bit loud too.

Ear plugs are something I should look into. 4-5 hour gigs with the dance company are a bit much on the ears. Even an hour or so on my own is a drain.

[Jim Alfredson]

I gotta get some. I'm calling MSU Audiology right now.