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Cellphones during rehearsals and performances


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perhaps...

... or perhaps you might discover that being away from modern technology for a period of time yields the developing an awareness of the subtle; allowing you to become enveloped in the 'real' world around you, as opposed to the virtual world, without outside intrusion, bringing you into a level of deeper appreciation of everything (and you will learn to live, understand, and feel exactly what Shakespeare meant when he penned, "Parting is such sweet sorrow."); those experiences are far, far, far greater than 'always' being under the control of instant gratification through modern technology.

if it was really better, you wouldn't be posting on DCP so much though, right? :tongue:

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if it was really better, you wouldn't be posting on DCP so much though, right? :tongue:/>

While I have no desire to stop posting, I also have no problem at all walking away (even for a very long period); how about you? Want to make a deal on a certain period of time for us (you and I) not posting on DCP? :satisfied:

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Cell phones on the band field? I'd rather not. I'd rather see a handwritten dot book. I don't even like seeing drill sheets out on the field after the first couple of weeks. I think it is important for them to see the big picture when they are learning so they know what they are a part of.. but once they learn it, they can write all the information they need down in a little notebook and that and their instrument should be the only thing on the field. If you need your music because it isn't quite memorized yet? Fold it up and stick it somewhere on your person or in you horn. Just the chance that you might get distracted by an incoming text message or phone call or facebook notification pisses me off enough. I caught a kid texting in the marching band I was teaching. He missed directions, someone got a mouthpiece in their mouth. I took his phone and he ran a lap.

I just don't see a need for electronics out on the band field during rehearsal. Just bring the physical pieces of paper you need. And I put a lot of value in completing a dotbook. Coordinate sheets are great... but I prefer to see the dot book, hand made, so that you know the information inside and out when you are done making it. You can draw pictures, write in musical cues...

Now.. outside of the rehearsal? I don't care.

Now in other rehearsal situations? Like indoor, sit down concert band? You still shouldn't have a phone out. Honestly.. I'm guilty of this.. but seriously, the text message can wait. I do use my phone as a tuner.. but that should go away after you tune anyway. Hate seeing tuners on the stand throughout rehearsal. Just because you are in the green on the tuner doesn't mean you are actually in tune... use yo #### ears. So the tuner excuse isn't good enough. The excuse because you have all your music on it? Good for you.. but that thing better be on airplane mode or some sort of equivalent...or just be like everyone else and keep your music in a folder... would hate for your battery to die int he middle of a concert. Can rehearsal get boring sometimes? Yes.. but I know I learned more listening to my conductors rehearse with other sections than while I was playing. The entire rehearsal is important. Not just you playing the right notes in time.. you aren't doing your job as a musician to constantly learn and grow and be in sync with the rest of the folks you are performing with.

Now to just go completely against everything I just said. In orchestra... being a brass player or percussionist. You need to bring as much entertainment as possible. Whether that be a book, your phone, your tablet, laptop...tic tac toe, whatever. You need something to keep you awake. Just make sure you know what the music sounds like before you come in so you don't miss your entrance tongue.gif

In performance situations it is never okay to have your cell phone out.. or even on. If you're in the orchestra... sorry about ya... but that is just unprofessional. You sit there and look pretty (as pretty as you can...)

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why is it a luxury to live without modern conveniences?

Because every moment you're dealing face to face with other live human beings you don't really know that well is a moment when you can actually learn something about them, about yourself, and about the world. Take away those moments in favor of the world of texting inanities to other people you know from your comfort zone, people who will send you inanities in return, and you've lost an irreplaceable opportunity to make yourself a more interesting, more interested person.

And Hockey Dad? If I had a 20 year old who really felt the urge or need to call me once or twice a day, I would think that I had a college aged kid with separation issues. Just sayin.... cool.gif

Edited by Slingerland
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Because every moment you're dealing face to face with a live human being you don't really know that well is a moment when you can actually learn something about them, about yourself, and about the world. Take away those moments in favor of the world of texting inanities to other people you know from your comfort zone, people who will send you inanities in return, and you've lost an irreplaceable opportunity to make yourself a more interesting, more interested person.

And Hockey Dad? If I had a 20 year old who really felt the urge or need to call me once or twice a day, I would think that I had a college aged kid with separation issues. Just sayin.... cool.gif

What if there's a sick family member or some other of a million possible valid reasons that one of the members, or several, or all, need to be in touch with family for certain periods during tour? You gonna broad brush it and take the phones away from the kids except for one hour every Sunday night, to throw out an example? I don't see the need for that. And I'm referring to the "no phones on tour" rule that some corps have (or perhaps previously had). I see no point in that.

Edited by HockeyDad
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What if there's a sick family member or some other of a million possible valid reasons that one of the members, or several, or all, need to be in touch with family for certain periods during tour? ......

Fiedler addressed this back when he was with the corps, and he and the Cavaliers have always been very clear that if the family members of guys on tour need to get in touch with their boys because of an emergency, that they have a way to do so. It's not like the kids are packed away in a hermetically sealed jar and stuck on Funk and Wagonnall's porch all summer.

"Holy Crap, I just found out Madison cheated on me!" doesn't quite amount to an emergency. Neither does "OMG, you guys were so much better than ___." If there's an actual reason why a member needs to be in touch with his family, they made sure, in the past, to take care of it. No reason to believe that the same concept won't again fit.

Distinguish the signal from the noise, and you realise there's very little actual signal that comes over our day to day personal electronic communications.

Edited by Slingerland
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While I have no desire to stop posting, I also have no problem at all walking away (even for a very long period); how about you? Want to make a deal on a certain period of time for us (you and I) not posting on DCP? :satisfied:/>

I'll bet you $20 you can't walk away for, say, three years.

Ready? Go!

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I'll bet you $20 you can't walk away for, say, three years.

Ready? Go!

a) Sorry, but this is a deal between soccerguy and myself; my idea, so my rules.

b) The bet is not for money (and money bets are trite at best); but the bet is for 'both' of us to not post anything within a DCP thread for an agreed set period of time.

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What if there's a sick family member or some other of a million possible valid reasons that one of the members, or several, or all, need to be in touch with family for certain periods during tour?

Good Golly Miss Molly!! In case of a real emergency parents can contact adult(s) in charge of tour communications; adult then pulls kid out of rehearsal, out of the gym, out of retreat off the field, etc... to speak with parent. What we are getting at here is that the human species, especially kids, can exist without imploding for a period of time without texting, tweeting, blogging, chat rooming, ... and this is a way to teach them that self discipline. Or is that just way too draconian for you to handle?

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What if there's a sick family member or some other of a million possible valid reasons that one of the members, or several, or all, need to be in touch with family for certain periods during tour? You gonna broad brush it and take the phones away from the kids except for one hour every Sunday night, to throw out an example? I don't see the need for that. And I'm referring to the "no phones on tour" rule that some corps have (or perhaps previously had). I see no point in that.

People had been dealing withOUT instant communications that cellphones have ***FOR DECADES*** How did they deal with emergencies??

***THEY CALLED THE LEADERS OF THE ORGINIZATIONS*** who would then relay the communications back to the kids. They also sent real live physical letters to and from each other. Archaic huh.

Remember Summer Camp before the internet and cellphones? Kid at camp... mom and dad back home.... dad has an accident, mom calls summer camp office, camp office contacts kid. Problem solved. Kid wasn't checking his phone every 30 seconds for texts, emails and calls. He was out rowing a canoe, learning to start a campfile, playing baseball, hiking, etc.

Kids are spoiled rotten over cellphones. No, you don't have to be connected every second of every day.

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