A RANT!

HEALTH CARE– Non-Caring , Patient Abuse!
I was scheduled for day surgery (right elbow arthroscopy and lateral epycondyle release) at 2.00pm on June 4th 2010, only to have the surgery cancelled 9.00am the morning of with the reason being that the hospital had not booked an anesthesiologist. It was re-scheduled for 1.00pm June 22nd 2010, only to be cancelled again - this time just minutes before the surgery. Yes – I was admitted, kept waiting for 2 hours and then, on a gurney in a hospital gown, was informed that the (short) surgery was being cancelled yet again. On this occasion, according to the nurse, because the surgeon had faced complications in an earlier surgery and did not want me waiting around only to be told he would not be able to operate on me that day!
There must be something wrong when surgeries can be cancelled – TWICE - and neither time is for a valid emergency, clinical or trauma reason (those one can understand). The first time for a hospital booking error (their error) and the second time because the surgeon (or the nursing staff) may run overtime! This is no way to treat anyone. Patients, frightened of “going under the knife” mentally prepare for the ordeal and bend over backwards, making arrangements to accommodate the schedule of what seems to be a socio elite, non-caring, meat factory mentality genus of human species. The mental anguish of both patient and families involved is enough on it’s own, added to which is the financial cost and disruption of your own schedule.
Most doctors of all types will charge you if you do not give 24 hours notice to cancel before an appointment. However, when surgery is involved it seems that the patient is not even worthy of an apology and has no rights whatsoever.
When Doctors can charge you if you miss their appointment why in return can you not charge the doctors when they miss YOUR appointment? Is your time not as valuable as theirs?
Surgery can be cancelled the morning of and even 15 minutes before surgery. The patient who has had to alter schedules, arrange transportation, book off work and cancel appointments which in some cases (as a musician) means turning down performances that can be up to and above $1200 a performance. These venues book someone else who is available and the patient (musician), after cancellation, now has NO WORK – IS OUT OF POCKET – and possibly NO INCOME for the next several weeks. Due to making arrangements for surgery – that then does not take place.
Worse yet – is the case when the surgery is re-scheduled and the performer makes the same arrangements to discover, in hospital gown, minutes before surgery that it is being cancelled yet again!
NO person would mind if the surgery is cancelled because of an emergency, accident or trauma victims being rushed ahead of them.

What has given me cause for concern is that surgery has been cancelled twice to date due to:
1. The hospital did not book an Anesthesiologist.
2. The surgeon thinks he may not get to you (on the re-schedule) due to a longer surgery in the morning for your relatively short operation (and this is at 1.00pm in the afternoon).

To top this, the hospital then inform you that YOU have to call the surgeons office to re-schedule. Who cancelled in the first place?? When you call (at 2.00pm) it is to have an answering machine greet you. So, one leaves a message, telling them that your surgery has been cancelled for the second time and you would like to re-schedule. You also ask that someone will do you the courtesy and return your call. Does anyone do you the courtesy of calling you? This is really a rhetorical question because the staff most likely have been trained in the same manner of customer service as the rest of the Day Surgery Health Teams (your problem not ours).
It is not right that an individual or their families be put through the mental anguish of preparing three times or more for what to them is a frightening ordeal. Think of the cancellation of meetings and work – on again, off again! No board or employer will tolerate that.
There should be some form of accountability for the Surgeon, the Hospital and even the Provincial Govt., to ensure that this kind of treatment does not happen. Who is going to cover the loss of wages? There should be some form of compensation for victims of such seemingly non-caring, abusive and irresponsible cancellations.

Am I frustrated?----------------Right
Am I in pain?---------------------Extremely
Am I upset?-----------------------Sensitive
Am I ready for #3?-------------Perhaps
Will I forget?---------------------Eventually
What do I not want?----------Cancellation
What do I want?----------------Treatment

What do I ask? Treat me as a person, not take away food order #28, and show a little respect!

And that – is “As I See it!”

Ensemble Playing Tips

Whether you’re a member of a local youth orchestra, a marching band, or a grade 7 music class, these tips are important points for anyone involved in an ensemble.
1. Watch the conductor.
Whether they mention or not, most conductors love a performer who watches regularly and takes cues from their direction. When your director stands at the front of the band obviously ready to say something or begin a piece, stop talking and make eye contact with him or her. Memorize your first note so that you can breath and play with the first beat. Try to be able to look up at the conductor at least every few bars, and if possible, at the start of each bar. Look ahead in your music, and when you notice that you have an entrance, look to your conductor to see if he or she has any cues and respond to them. As well, if your conductor offers you any specific suggestions, try to follow them as best you can. Be aware of fermatas (pauses) and time changes. If you show your conductor respect in these ways, in time he or she will value you as one of their best ensemble players.
2. Be ready to start on time.
Speaking of respect for your conductor, being ready with your instrument and music out is another great way of showing your dedication to ensemble. Though it may seem less important to someone in a junior high band, if you’ve chosen to be in a musical ensemble, make the most out of your time and the conductor’s by starting on time. There are few things that annoy a conductor more than an ensemble player, particularly a section lead, who comes to the band late or not at all. If you’re out having a coffee when you should be playing a solo, chances are you won’t have a solo for long.
Decide where your priorities lie; if you don’t want the benefit of ensemble experience, then consider leaveing the ensemble. If you want to stay and enjoy band, then rethink how disrupting your ensemble really benefits anyone, including yourself. If you just don’t enjoy the band or its conductor, leave it and try to find an ensemble with which you can arrive enthusiastic to each rehearsal.
3. Know your music.
Yeah, yeah, we all remember grade 7, when your practice time was like a half an hour a week for some of you, if any time at all. Well, beyond grade 7 (hey - if you’re in grade 7 and want to be better than the other gr. 7s, follow this tip!) you need to actually look at your music between band nights. Along with your regular warm-up and private study, you should incorporate regular time to review your ensemble pieces and smooth out any complicated rhythms or tough technical passages. The last thing you want is to be singled out in band to play a particular passage and demonstrate to everyone that you do not practice.

That is "As I See it!"

Promoting your Concert / Recital

1. What does organizing a Recital or Concert entail?
   Auditorium, Sound and Light Arrangements. Parking arrangements at the venue.
   Sponsorship &Publicity (Designing and printing posters, flyers, ads, banners and choosing the right locations to distribute / place the same and creating web sites)
   Ticketing (printing tickets and sale of tickets before the event date, and box office on the day)
   Making a Brochure (Getting the content ready, and handling the technical aspect of making a brochure).Identifying the MC for the concert and Putting up signs to the concert location on the day of the concert .
   
2. Locate site & establish dates
   Select the location carefully, keeping in the mind the need for parking and public transportation. Think of who your target audience will be and find a location in the same neighbourhood. Other points on site selection are set-up times, availability for rehearsal(s), refreshments (if you having an intermission), unloading and loading, changing areas for the performers. Decide on a venue which can accommodate your expected audience. Too big an auditorium might leave empty pockets giving an appearance of poor turnout and also make ushering very difficult. Choose the right size and make sure that there will be sufficient technical help from the auditorium. Also verify, if space is available for food stalls and AID merchandise tables. Identify if parking lots are sufficient for the audience you are expecting. Auditorium should be in a convenient location.

Firstly, time and timing is very important.Treble check the date of the concert so that there’s no confusion there. (It has happened) Then make sure that any publicity is printed and ready to be displayed in plenty of time. This allows for hold-ups at printers, weekends, bank holidays etc. Then make sure that any publicity is printed and ready to be displayed in plenty of time. This allows for hold-ups at printers, weekends, bank holidays etc.You want a good return on ticket sales so don’t leave publicising the event till the last minute. Things like” book now to avoid disappointment” and “when they’re gone they’re gone” are good stock phrases to use.


3. The design of any posters, flyers or leaflets that you create is vitally important. They have to meet the A.I.D.A criteria. Not sure what that is?
   A=attention . I=interest. D=desire. A=action. Basically, the design needs to be good enough/bright enough/unusual enough to attract everyone’s attention. But especially, the attention of your target audience.Some research into what’s grabbing that particular age group’s attention would be a good idea when it comes to promoting a concert. There should definitely be something of interest in the flyer etc too. Not just a blatant advert. Add some interesting fact, an anniversary of something, the fact that this is a return by popular demand or similar.Then you’ve got to make the audience want to come – the concert’s got to be unmissable. Why? Use your imagination because people act on their desire.
   


4. Finally, if all the above works, then your audience will decide to come because all that’s left for them to do is take action!Be sure to get this promotional literature everywhere that the potential audience will see it, including the venue itself.If you or some helpful volunteers are putting flyers out yourselves, it’s best to stick them at around eye level for maximum effect.Get them in local shops, libraries, shop & café noticeboards, colleges, schools( if that’s the relevant age group), Universities, local government halls, council offices, village halls, supermarket & mall boards. Like I say, anywhere and everywhere.

Promoting a concert with Facebook and MySpace
Promoting a concert can be a tricky business, but can be carried out largely online these days. I would recommend you use this as just one tactic though, combined with more traditional ways.Facebook has the advantage of groups being built up by location, so you can search for these and promote to them.MySpace is good particularly if you have a big list of friends already. Bear in mind that they need to live close enough to your event to be able to make it on the night though. Send out regular broadcasts and keep you blog updated with news about the concert.I would suggest making a video to promote your event, maybe a song or performance just for online. You can then post this on YouTube and Helloworld as well as the other video networks.Helloworld has the added advantage that you can broadcast your concert live - so people all aruond the world can view it (they don't need any software or downloads at all their end) and you can even charge pay per view if it is a charity event for example.

That's "As I see it!" This is a big one! So leave a comment if you want general or Flute specific. (Your choice - suggest)

Saxophone Tips.

To learn how to play saxophone well you will need to work hard on your fingering skills. You also need to bear in mind that the saxophone creates it's sound through vibration of the reed and that sound then vibrates through the saxophone. If you hold the sax tightly your grip is going to lessen the effect of the vibration, something that may become evident when you start using the octave key to play the higher notes. Press the keys lightly, don't try and ram them home. Aside from affecting your tone you'll most likely do some damage to the keys. Get some fingering exercises. These are designed to give you practice at going between different notes. Yes they are hard at first but you will reap huge rewards later as you will be able to quickly change between notes with no discernable sound issues.

Learn your fingering charts. Could there be anything more annoying than playing a great tune only to forget the keying of the next note. Learn alterante keying for notes. If you are struggling to play something because of the keying look around for an alternate keying position.
Finally, practice, practice, practice. Great saxophone tip! It's the only real way you are going to progress. Don't expect to practice half an hour a day and be able to turn into Stan Getz. The greats could happily practice for several hours a day. Put the effort in and you get the reward out.

Saxophone Effects
There are several effects you can learn to make you sound better. As you progress you start including these naturally when you play.
Some tunes demand effects, so if you want to blow a mean sax, take the time to learn some of these.
Tonguing - Touching the reed with your tongue between notes
Slurring - Playing up or down the scale without pausing
Growling - Humming whilst blowing
Honking - Making the sax honk like a goose.
Slaptongue - Making a popping sound
Flutter Tongue - Like growling but made with the tongue.
Note bending - Starting a note flat and sharpening it up.
Learn them and use them, but use them in moderation. Think of the K.I.S.S. statement (keep it simple, stupid) You can get too much of a good thing. Saxophone tip No.1 - It's easy to ruin something good with too much effort.

Saxophone Care
Look after your sax!!!!! It may seem an obvious saxophone tip but how many people out there play their sax and then put it down with the mouthpiece and reed still on it and a puddle of spit in the bow? You need to clean it after use. Get a pull through and a pad saver. Take it apart when you have finished playing and swab it down. Clean in between the pads and the tone holes to remove any moisture. This preserves the pads and stops sticking keys. Take the mouthpiece off and clean it. Never pick up the sax any other way than by the bell and certainly never, never by the neck. The neck is the most influential part of your sax. It shapes the sound. Any damage to the neck and you really need to buy a new one.
Treat it with respect and you will have years of fun and trauma ahead of you. Treat it badly and it will bite you back.

Stage Presentation & Deportment

On-stage behavior is something that even non-musicians seem to think they know something about. Teachers often forget to discuss this issue because it is assumed that students know a bit about it already, having been audience goers and television watchers. However, after some very goofy incidents, I realize that stage deportment should really be discussed! Here are ten tips to great stage presence for your recital or "How to become paranoid on Stage."

1. Smile as you come onto the stage.

2. Bow. Bow at the same time as your pianist, or chamber music partners.
• Be sure to bow at a tempo moderato - not too fast or you‘ll give yourself whiplash. One of my friends suggests saying a really long dinosaur name to your feet at the bottom of your bow, to keep your head down long enough. “Stegosaurus!”
• Avoid curtseys and hand flourishes, even if you are really into bowing practices from previous centuries. Keep your hands at your sides and let them trace the seam on your pants/skirt.

3. When you are ready to play, take a breath in the tempo of your piece if you start, or nod to the pianist/instrumentalist if someone else starts.

4. Check your posture while you play—sometimes when we are nervous we do strange things with our stance, limbs, or hands.
• Have a friend or family member attend your dress rehearsal, or use a video tape, so you can get feedback on how you look while playing.

5. If there is a piano interlude, be sure to hold focus and posture—pick a place to look: above the audience, the back of the hall, an exit sign, your teacher’s smiling face, your music, or perhaps you will look towards your pianist and enjoy the music!
• If you slump, seem distracted or unhappy, the audience may not pay attention to the beautiful performance of your chamber partners, or even clap prematurely! Holding your flute close to your face may help the audience realize the piece is not over.
• If you look towards the audience, look towards the foreheads and hairstyles of your audience. Making eye contact can be unnerving for both you and the audience members.

6. Even if you do make a mistake (which does happen, even if you are very well-prepared and rehearsed) keep going as if NOTHING has happened and don’t make any faces! Most audience members are thinking about the beautiful music, tomorrow’s grocery list, napping, etc, so they will have totally missed whatever small mistake you may consider HUGE.

7. After you have finished the piece, SMILE!

8. Acknowledge your pianist/chamber partners and BOW together.

9. If you are the soloist, leave the stage first, and everyone else will follow. If you are part of a chamber group, leave the stage in the same order as you entered.

10. HAVE FUN, or at least make sure you LOOK like you’re having fun!

That's "As I See it!"