Air Travel tips for Musicians. Musicians have often encountered difficulty when traveling with their musical instruments by air. These tips will ensure you face minimal problem when travelling with your music instrument.
Orchestras and individual musicians should plan carefully for safe transportation of their musical instruments when traveling by plane, taking into account the airline policies as well. There are things that you can do to increase the chances of successfully carrying instruments in-cabin or as checked baggage. Read more.
Planning to Move a Piano with Ivory Tops?
In case you’re planning to move to New Zealand with your antique piano, make sure the piano does not have ivory tops.
123-year-old piano of an English immigrant was impounded at Auckland airport (NZ) and the ivory key tops (removed because of ivory ban) on the orders of the Department of Conservation (DoC).
New Zealand is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and implements the convention through the Trade in Endangered Species (Ties) Act.
Professor Julian Paton was surprised that the shipping company who relocated the family’s possessions to New Zealand were not aware of this rule, and feels all this could have been avoided had they reminded him of the rule.
The piano was deemed to have been exported illegally, because Paton didn’t apply for specific exemption before leaving the UK; objects made before 1914 are exempt if the owner furnishes gets a certificate to say so.
The ivory (which is the top of the piano keys and a few millimetres deep) was removed by an experienced piano tuner under the supervision of the DoC. The ivory tops will be disposed of, and most likely be buried.
Paton will have to pay the cost of removing the ivory and collecting the piano.
To bring back the piano in a working condition, Paton will have to fit replacement synthetic tops, which could cost another few hundred dollars.
Read: Various kinds of piano action (key tops).
Seymour described the saga as “outrageous” and removing the ivory was “vandalism”. “I’m embarrassed as a New Zealander and as a local MP that this is how we welcome people, by confiscating their family heirlooms so their kids can’t play piano. The Department of Conservation don’t want to use their discretion because then they’d have to make hard decisions sometimes. So they’ve taken this lazy approach of saying no to everyone, regardless of the impact, in order to make their own job easier and I think that’s disgracefully disappointing.”
The shipping company involved in moving Paton’s possessions to New Zealand did not respond at press time.
Source: nzherald.co.nz
Dave Carroll’s $3500 guitar was damaged during his fight by United Airlines, but the airlines refused to compensate for his loss. That was when Dave came up with a song sharing his experience (which later went viral) which forced United Airlines to compensate for the loss.
Here are the songs – United Breaks Guitars.
Read: Best Travel Guitars
Read: Best Way to Travel with Digital Stage Piano
Orchestra Musicians Perform On Flight
Here’s a video showing musicians from the Philadelphia orchestra performing Dvorak ‘The American’ 4th movement on Flight.
This is the best way to kill time and to be entertained especially if your flight is delayed.
When this group from The Philadelphia Orchestra found themselves delayed on the tarmac for three hours waiting for their flight from Beijing to Macao, the quartet of musicians decided to provide a impromptu performance for the passengers…and that too free of cost 🙂
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
Leave a Reply