How should I handle this?

[TUBAD83]

My personal habit is to toss the phone into the glove box as I undo the seat belt.

We share the same habit, Joe

JJ

[doublebuzzing]

As a college student, I can say that the way younger people are constantly on their cell phones is distressing. I know people who sit through an entire two hour class without putting their phone down for more than five minutes. Usually I look around the class and more people are typing on their phones texting, checking Facebook, etc (under the desk of course) than who are listening to the professor! How disrespectful. The other problem is students who bring their laptops to class to "take notes". Believe me, most of them are chatting on Facebook or looking stuff up online-- I've sat behind them before. Modern technology hurts education a whole lot when the professors do not care that the students are using it in their classrooms. My favorite professors are the ones who allow no laptops and no cell phones in the classrooms but, unfortunately, I've only had about 2 of those kinds of professors in my 3 years. I think the professors are at fault in most regards because a lot of them simply don't care and have no enforcement on cell phone misuse. If you make it OK for students to do it, they will think it's OK. Same goes for your situation.

[Bob Kolada]

Back when (not so way back, but kinda back) I was playing in my old orchestra in Indiana, we had a dress rehearsal (or almost? I do not remember exactly, we were in the place where we were playing for a musical, not our regular rehearsal place) and I made sure, as always, that my phone ringer was off. However, on that phone the clock alarm would apparently go off even when call ringers were silenced and I had set an alarm the previous evening for something that night.

The conductor was going over something with the wire choir (big surprise! ) and my clock alarm started going off. I went into a petrified, frozen state thinking only "it's a short alarm, it'll be over well before I scramble into my bag to get it." It was actually a 30 second alarm. About 10 or so seconds in the conductor yelled out for someone to step on that phone. I threw my horn down, jumped off the riser, and began to frantically paw through my bag. I pulled the phone out just as it ended.

From then on I left the phone, COMPLETELY OFF, in my car during rehearsals.



Anyway.... my view is that anyone other than emergency minded folks should leave the phone alone until breaks. You may work 247/365/90 but you can probably leave the phone off for an hour or so. If you truly cannot, do something else as a hobby.


Here's the worst scenario!!!

A young man filled in on tuba for a pop concert with the above mentioned orchestra (I was bass trombone there). All state band (but not all state orchestra, some punk rock kid with a 2341 from the area beat him out there! :horns:) with all the pro horns, all the pro teachers, his mother was oboe in the group, his father an excellent musician and person (didn't get to play with that group that often but really a superb trombonist!),... We were playing a bunch of Jimmy Buffet songs in a pop-style concert and he left a few songs before the end! My first thought was that since both his parents worked he had to leave with his mother. Nope. She had gotten off the stage since she was done when the rock/pop stuff came on and he didn't want to play anymore. This was a paying group too! I made sure to inform the regular tuba player (badass player on alto trombone to contrabass tuba) of this. He seemed confused but I believe he figured it out and junior no longer played with that group. He's probably at IU now or something (was buying PT horns and taking lessons down there, also picked up a Greenhoe bass trombone!). Whatever.

[Rick Denney]

Go to your board and ask for a policy prohibiting routine cell-phone fiddling during rehearsal.

I have an important job and the consequences of me not doing it might be quite expensive indeed, not least for you taxpayers. But there is no job, save perhaps a medical doctor or emergency responder on call, who is required to respond to emails every minute of every day. You guys who think such is required of you are working for one-third per hour what you think you are getting paid. You might think about the difference between what is important and what is merely urgent.

Do you drive cars? It's unsafe and against the law in many states to text and email while driving. Why? Because it's a cognitive distraction, a physical distraction, and an observational distraction. It keeps your eyes, hands, and brain away from the job at hand.

When I am at rehearsal, I am there because I have made a commitment to be there. When the conductor is working with another section, I pay attention, because there is a good chance that what he is telling that other section applies to me at least indirectly, and there is a certainty that what he says will interest me in understanding his conception of the music. And even if I am already too good to hear that direction, those around me may not be. There is no way to surreptitiously play with a telephone in a rehearsal situation. Reading a book is far less distracting to those around you. If texting was invisible and not distracting, then this thread would not exist.

I'm not talking about the occasional emergency, the true emergency responder, or the person who is really on the hook for something specific once in a while. They have earned a little leeway. I'm talking about chronic Crackberry addicts, who have a really inflated notion of the urgency of their own importance. I live in the DC area, where there is an abundance of people with tremendous professional responsibilities. Our band has high-ranking government employees, corporate executives, and moms with kids at home. Nobody in our band plays with their phones during rehearsal. Fortunately, we haven't had to make a rule out of it (the conductor does insist that we do not talk when he is giving instruction to one section).

When I was a corporate executive, I never played with my phone when I was with a client--ever. In return for getting my undivided attention when I was with them, they sometimes had to wait for a response when I was with someone else. Never once did I get the slightest hint that this was a problem. Never once did I receive a message during rehearsal that could not wait. Not once in 15 years of cell phone usage. And my company was headquartered three time zones behind me, so the bosses were still in the office well into my rehearsal time. Those people paid to get my attention--their hold on me was merely commercial. How much more should I respect those who have a much more important hold on me, and to whom I owe even greater regard?

I remember Robert Townsend, in Up the Organization!, claiming that while he was the CEO of Hertz, he would refuse all calls during business meetings, out of respect for those with whom he was meeting. He was once called by the U.S. president, and he told his secretary he would call back. Did that prevent him from having influence? Not at all. How worthy of respect is a guy who has the courage to refuse a call from the president? How important did he make those with whom he was meeting feel? He'll be working with those people and depending on their success every day, while the president's call was mostly just courtesy.

Now, when sitting in the car after rehearsal, or lounging in the local coffee shop, then no big deal--I'll tap away on my iPhone. I send a lot of emails using my iPhone every day. But I'm personally offended when the people with whom I'm talking or working can't devote their attention to the task at hand to prevent wasting my time. It doesn't happen in rehearsal, but it happens everywhere else. But not perpetrated by me; I expect of myself the same regard for their time that they often don't demonstrate for mine.

Rick "for whom this is--surprise!--a pet peeve" Denney

[Michael Grant]

In a recent article with Premier Guitar, Al Di Meola commented on this very subject. Here are some segments from that article:

“You listen to those old records we grew up with,” Di Meola said, “and they are just so good. There was another thing happening at the time, and it was total focus. We don’t have that anymore—our whole landscape has changed because of society’s compulsion to be fully connected at all times. We’re constantly on our cell phones—talking, reading and sending emails, texting, checking our Facebook pages, and tweeting. There’s no longer a time, like we had back then, when you’re completely focused on your work. And when we went home [back then], we immediately played music on our stereo. We didn’t have a computer to run to. We didn’t even have, at one point, a message machine to check! There was so much less involvement with networking and constantly responding to people. There was nothing but the music.

...our focus is fragmented all over the place. If you took all that time we waste playing with our gadgets and applied it to the music, would the product be better? In my estimation, absolutely. That’s one of the many things that have changed in this business.

“Back then, we were playing more. That’s what you spent your time on—your instrument. Also, there was an absolute focus on the project when you were in the studio. None of the other musicians were answering their cell phones, or texting and tweeting. Everybody was more involved in the project—paying attention to the tracks, commenting and reacting to the music.

“I’d like to ask every musician I work with to leave their laptop and cell phone at the hotel when they’re recording with me, but that would be difficult or impossible. Everyone—including me—is constantly checking in. But for what?

Your new tubist may not be playing but whatever the conductor is working on, even if with another section, does pertain to her, as it does to each person in the group. Is behooves her and the ensemble to pay attention when not playing. Personally, I don't care what she does because she's not playing in my group. But, if it bothers you AND other members of the ensemble, then she is not the only one not paying attention to the conductor when she is not playing. As for how to handle it, I feel that is the conductor's responsibility. No sense in creating bad vibes with one of your own. If you say something, she may think "who are to tell me what to do", but the conductor does have that authority (for lack of a better term).

Good luck!

[bort]

It's tacky, but I'm sure that 1) I've been guilty of doing it before and 2) I've been annoyed by other people doing it before. For amateur groups, I think it's not a big deal until it becomes distracting for others or for yourself. I see no problem using your phone during something like Tacet movements 2 & 3, when the tuba only plays in movements 1 & 4. It's silent, and far less distracting than talking.

Also, a huge percent of phones these days are touch screen... no click clack buttons, just silent fingerpads on glass. I think it's ok... tacky, but ok...

[AndyCat]

If I am playing a multi hour rehearsal with an ensemble that I am not getting paid for, I frequently send and receive work emails on my work provided iPhone when not playing. I get paid (although not a lot) by my job and not by that ensemble, and my job expects me to be available near 24/7. I would rather go to rehearsals and email occasionally than sit home every evening waiting for something to happen. If I don't miss any entrances, I don't see any problems with it. For anything professional, and for amateur concerts and church services, the phone stays in the gigbag except for intermission / between services when it does have to be checked.

+1

And very often I'm conversing with people in professional Show pits and TV studios at the time!

[JCalkin]

As one who plays in some groups, conducts others, and teaches classes, I can say without hesitation that cell phones in class/rehearsal are one of my biggest pet peeves.

FACT: Sometimes conductors are talking to you even when they aren't. When a conductor says "bassoons and bari sax, I'd like more accent on the C on the and-of-1", he/she may not immediately realize that the euphoniums have the same part. Maybe (hopefully) the conductor DOES know, but made a mistake of omission. The hapless euph player, by texting while the conductor was "not talking to them directly", has just ensured that it will have to be said again and now 30 seconds of everyone's rehearsal time is wasted.

FACT: when trying to multitask, EVERYONE slips up and misses something occasionally. It may not be a problem every day, or even once a month, but at some point the cell-phone addict will have to whisper loudly "wait... where are we starting?" to a section mate as the band is beginning to play, or worse, ask the director as he is giving a prep beat. If this happens even once, I consider it a problem. When I'm playing and a phone-addicted section mate asks me where we are starting, I ignore them. They chose to not pay attention to the director, I choose not to pay attention to them. Makes sense to me.

The section leaders here, of their own accord, enforce a "no phones permitted" policy in rehearsal. Each section has a small tupperware bin and they collect phones at the start of rehearsal, and do not return them until rehearsal is over. If a student has a legitimate need (i.e., family member in the hospital, impending birth of child, volunteer firefighter, etc.) then they may keep their phone only after clearing it with the section leader.

I tell my students all the time that paying undivided attention is HARD, especially today. I consider it a personal challenge, and one that makes me a better musician and, yes, a better person, to develop the skill of shutting the hell up, putting the phone away, and giving my attention to something that isn't presented to me in 30-second snippets accompanied by heavy guitar riffs, explosions, and scantily-clad women.

[Tubaryan12]

...if it bothers you AND other members of the ensemble, then she is not the only one not paying attention to the conductor ...

I have never been so distracted by what someone else is silently doing during rehearsal that I could not pay attention to the director. People talking and noodling on their instruments is much more distracting.

Tubaryan "yes, I've answered an email during rehearsal" 12

[b.williams]

I sympathize with you and feel your pain. So my advise is given with the with the utmost of concern, care, and respect. Let it go. You are not her supervisor. Focus on your playing.

[graybach]

My high school and college director would have scorched me alive for doing that in their ensemble. I think it shows the utmost disrespect to the conductor and the ensemble. It gives off an air of, "I'm too good to fully participate and I have better things to do with my time." Respect everyone enough to pay full attention the whole rehearsal, if for nothing else because the conductor may say something to the trombones that applies to the tubas in a later passage, but he has to repeat it, because someone was playing with his/her gadget instead of paying attention. If you can't fully participate, don't play in an ensemble. And I think that a section member, especially the principal player/section leader, who cares about his/her ensemble should most definitely call out the behavior of someone playing with a gadget instead of participating. Rude behavior should always be called out...PERIOD...

[TUBAD83]

I don't own a smart phone or tablet, but you see a lot of them in professional orchestras where you used to see paperbacks and magazines (remember those?).

There's one well know & excellent professional tubist that describes his job as "play note, read iPad, repeat."

And you wonder why tubists have a hard time being taken as serious musicians??

JJ

[tubagod94]

I would just ask her politely, or talk to the director about it and see if he can talk to her about it!

Nick.

[TexTuba]

My answer to all of this: Where do you think this came from?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3hfCbUIGjE

[Michael Bush]

This thread, like the whole world, can be divided into two kinds of people: Those who think you should talk to her about it (or get someone else to), and those who don't. I am one of those two types of people, but it wouldn't illuminate anything to say which, since both are well represented here.

It seems to me to come down to what *you* can live with. If her behavior is limiting your ability to function in the situation, why don't you try telling her that?

Instead of either ignoring the whole thing, on the one hand, or moralizing about what she "should" be doing, on the other, just say, "I'm finding your texting distracting. I realize you probably don't, and I don't want to mind your business. But would it be a terrible imposition if I asked you, as a favor to me, to catch up on your texts during the break? It would really help me concentrate."

[runngdog]

Instead of either ignoring the whole thing, on the one hand, or moralizing about what she "should" be doing, on the other, just say, "I'm finding your texting distracting. I realize you probably don't, and I don't want to mind your business. But would it be a terrible imposition if I asked you, as a favor to me, to catch up on your texts during the break? It would really help me concentrate."

Best suggestion in this entire thread, and one with which both sides ought to agree.

She obviously doesn't see a problem here (and many here support that view), so if the OP make this his problem instead of hers, he might actually get somewhere -- if not everything he wants, at least an explanation, some awareness on her part of the issue, and maybe a compromise result (e.g., a reduction in her texting).

[greatk82]

Bloke,
That is perfectly acceptable. Now, if you had sent him a pic of the work via text, you would fully deserve to burn in hell.

[peter birch]

don't handle it, ignore it. The man next to me in my band is never off his mobile, text messaging whether we are in rehearsal or playing during worship. I don't know if it is business or Facebook. It annoyed me, mainly because he thinks of himself as the section leader even though he is quite a poor player, if it was one of the kids in the band we would be down on him like a proverbial ton of bricks.
Then it struck me that it was my peace of mind being affected and I decided just to let it go, ignore his behaviour and concentrate on what I am doing whenever we are playing. You can't control these people, don't let them get to you.

[sloan]

(S)he who annoys you, controls you.

[sousaphone68]

There are much worse sins for instance the Bari sax player turned up 30 mins late as usual expects to share my stand and for the second week running has no music and then transposes mine on they fly badly,knocking me of pitch.

A local expression here which may not translate across the pond is that he has a neck like a jockey's privates and won't take a hint or a direct instruction