Our group played at a small outdoor festival, sort of as background music while everything else went on, and it went well...but unless they stood near us we couldn't be heard. At first we were in a cute canvas pavilion then later we stood just outside the pavilion, which made an improvement. The funny thing, we could be heard some 100 meters BEHIND our place.
Anyone got some tips about successful playing out-of-doors? We thought maybe we should have placed ourselves by a wall, or constructed a sort of small ampitheatre out of hay bales. Any ideas? Any educational experiences?
Best advice - try and avoid it! Playing outside can play havoc with the tuning on your instruments unless it's a nice sunny clime with steady humidity. If you have no alternative then try and keep the music going - especially for the flute. If it cools down at all you could find yourself a semi tone flat in a couple of minutes.
If you must then it's best to be in a place that will hold the music and help to project it. Your idea of playing against a wall is sound. Hay bales will only soak up the sound - I know I've done it. Even playing in front of a van or lorry will help.
If you can elicit the help of the festival organisers and suggest to them in advance that it would be best if theyhad some sort of proper stage. It's not that dear to hire the back of a lorry - a 'gig rig' and these are very effective.
For flute, wearing a hat may help you hear yourself (sometimes that's the hardest part); the brim of the hat will reflect more sound back into your ears... Also, try to get shelter from the wind; any wind at all will make it impossible to play the flute outside. Practice outside, so you know what to expect.
Unless you have a hard surface behind you to reflect the sound (like rock or cement wall) you're lost. Hay bales, canvas and other soft absorbant material won't help you at all. Sound waves need to bounce off of something solid to not be dissipated. One person I know constructed a large folding wooden screen that was used behind their group. The only other alternative is to spend money on getting a sound system and using microphones. That takes away from the acoustic experience that I enjoy.
Good advice from Glauber - I often wear a hat at indoor sessions as well for the same reason. You can see me hat and all at http://downfolk.tripod.com/maghera.htm I have also seen older fiddle players who hold their instrument without using the chin rest to get it closer to the ear.
The problem for a group, however, is not just hearing yourself but the rest of the team.
The folding wooden screen idea is also helpful. In Savage's Bar Castlewellan they got a local artist [Frankie Morgan] to construct a folding screen that has a fold away bench on it as well. This has improved the sound for the musicians but is not completely successful.
Playing outside is tough. Don't fight to be heard. Find a quiet spot, but still in a relatively high traffic area. Then try to attract an
audience. Audience participation routines can be a big help.
Children are the most fun, and willing participants. Get three or four kids dancing, and you will start to draw a crowd. Keep your routines short, as it is difficult to keep an outside audience for more than 10 or 15 minutes, unless you have PA, or use a lot of props, and have some great routines. Do "visual" stuff, interesting things that people can see from a distance, to draw them in. Also, encourage your audience to make lots of noise. The sound of people enjoying themselves will pull in others, who also want to have some fun.
Get as close to your audience as possible. If there is a small seating area, move in close to it, once people are seated. Before you start playing, remove the front row of chairs, if it is still empty, as it usually will be.
From another point of view, you can always price yourself a little higher. That way, the promoter wants to get his money's worth,
and will try to give you a higher profile in the festival. If you don't
get the gig, no loss, since you really aren't helping yourself by playing in bad circumstances. A lot of groups seek every opportunity to perform, believing that the exposure will help them to build their name. However, the reality is that they are poorly presented to the public, and are "seen in a bad light". You really need to get creative to overcome the "bad stage", and make a good impression on people. Lots of humour, and one-on-one banter with your audience can help very much.
Give and get as many genuine smiles as you can. To do that, you must constantly be doing stuff that you really enjoy. In other words, have fun.
My motto is, "If you're having fun, then you're doing it right!"
I was getting ready to add a few additional comments to the others until I found Scotty's note.
I have performed outdoor events for many years. I have played places where I am nothing more than atomosphere. I have played in driving wind, Extreme heat, Cold, Back drops, No back drops, shade, no shade, Humidity, dry. The crowds have gone from extrememly responsive and attentive to beligerant. I don't think I am missing anything from my outdoor experience other than playing in War zones.
Those are my outdoor credentials. Here is what I have to say. Scotty put together the survival kit for performing out doors without amplification. It ought to be published. The most important he said was "Don't fight to be heard". Take care and have a great time.
And keep an eye on the weather. It's time to move inside or at least pack up the instruments when you see large children and other debris pinned to overhead electrical lines by the wind. If you can't get through more than two bars of a fast reel between lightning flashes, this too is a sign that a storm may be approaching. And one of the benefits of staying acoustic and forgoing a sound system is that there is no danger of electrocution even when playing waist deep in runoff.
Seriously, we once played a street festival on an outdoor stage rigged on some scaffolding. 40 minutes before show time, we could see a black ocean of clouds breaking over the mountains to the west, about 40 minutes away as the crow flies. I suggested we skip the stage and set up in the nearby pub, but the organizers said they'd put all this time, money, and effort into the stage, we'd be fine there.
Sure enough, by the time we jumped into the first set, the wind was howling, a driving horizontal rain was pelting the audience, and even the bodhran player couldn't hear himself over the thunder and snapping tarps. We played for close to an hour with six 300-pound roadies hanging onto the back of the scaffolding to keep it from blowing over on top of us, unable to hear ourselves, freezing and going out of tune as the temperature dropped 20 degrees, and watching the audience scamper for the pub (the one drunk who stayed to listen finally got wetter on the outside than in, but slipped and fell when he got up to leave). Meanwhile, the following band set up in the pub....
I have since simply ignored any organizers, managers, and even band members who try to cajole us into playing outside when the weather is threatening. It's just not worth it.
An anecdote: Hurricane Floyd came to the Washington D.C. Irish Festival in 1999 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Though they downgraded Floyd to tropical storm status after it hit land, he still managed to dump 3-10 inches of rain a day for three days on the county fairgrounds hosting the festival. We stood ankle and sometimes knee-deep in honest-to-god rivers of runoff trying to hear the performers over the roar of rain on tents and tarps. At one point, when the skies just completely opened up and let loose a waterfall, Sean Smyth stopped playing his amplified fiddle (which no one could hear anyway) and yelled into his mic, "I've lived in Ireland most of my life. You all know how it rains in Ireland.... I've *NEVER* seen rain like this." And we all sat there gawking at the rain, amazed that we could no longer see the adjacent tent 20 yards away, and hoping that our tent--and the soggy ground beneath us--would hold. The rain may have dampened the performances that year, but the late night sessions back at the hotel were absolutely cracking.
Thanks for the great information! I am printing out this thread for my fellow players. I did not have problems with the wind on this concert, but wind blew the sound right out of my flute some of the occassions I played in the English Garden (I live in Munich, Germany). On the subject of audiences that turn bellegerent, my husband, a veteran of clowning, says that few street performers have avoided getting attacked at one time or other. I don't know if this applies to musicians and I haven't played in the streets for years. I suppose there are no perfect environments for playing. A few times I played in a cave (in the U.S.) and it sounded quite cool, but then there were those dripping stalagtites....
Playing music out-of-doors
Playing music out-of-doors
Our group played at a small outdoor festival, sort of as background music while everything else went on, and it went well...but unless they stood near us we couldn't be heard. At first we were in a cute canvas pavilion then later we stood just outside the pavilion, which made an improvement. The funny thing, we could be heard some 100 meters BEHIND our place.
Anyone got some tips about successful playing out-of-doors? We thought maybe we should have placed ourselves by a wall, or constructed a sort of small ampitheatre out of hay bales. Any ideas? Any educational experiences?
# Posted on September 1st 2002 by La_grotte
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Best advice - try and avoid it! Playing outside can play havoc with the tuning on your instruments unless it's a nice sunny clime with steady humidity. If you have no alternative then try and keep the music going - especially for the flute. If it cools down at all you could find yourself a semi tone flat in a couple of minutes.
If you must then it's best to be in a place that will hold the music and help to project it. Your idea of playing against a wall is sound. Hay bales will only soak up the sound - I know I've done it. Even playing in front of a van or lorry will help.
If you can elicit the help of the festival organisers and suggest to them in advance that it would be best if theyhad some sort of proper stage. It's not that dear to hire the back of a lorry - a 'gig rig' and these are very effective.
# Posted on September 1st 2002 by breandan
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
For flute, wearing a hat may help you hear yourself (sometimes that's the hardest part); the brim of the hat will reflect more sound back into your ears... Also, try to get shelter from the wind; any wind at all will make it impossible to play the flute outside. Practice outside, so you know what to expect.
# Posted on September 2nd 2002 by glauber
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Unless you have a hard surface behind you to reflect the sound (like rock or cement wall) you're lost. Hay bales, canvas and other soft absorbant material won't help you at all. Sound waves need to bounce off of something solid to not be dissipated. One person I know constructed a large folding wooden screen that was used behind their group. The only other alternative is to spend money on getting a sound system and using microphones. That takes away from the acoustic experience that I enjoy.
Alice
# Posted on September 2nd 2002 by aliceflynn
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Highland pipes are better outside though
# Posted on September 2nd 2002 by llig leahcim
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Good advice from Glauber - I often wear a hat at indoor sessions as well for the same reason. You can see me hat and all at http://downfolk.tripod.com/maghera.htm I have also seen older fiddle players who hold their instrument without using the chin rest to get it closer to the ear.
The problem for a group, however, is not just hearing yourself but the rest of the team.
The folding wooden screen idea is also helpful. In Savage's Bar Castlewellan they got a local artist [Frankie Morgan] to construct a folding screen that has a fold away bench on it as well. This has improved the sound for the musicians but is not completely successful.
# Posted on September 2nd 2002 by breandan
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Playing outside is tough. Don't fight to be heard. Find a quiet spot, but still in a relatively high traffic area. Then try to attract an
audience. Audience participation routines can be a big help.
Children are the most fun, and willing participants. Get three or four kids dancing, and you will start to draw a crowd. Keep your routines short, as it is difficult to keep an outside audience for more than 10 or 15 minutes, unless you have PA, or use a lot of props, and have some great routines. Do "visual" stuff, interesting things that people can see from a distance, to draw them in. Also, encourage your audience to make lots of noise. The sound of people enjoying themselves will pull in others, who also want to have some fun.
Get as close to your audience as possible. If there is a small seating area, move in close to it, once people are seated. Before you start playing, remove the front row of chairs, if it is still empty, as it usually will be.
From another point of view, you can always price yourself a little higher. That way, the promoter wants to get his money's worth,
and will try to give you a higher profile in the festival. If you don't
get the gig, no loss, since you really aren't helping yourself by playing in bad circumstances. A lot of groups seek every opportunity to perform, believing that the exposure will help them to build their name. However, the reality is that they are poorly presented to the public, and are "seen in a bad light". You really need to get creative to overcome the "bad stage", and make a good impression on people. Lots of humour, and one-on-one banter with your audience can help very much.
Give and get as many genuine smiles as you can. To do that, you must constantly be doing stuff that you really enjoy. In other words, have fun.
My motto is, "If you're having fun, then you're doing it right!"
Hope some of this helps,
Scotty
# Posted on September 2nd 2002 by scottythefiddler
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
I was getting ready to add a few additional comments to the others until I found Scotty's note.
I have performed outdoor events for many years. I have played places where I am nothing more than atomosphere. I have played in driving wind, Extreme heat, Cold, Back drops, No back drops, shade, no shade, Humidity, dry. The crowds have gone from extrememly responsive and attentive to beligerant. I don't think I am missing anything from my outdoor experience other than playing in War zones.
Those are my outdoor credentials. Here is what I have to say. Scotty put together the survival kit for performing out doors without amplification. It ought to be published. The most important he said was "Don't fight to be heard". Take care and have a great time.
# Posted on September 3rd 2002 by Mark Cordova
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
And keep an eye on the weather. It's time to move inside or at least pack up the instruments when you see large children and other debris pinned to overhead electrical lines by the wind. If you can't get through more than two bars of a fast reel between lightning flashes, this too is a sign that a storm may be approaching. And one of the benefits of staying acoustic and forgoing a sound system is that there is no danger of electrocution even when playing waist deep in runoff.
Seriously, we once played a street festival on an outdoor stage rigged on some scaffolding. 40 minutes before show time, we could see a black ocean of clouds breaking over the mountains to the west, about 40 minutes away as the crow flies. I suggested we skip the stage and set up in the nearby pub, but the organizers said they'd put all this time, money, and effort into the stage, we'd be fine there.
Sure enough, by the time we jumped into the first set, the wind was howling, a driving horizontal rain was pelting the audience, and even the bodhran player couldn't hear himself over the thunder and snapping tarps. We played for close to an hour with six 300-pound roadies hanging onto the back of the scaffolding to keep it from blowing over on top of us, unable to hear ourselves, freezing and going out of tune as the temperature dropped 20 degrees, and watching the audience scamper for the pub (the one drunk who stayed to listen finally got wetter on the outside than in, but slipped and fell when he got up to leave). Meanwhile, the following band set up in the pub....
I have since simply ignored any organizers, managers, and even band members who try to cajole us into playing outside when the weather is threatening. It's just not worth it.
An anecdote: Hurricane Floyd came to the Washington D.C. Irish Festival in 1999 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Though they downgraded Floyd to tropical storm status after it hit land, he still managed to dump 3-10 inches of rain a day for three days on the county fairgrounds hosting the festival. We stood ankle and sometimes knee-deep in honest-to-god rivers of runoff trying to hear the performers over the roar of rain on tents and tarps. At one point, when the skies just completely opened up and let loose a waterfall, Sean Smyth stopped playing his amplified fiddle (which no one could hear anyway) and yelled into his mic, "I've lived in Ireland most of my life. You all know how it rains in Ireland.... I've *NEVER* seen rain like this." And we all sat there gawking at the rain, amazed that we could no longer see the adjacent tent 20 yards away, and hoping that our tent--and the soggy ground beneath us--would hold. The rain may have dampened the performances that year, but the late night sessions back at the hotel were absolutely cracking.
# Posted on September 3rd 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Gee, thanks, Mark... (blush)
Scott
# Posted on September 3rd 2002 by scottythefiddler
Re: Playing music out-of-doors
Thanks for the great information! I am printing out this thread for my fellow players. I did not have problems with the wind on this concert, but wind blew the sound right out of my flute some of the occassions I played in the English Garden (I live in Munich, Germany). On the subject of audiences that turn bellegerent, my husband, a veteran of clowning, says that few street performers have avoided getting attacked at one time or other. I don't know if this applies to musicians and I haven't played in the streets for years. I suppose there are no perfect environments for playing. A few times I played in a cave (in the U.S.) and it sounded quite cool, but then there were those dripping stalagtites....
# Posted on September 7th 2002 by La_grotte