Outdoor Performances: Conducted by Mother Nature

       Outdoor musical performances are pretty common, because they're easy to organize and usually result in a higher attendance, as people passing by stop to listen. On a decent day, outdoor concerts can be really fun, too. The grass is freshly cut, a few clouds drift lazily across a crisp blue sky, the sun sits at the perfect angle, so it isn't shining in everyone's eyes, and there is only a slight breeze, so it's not too hot. That scenario, however, is the ideal, and surely we all know that the “ideal” is a rare occurrence in life. Ideally outdoor concerts are a giant PRO, but sometimes, they can be a giant NO.

       Last weekend, I played with in a quartet at the farmer's market. Now, usually, quartets don't require a conductor, but we sure had a conductor that day. Ah yes, Mother Nature. She must have been really pumped about our performance, because she conducted quite crazily. She sent the wind, to encourage us to play loudly, the rain to speed up our tempo, and the thunder to serve as applause. She had the best intentions, really, but as far as we knew, we were just a budding group of musicians battling the sound of the wind in the microphone while seven year old Suzuki students crouched down beside us and held our music in place.

       There are thousands of cons to playing outside: the wind snatches up your music, the heat or the cold bends your instrument out of tune, the sun shines in your eyes and makes you loose your place, and the bugs can be unbearable. The pros are few, but still present. Outdoor concerts are easier for people to attend, you don't have to worry about things like seating (for the most part), and if the weather is nice, it makes for a beautiful performance. When you look at it like this, the cons out weigh the pros, but if you look at it as if the weather is just one giant con, then the pros over rule! With the right attitude, Mother Nature's cons can even be eliminated completely.

       Generally, all you need to avoid the cons to outdoor playing is a few clothes pins, or in some cases, a seven year old or two to keep your music from flying off the stand. Often times, the sound gets lost in the open space, but that just means you play louder. If it's hot, you sweat. If there are bugs, you just tell them to “buzz off”. If it rains, you actually cancel the concert, there's no getting around that one. But! For the most part, when it comes to outdoor playing, there is a solution to the cons. It may be a giant NO at times, but with the right attitude and a bit of resourceful thinking, you can turn that giant NO into a giant PRO.