Playing With a Face Mask?

[bobroden]

Has anyone run across or at least thought about how one might wear a mask while playing trombone?

I often wear a bandana, cowboy style, when I'm out for walks. It occurred to me that if the bandana had a slit up the middle of the front (up to the bottom of your nose), the horn could slip right in there and you would have at least some amount of covering. Refinements from there might include some kind of overlapping flap that would help cover the gap created when the horn goes in.

Has anyone else thought about this? Any other ideas? Does this idea make sense to you?

Bob

[pompatus]

Denson Paul Pollard just posted a video to YouTube a few days ago about this very thing!

https://youtu.be/KAAtXIsn7to

[BGuttman]

Anything you do to a mask to allow you to play impairs the mask's effectiveness when you are not playing. Just move the mask down to clear your mouth to play and put it back when done.

[Doug Elliott]

Underwear... comes with a convenient flap just for that purpose.

[MagnumH]

Underwear... comes with a convenient flap just for that purpose.

But make sure they’re clean!

[RoscoTrombone]

And for the more adventurous amongst us....no thongs please!

[Mikebmiller]

Given that the only playing I am doing these days is for my dog and cats, I have not found a mask necessary.

[elmsandr]

Given that the only playing I am doing these days is for my dog and cats, I have not found a mask necessary.

Same, but I've been thinking I need a paper bag for me.

Cheers,
Andy

[WGWTR180]

I don't really get the purpose of this thread.

[Vegastokc]

I think a plastic bag would be effective. Well, at least for one use...

[BGuttman]

A colleague sent me this report:

https://www.nfhs.org/media/4029952/prel ... zVU3G-cnC4

[Oslide]

That would be my suggestions.

(Later wasn't sure about how these pictures would be perceived, so I deleted them.)

[Oslide]

Seriously now.

If all you want is to protect your environment against the droplets you produce when coughing, sneezing, or breathing heavily, then the solution suggested in Pollard's video would probably do. It's just a variety of a surgical mask.

If you wish to protect yourself against viruses flying around, you need a filtering face mask of the FFP2, or better, FFP3 type (EU designation), corresponding to N95 and N99, respectively, in the US (I hope I got that right).

However, the seals of these masks have to sit on the face without leaks. I cannot think of a way how to achieve this when playing a brass instrument. Each time you'd take the instrument from your lips and put it back again you'd have some problem with assuring an airtight seal on your face, one way or other.

[davebb]

Given that the main role of masks is to prevent spread, putting a lightweight mask over the bell on brass instruments would seem much more effective than any “distancing”. Could us e a face mask as well when not playing.

[Oslide]

While surgical masks and similar devices prevent the distribution of droplets to some degree, they don't stop virus-containing aerosols. Therefore keeping distance and avoiding crowding - especially in confined spaces - is important.

[Oslide]

Sorry, wrong place.
Moved it to "Teaching & Learning", "Air exiting bell".
https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=15835

[tim]

[paulyg]

Playing trombone pretty much negates the reason for wearing a face mask in the first place. If you're gonna play trombone with other people, have no illusions about safety. It is the same, and probably worse, as sitting in a room together while not wearing a mask.

[whitbey]

If you want to play with a mask, I would suggest throwing it in the air and catching it. You can amuse yourself and it might entertain a few others.

[PSJ]

We can have fun with this but now it is serious at least for me. Our regional Symphony has been approved by the state department of health to start our season in October. All brass and woodwind players have to wear masks while playing. It will be very interesting. A couple of us know a really good seamstress and we have given her a couple of ideas so she can make us some samples. We may even have to have bell masks. I guess like the guy in the video, pantyhose over the bell. That one we are not sure about yet. Hope to have all this well before October so we can practice with the masks.

[WGWTR180]

We can have fun with this but now it is serious at least for me. Our regional Symphony has been approved by the state department of health to start our season in October. All brass and woodwind players have to wear masks while playing. It will be very interesting. A couple of us know a really good seamstress and we have given her a couple of ideas so she can make us some samples. We may even have to have bell masks. I guess like the guy in the video, pantyhose over the bell. That one we are not sure about yet. Hope to have all this well before October so we can practice with the masks.

People are having fun with this because it's a ridiculous scenario. Having a mask over your face while playing the trombone won't work in any way shape, or form. If I were you I'd think about the safety of going back to a stage for a regional symphony orchestra season while major orchestras all across this country have cancelled their seasons. Good luck.

[Bach42t]

This is ludicrous and getting out of control. I'll probably get moderated on this, but I'm going to say my first thought:

Wear your mask in the Symphony Orchestra of the socialist state of _(blank)__.

I have no plans to perform, or attend any concerts in this manner where I have to have the sight of muzzle masks. It's just not happening... and I know many others that agree.

[Posaunus]

Wear your mask in the Symphony Orchestra of the socialist state of _(blank)__.

I have no plans to perform, or attend any concerts in this manner where I have to have the sight of muzzle masks.

I'm not sure of any connection between COVID-protecting facemasks and "socialism" – but I guess we are living in strange times, aren't we?

Socialism or not, I also do not intend to attend, or perform in, an indoor concert where others are in close proximity until this pandemic eases, and adequate testing and vaccinations are widely available.

[Bach5G]

This is ludicrous and getting out of control. I'll probably get moderated on this, but I'm going to say my first thought:

Wear your mask in the Symphony Orchestra of the socialist state of _(blank)__.

I have no plans to perform, or attend any concerts in this manner where I have to have the sight of muzzle masks. It's just not happening... and I know many others that agree.

Ridiculous. According to the epidemiologists, America could get the virus under control in a couple of months with masks, social distancing, and handwashing. These are insignificant sacrifices to make. It’s not “socialism”.

And, given that masks protect those around you from viruses you potentially spread, you’re basically saying you have some sort of right to infect others.

[Posaunus]

Ridiculous. According to the epidemiologists, America could get the virus under control in a couple of months with masks, social distancing, and handwashing. These are insignificant sacrifices to make. It’s not “socialism”.

Apparently these (rather minimal, easily implemented) "sacrifices" are too great for those who view this pandemic through a political lens.

[Bach5G]

The house painters have been here today. They masked, ie sealed off, all of the windows and doors save one with poly. Get Covid under control or else all of us will be living like this.

[Posaunus]

Get Covid under control or else all of us will be living like this.

I thought Canada already had Covid under control?

Hope your house painters were masked.

[Bach5G]

Canada has Covid under control in comparison with the US but we’re still having new cases - about 90 per day in BC. Not a lot maybe but a few weeks before it was 50 and before that 25. This can get out of hand fast, as we’ve seen in NY, Arizona and Florida, for example.

[RConrad]

I wasn't sure how my university was going to work around this. Currently they have decided not to require masks while playing but you must put it back on as soon as you stop. We haven't started rehearsals yet but I'll be finding out soon the specifics of how they plan to do so. We started weekly testing several weeks ago.

[andym]

These masks and bell covers just cropped up on Facebook. I know nothing about the effectiveness of the devices or about the company. They were responding to queries about where people’s orders were and it sounds like they are dealing with a lot of orders right now.

https://www.directorsassistant.com/

[WGWTR180]

This is ludicrous and getting out of control. I'll probably get moderated on this, but I'm going to say my first thought:

Wear your mask in the Symphony Orchestra of the socialist state of _(blank)__.

I have no plans to perform, or attend any concerts in this manner where I have to have the sight of muzzle masks. It's just not happening... and I know many others that agree.

Ridiculous. According to the epidemiologists, America could get the virus under control in a couple of months with masks, social distancing, and handwashing. These are insignificant sacrifices to make. It’s not “socialism”.

And, given that masks protect those around you from viruses you potentially spread, you’re basically saying you have some sort of right to infect others.

The subject is wearing masks while we are playing our instruments, not while out in public living life. Since there is almost zero work for me anyway it doesn't really matter. The socialist angle doesn't't interest me at all.