Travel Archives

NPR Podcast of Paul Katz Interview: Skies Less-Than Friendly When Packing A Cello

Reprinted from NPR - National Public Radio Paul Katz bought two tickets — one for himself and one for his cello — in the cabin of a flight from Calgary to Los Angeles. But the captain told him his centuries-old cello had to fly as checked baggage. After an agonizing flight, Katz cried when the captain returned his cello, unharmed. Listen to the Podcast on National Public Radio TRANSCRIPT Copyright © 2012 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required. NEAL CONAN, HOST: On a flight from Calgary to Los Angeles, cellist Paul Katz did everything right. He bought two tickets: one for him, one for his instrument, just the same as thousands of flights before. When he showed up [...]

By Blogmaster|2021-12-23T10:18:03-05:00August 29th, 2012|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: carry-on, flying, news, NPR, regulations, stowage, passenger rights, safety, weight restrictions, weight, Travel, WestJet, cello, cello case, extra airline seats, cellobello, space, restrictions, Katz, musical instruments, carry-on baggage, Paul, flying with instruments, size, airlines, baggage, transportation, flying with cello, bill of rights, FAA, media|

Flying with Your Cello? Print the FAA Passenger’s Bill of Rights to Carry With You

WHEN TRAVELING WITH AN INSTRUMENT, BE SURE TO PRINT THE FOLLOWING PASSENGER'S BILL OF RIGHTS AND CARRY IT ONBOARD WITH YOU! DOWNLOAD PDF The United States’ FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act - SEC. 403 § 41724, adopted by the US Congress on 6 February 2012: H.R.658 - FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 SEC. 403. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. (a) In General- Subchapter I of chapter 417 is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘Sec. 41724. Musical instruments ‘(a) In General- ‘(1) SMALL INSTRUMENTS AS CARRY-ON BAGGAGE- An air carrier providing air transportation shall permit a passenger to carry a violin, guitar, or other musical instrument in the aircraft cabin, without charging the passenger a fee in addition to any standard fee that carrier may require for comparable carry-on baggage, [...]

By Blogmaster|2019-05-26T04:28:40-04:00August 29th, 2012|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: carry-on baggage, cello, space, size, cellobello, musical instruments, transportation, airlines, flying with instruments, air, FAA, media, flying, news, flying with a cello, stowage, regulations, weight restrictions, safety, WestJet, Travel, extra airline seats, weight, Instruments|

WQXR Podcast of Paul Katz Interview: the Pitfalls of Taking Musical Instruments on Planes

Listen: Reprinted from WQXR.org U.S. airlines are more punctual and less likely to lose your bag than at any time in more than two decades, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of Bureau of Transportation data. Fewer than three suitcases per 1,000 passengers were reported lost, damaged or delayed from January through June, a record low. But a recent spate of stories concerning musical instruments on airplanes suggests that the skies aren't always friendly for musicians. Paul Katz, a former member of the Cleveland Quartet, recently experienced a particularly dramatic incident involving his 1669 Andrea Guarneri cello and a flight from Calgary to Los Angeles operated by WestJet, which partners with American and Delta, among other carriers. "I was even pre-boarded. I got the royal treatment,” Katz tells host Naomi [...]

By Blogmaster|2017-10-30T05:21:17-04:00August 28th, 2012|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: stowage, traveling with cello, FAA, traveling with instruments, flying, weight restrictions, flying with a cello, WestJet, Travel, checked baggage, weight, Instruments, extra airline seats, cello, musical instruments, restrictions, cellobello, flying with instruments, carry-on baggage, Katz, media, size, Paul, news, airlines|

Paul Katz’s Airline Nightmare Awakens Public and Media Attention: CBC News

Reprinted from CBC News, Aug 23, 2012 Musicians call for clarity when flying with instruments Students pay for four extra seats only to be told two cellos not allowed on flight The director of Mount Royal University's Conservatory is calling on airlines to set a firm policy when it comes to transporting musical instruments. Paul Dornian said a group of students from Poland returning home from Calgary earlier this month were told their four cellos could not all take their paid seats on the plane. Air Canada told the students it had a policy of no more than two cellos per plane. Dornian said he’s never heard that rule before and says the students had no problem flying with four cellos to Calgary. He said musicians always tell the [...]

By Blogmaster|2019-05-29T01:56:37-04:00August 27th, 2012|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: Travel, traveling with instruments, cello, attention, WestJet, cellobello, flying with instruments, checked baggage, Katz, air, extra airline seats, Paul, flying with cello, restrictions, airlines, instrument restrictions, instruments on flights, FAA, media, FAA passenger bill of rights, news, flying, stowage, safety, traveling with cello|

Airline Nightmare

Reprinted from the Boston Globe of August 20, 2012 In a state of panic and fearing catastrophe, I am writing this midflight as I travel from Calgary, Alberta, to Los Angeles on American Airlines. I thought I did everything right: bought two seats, a ticket for myself and one for my Andrea Guarneri cello made in 1669. I checked in, got two boarding passes, and went to the boarding gate without problem. It all went smoothly—the cello and I were even pre-boarded—one of the easier of the literally thousands of flights we have taken together. Until . . . As the cabin begins to fill, the flight crew informs me that this is a “code-share” flight, and that although I have an AA ticket, the plane is operated by WestJet, and my [...]

By Paul Katz|2017-10-30T05:22:01-04:00August 22nd, 2012|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: Katz, flying with cello, Paul, instrument restrictions, airlines, instruments on flights, media, FAA, news, FAA passenger bill of rights, nightmare, flying, stowage, Travel, traveling with cello, flying with instruments, traveling with instruments, cello, air, weight restrictions, cellobello, baggage, WestJet|

What You Did This Summer — by Brant Taylor

We are now in mid-summer, and countless musicians of all types are at various summer music festivals and camps engaging in musical activities that likely differ in some way from the artistic lives they lead during the rest of the year. Whether a student or a professional, a change of scenery and the opportunity to meet and collaborate with new colleagues has many benefits. Certainly, for those of us who spend the academic year engaged primarily in one musical activity, summer is a valuable opportunity to do something different. For professional musicians, the tendency to be defined by their "main" musical job or pursuit is strong. A quick look down the faculty roster of the Mimir Chamber Music Festival, from which I just returned to my full-time position with the [...]

By Brant Taylor|2018-03-14T04:25:41-04:00August 2nd, 2012|Categories: Self Discovery|Tags: musicianship, chamber music, Summer, music, orchestras, Brant, festivals, Taylor, music festivals, Travel, opportunities, rehearsing, practicing, experiences, collaboration|

Taking it on the Road — by Brant Taylor

One of the most interesting and rewarding aspects of life in a major orchestra is the touring. After "What difference does the conductor really make?" and "How did the orchestra like _____?" (conductor or soloist), the questions I'm asked most frequently by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's devoted audience are almost always about touring. Organizing an extended trip for a large orchestra, especially abroad, is an immense undertaking. The initial planning begins years before the event itself, and all of the logistics that must be in place for things to run smoothly take the full-time attention of dedicated members of the orchestra's administration. There are a couple of travel companies in the U. S. who specialize in taking orchestras on tour, and the CSO uses one of these companies [...]

By Brant Taylor|2017-10-30T05:23:10-04:00October 16th, 2011|Categories: Cello Travel, Orchestra|Tags: CSO, cello cases, flying with instruments, orchestra, trips, Taylor, flying, cello, Travel, cellobello, Conductors, Brant, Touring, cello section, organization, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, orchestral tours|

The Injured Cellist — by Martha Baldwin

Like most of us cellists out there I can barely remember my life before my cello was a daily part of it. Sometimes it is the happiest, most ultimately satisfying part of my day, sometimes the most frustrating. Being a cellist is my life’s work, one that defines me utterly. While other aspects of life are undoubtedly more important (friends, family, health, happiness), what we do is a big part of making up who we are. Not doing it anymore is an exercise in redefining who you are. For nearly 18 months during the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons I couldn’t play the cello. A pretty common rotator cuff injury resulted in surgery, rehab, and a long period of complications and set backs. I won’t go into all the medical details, [...]

By Martha Baldwin|2017-10-30T05:23:30-04:00June 6th, 2011|Categories: Playing Healthy, Self Discovery|Tags: cellobello, happiness, Travel, Injuries, pain, musicians, relaxing, Martha, taking time off, performances, health, Rest, maintenance, cello, Baldwin|

Sound Designer — by Jeffrey Zeigler

As we continue our discussion about the various ways to integrate a sophisticated approach to sound design, there is one point that I would like to make before we get to far into the equipment nitty-gritty. That is of the need for your own sound designer. I think that the person in this role has both the most important as well as the most unsung job in a given concert. Important because they have complete responsibility for how you actually will sound in the hall. You may play wonderfully, but it could all be for nothing if, for example, the sound person has set you up to sound brash and tinny. But I also say unsung because the audience will only see them as the person standing at the mixing [...]

By Jeffrey Zeigler|2017-10-03T03:06:00-04:00May 29th, 2011|Categories: Performance, Technology|Tags: acoustics, Kronos Quartet, concerts, Quartet, equipment, Travel, discussion, Zeigler, quality, Sound, chamber music, consistency, Kronos, string quartet, live-performance, recordings, cello, space, ensembles, concert halls, Jeffrey|

Tour Musings — by Alisa Weilerstein

I'm now a few days removed from one of the most exhilarating—and definitely the longest—tours of my life. I've grown accustomed to playing a different concerto every week, sometimes with a recital thrown in here and there. But I can't remember the last time I actually played only one piece for three weeks straight. However, that's exactly what I did in the last week of March and first two weeks of April; I played Shostakovich 1st Concerto fifteen times across the US with the St Petersburg Philharmonic and Yuri Temirkanov. I've had so many thoughts about this tour and am struggling to consolidate them into a coherent blog entry. I have to start by saying what an incredible musical and educational experience it was for me. There are players in [...]

By Alisa Weilerstein|2018-03-15T04:14:38-04:00April 22nd, 2011|Categories: Artistic Vision, Cello Travel, Performance, Self Discovery|Tags: Sound, Shostakovich, emotion, unique, performance, musicianship, Concerto, challenges, Cello Travel, inspiration, rehearsals, exhilarating, cello, Airplanes, recital, cellobello, Alisa, Rostropovich, orchestra, tour, Weilerstein, Travel, concert halls, experiences|

Doing More with Less — by Brant Taylor

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Havana, Cuba, accompanying a jazz band that was invited to perform at the Havana International Jazz Festival. Considered a “cultural exchange,” the trip was approved by the U. S. Department of the Treasury and we made the short flight to Havana from Miami. (Because our embargo is a financial one, the U.S. Treasury oversees all travel between the U.S. and Cuba. A full report on my impressions of Havana or on the 50 years of economic strangulation the Cuban people have experienced is far outside the scope and purpose of this space!) Among many other activities, we visited Havana’s Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, which teaches music to high school students. While I am aware that Cuba has a vibrant, colorful musical tradition and [...]

By Brant Taylor|2020-09-17T02:36:38-04:00April 7th, 2011|Categories: Cello Travel, Self Discovery, Teaching|Tags: Sound, jazz, focus, opportunity, passion, culture, youth, Airplanes, Brant, audiences, ensembles, bows, Taylor, perspective, activities, Travel, assumptions, interactions|

Fantastic Getaways and their Cello-related Aftermath — by Lev Mamuya

The house is just like you left it. As soon as you plop your heavy suitcase in the door, you run over to the corner. Ah, how nice to see your cello after such a long absence! You open up the case, and start to play. What are these odd, strange squeaking noises emanating from your cello? Why can’t you play properly? Having just come back from a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica, I am faced with this question: how do I regain the level of technicality that I had before a long absence from the cello? The short answer: with time and lots of varied, and sometimes evil exercises. Now I’m sorry to be sort of a practicing nag two blogs in a row, but it’s necessary for all [...]

By Lev Mamuya|2017-10-22T22:54:55-04:00March 24th, 2011|Categories: Cello Travel, High School Blogs, In the Practice Room|Tags: practicing, cello, cellobello, Travel, Lev, Mamuya|

Cello Is My Co-Pilot (Part 1) — by Jeffrey Zeigler

Several years back I was flying out of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. My cello was strapped into the seat next to me and I was ready to go. Lost in my own thoughts, a flight attendant leaned over and asked me very nicely if I was flying with an oboe. Now, I have flown a great deal with my cello over the years and have conditioned myself to be ready for whatever excuses the flight attendant brings in order to hassle me. But I had never ever heard of a cello being confused with an oboe! In complete shock, my only reaction was a nervous laugh. It was right then that I realized that she was actually quite serious and I immediately apologized. But honestly, where had she thought up [...]

By Jeffrey Zeigler|2017-10-30T05:25:05-04:00March 18th, 2011|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: extra seat, Travel, FAA, TSA, FAA passenger bill of rights, Zeigler, flexible, flying, cello, Jeffrey, Experience, Kronos Quartet, air travel, Quartet, airlines, regulations, rules, control, safety|

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