Covid flute masks

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Mr.Gumby
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Covid flute masks

Post by Mr.Gumby »

It was only a matter of time and here they are:

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:)

[Add:]

Looking around further I found these are perhaps not as novel as I initially thought when posting this, Etsy is awash with them:

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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by BKWeid »

Now my brain hurts...
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Conical bore
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by Conical bore »

No thanks. Reduced volume and trouble breathing? Check. Not a solution to condensation drips? Check.

In the early phase of the pandemic I thought about using a clear plastic face shield, the kind used in addition to a mask in hospitals. I tried it because we had one lying around from a friend whose company manufactured them. It didn't work. Too much sound was reflected back, making it hard to hear anything else, and it didn't do much to limit airflow except aim it a little more towards the floor. As for protection from others, a face shield without a mask isn't much protection at all from aerosols.

What works for woodwind players is everyone in the group being vaccinated. My fiddler S.O. and I are having some friends over for a kitchen session tomorrow, a piper and whistler. We're all vaccinated. We're going to have fun without wearing masks.
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by Mr.Gumby »

Conical bore wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:20 am What works for woodwind players is everyone in the group being vaccinated. My fiddler S.O. and I are having some friends over for a kitchen session tomorrow, a piper and whistler. We're all vaccinated. We're going to have fun without wearing masks.
Not looking to have this going off on this track, the thread was meant as some light entertainment, a brief moment of levity, but lets keep it clear that vaccination works as well as it works. Efficacy against currently dominant variants is between 70 and 80% for mRna vaccines, lower for some others (AstraZeneca etc), depending on where you look and on various circumstances. Efficacy wanes over time. But in a lot of cases vaccination reduces effects when you do get infected. It is not a full protection and care still needs to be taken. It's the best we have though perhaps not as a stand alone option.
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by Seamie »

Take up the box or Highland pipes. By the time you can play without causing a stampede and emptying the room- the pandemic will have been long over.
Problem solved.
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by Conical bore »

Seamie wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 4:48 am Take up the box or Highland pipes. By the time you can play without causing a stampede and emptying the room- the pandemic will have been long over.
Problem solved.
That's a thought. I bought a WARBL recently to play fake pipe tunes at home (playing it like a whistle), and I have a good portable PA system I've used for gigs. The WARBL is much, much easier to play than real pipes, but I'm still at the level where I can probably generate a stampede by poor playing at high volume.
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by PB+J »

I bought a mandoln because I can play the mandolin masked, in a group setting. Still working hard on the flute, but only at home
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by david_h »

Mr.Gumby wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 1:43 am It was only a matter of time and here they are:
Trouble is Mr Gumby that, as you hint in the OP, the time has long passed. These below are from 2 July 2020 and there was a flute mask on the site linked from the Classic FM page. (https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/co ... musicians/)

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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by Mr.Gumby »

I lead a sheltered life, apparently.

:tomato:
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by PB+J »

I'm off to Ireland for ten days on October 19. Ireland has extremely high vaccination rates, the highest in Europe I think, which is great. I'll be in Dublin, Derry and the Glenties area and then down to Wexford to visit my wife's cousins.

Should I expect pubs and restaurants to be open? Should I bring a flute in case I find a tolerant session somewhere?
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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by Mr.Gumby »

Restrictions in the North have ended, the Republic is easing as we go, aiming to end restrictions on 21 Octtober. Restaurants are allowed open but you'll need proof of immunity. Best look at gov.ie or Citizens information for the latest.

Fluteplayers have been spotted in the wild in recent days, unmasked and all, but YMMV:

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Re: Covid flute masks

Post by PB+J »

That sounds promising. I'll have gotten a Pfizer booster by then. Archives all look to be open
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