Playing quietly at an airport OK?

I've got one and it tends to get looked at suspiciously by the airport scanners. I was questioned about it twice now. hehe Still, it's easy to play it in an airport without bothering anyone. You'll attract more attention like you said! hehe

rappsy said:
You could always get something like a RISA Stick and no one past a few feet from you would hear it. I recently used this each day in an Intensive Care Unit and the doctors and nurses always inquired about the unusual looking device that I was playing. You would probably get more stares about the Stick than the playing.

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There are also other companies that produce relatively silent Ukes.
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Lol, I wish the supermarkets and department stores and music stores felt this way. I went into a music store one time to get an Abba album and they were playing 'cringe' Tiny Tim!! Talk about being stuck somewhere! I pity the people who have to work at these places during the holidays!!

KoaDependent said:
In short, I don't believe it's appropriate to subject others to things they didn't ask to hear, no matter how good you think you sound. It's different in a park or other setting where people can choose to move if they don't like it - in an airport you're all stuck in the same spot until you board.
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I always have a ukulele with me when I travel, and I play it while waiting at the gate, sitting in my seat, very softly, and keep the case closed so I don't appear to be busking.

I have never had a negative comment or experience, and I usually have other passengers/ crew members/ gate personnel thanking me.

I think one of the best experiences was at O'Hare, when a gate agent said that she wished when could hire me to play at her gate all day!

Another was when a toddler just started dancing in front of me with a big smile on her face.

So play your ukulele - even though you are playing for yourself, don't be afraid to share the music with those around you.

-Kurt​
 
I always play at the airport. I play fingerpicking instrumentals and they are well received. I don't move off into a corner - I just take it out and play it softly. I refer to the uke as the NII (Nearly Inaudible Instrument).
 
I'd say if you can find a place in the airport where you won't be disturbing anyone, no problem. If not, DON'T. (We had a thread on this subject and, as I remember the general consensus was don't force others to listen to you at the airport.)
 
stevepetergal said:
I'd say if you can find a place in the airport where you won't be disturbing anyone, no problem. If not, DON'T. (We had a thread on this subject and, as I remember the general consensus was don't force others to listen to you at the airport.)
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Funny, in Ottawa here in Canada, we have the Byward Market; a touristy type area with farmers' stands and trendy bars and restaurants and the usual riffraff to boot hanging about. hehe The city now requires a busker's permit for the summer. I don't busk so this means nothing to me. However, one of the real issues was that the buskers were over-amplifying their music and annoying the farmers' stands, etc... I can attest to this since I am there often enough and there was WAY TOO MUCH amplification on stuff. So, that was forcing people working nearby all day to listen to that crap.

Airports are intense places... people are fed up, waiting forever, etc... tired, zonked, drunk, etc... but it is dumb to go playing loudly a uke or as a group together. Best to find a quiet corner to just play softly. I am sure no one will mind. And if someone does, just stop. Though, go near an open-area bar... no one will mind there!!! hehe
 
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I love playing the uke but I don't feel the need for it to occupy every spare or idle moment in my life. We can't assume that everyone is even remotely as enthusiastic as people here are about the ukulele. Just because people don't say anything directly to someone doesn't mean that they aren't annoyed or bothered. This is coming from an introvert. My personality would tell me that in such an environment that I wouldn't do anything that might bother or annoy others. There have to be better opportunities for some playing time. I'd suggest bringing a good book.
 
When I say I play quietly, I mean I play VERY VERY quietly- almost inaudible, just enough that my fingers are touching the strings correctly and producing just the barest of sound.
 
rappsy said:
You could always get something like a RISA Stick and no one past a few feet from you would hear it. I recently used this each day in an Intensive Care Unit and the doctors and nurses always inquired about the unusual looking device that I was playing. You would probably get more stares about the Stick than the playing.

View attachment 93605

There are also other companies that produce relatively silent Ukes.
Click to expand...

I travel with a Risa stick, too. I use headphones and amplify & listen with the prior version of one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/AP2AC-amPlug-AC30-Guitar-Headphone/dp/B00NAUHX1G

Works really well. And when TSA has questioned the strangely-shaped object in my carry-on, my answer ("it's an ukulele") always generates a smile.
 
mikelz777 said:
I love playing the uke but I don't feel the need for it to occupy every spare or idle moment in my life. We can't assume that everyone is even remotely as enthusiastic as people here are about the ukulele. Just because people don't say anything directly to someone doesn't mean that they aren't annoyed or bothered. This is coming from an introvert. My personality would tell me that in such an environment that I wouldn't do anything that might bother or annoy others. There have to be better opportunities for some playing time. I'd suggest bringing a good book.
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I kind of agree with Mike. It would not bother me if someone was playing a ukulele or a guitar. I wonder how many trombone players want to play their trombones in the airport? Quietly of course. But kidding aside, it takes a lot to bother me. But personally, I would never play in a venue with a captive audience. If they can't get away from me, then I feel like I'm imposing. So an airport would not be a place that I would play my ukulele. But I then I don't have the desire to drag my ukulele through the airport when I am travelling either.
 
KoaDependent said:
In short, I don't believe it's appropriate to subject others to things they didn't ask to hear, no matter how good you think you sound. It's different in a park or other setting where people can choose to move if they don't like it - in an airport you're all stuck in the same spot until you board.
Click to expand...

I'm constantly subjected to half of someone's annoying cell phone conversation, I think that point held more weight ten years ago.
 
I haven't done this yet - too self conscious - but someday I will. I feel like it's ok if you do it at an unused gate or something. Plus Ralf (OnlyUkeThatMatters) has made airport videos before and I always thought they looked so cool.

Tonya said:
At Orange County (CA) airport once, I was working on one of the first songs in Mark Nelson's fingerpicking book, "Las Mananitas"; it's a song traditionally sung to Mexican children by their mother on the morning of their birthday. I was putting it all together and playing it over and over when I became aware of one of the airport maintenance workers drawing closer and closer. He'd been emptying trash receptacles and when I looked up I saw him smiling broadly at me. Then he began singing the song in Spanish as I played along--and I couldn't stop smiling, either. As we finished together, he nodded his head at me, said "gracias" and slipped back to his work. That was one of the "most connected" airport layover experiences I've enjoyed.
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What a great story!

hoosierhiver said:
I'm constantly subjected to half of someone's annoying cell phone conversation, I think that point held more weight ten years ago.
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Perhaps you'll agree with me from (as I understand it) your trips to Thailand, Mike? This is one of the advantages of living in a foreign country where I don't understand the language so well. The ability to tune that kind of chatter haha. Sorry for the thread drift.
 
hoosierhiver said:
I'm constantly subjected to half of someone's annoying cell phone conversation, I think that point held more weight ten years ago.
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I agree with you there, that people with their phones glued to their heads are annoying, but I also think that is a huge part of the problem these days. The, I'm not going to worry about annoying other people, because other people are annoying too, attitude. We don't all have to shoot for the lowest common denominator.
 
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Rllink said:
I agree with you there, that people with their phones glued to their heads are annoying, but I also think that is a huge part of the problem these days. The, I'm not going to worry about annoying other people, because other people are annoying too, attitude. We don't all have to shoot for the lowest common denominator.
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That's true, but sadly it seems the social norms and expectations are changing rapidly these days because of technology. I sometimes feel like I am the only person left that considers cell phones a social nuisance and often a rude intrusion.
 
hoosierhiver said:
That's true, but sadly it seems the social norms and expectations are changing rapidly these days because of technology. I sometimes feel like I am the only person left that considers cell phones a social nuisance and often a rude intrusion.
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Agreed on that. But I'm wondering if it is going to phase out at some point. I only say this because I managed an aquatic center before I retired, and I had over a hundred lifeguards on the payroll. None of them would answer their phone, but they would answer a text within minutes. They would tell me that they didn't like talking on the phone, that texting was better. I don't know, I'm an old guy, but they did get me talking less and texting more.
 
EmmaQ said:
When I say I play quietly, I mean I play VERY VERY quietly- almost inaudible, just enough that my fingers are touching the strings correctly and producing just the barest of sound.
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Ditto, I would venture to say my traveling companion sitting next to me can probably not even hear it. It would NEVER occur to me that I should play at a volume any passerby could ever hear. But even if I were talented enough, and I didn't think it was obtrusive, maybe I am also too shy to do so.
 
I always travel with an ukulele. I often play in the terminal while waiting to board. If it is crowded, I will try to find an area that is less crowded so that I do not "bother" anyone. I have found that sometimes people have moved - closer! Usually I get smiles from people if I get any reaction at all.
If you are considerate, I do not think it is an issue.
Yes it is true that Led Ka'apana was asked to stop playing in the Honolulu airport, but I do believe the security person was new and just "enforcing the law" but I do not think he knew who Led was. I recently had to take a day trip to Maui for work. Since I was working, it was the first time I did not take an ukulele on the trip with me. On the return trip, I had a couple of hours to kill and I was really sorry I did not bring my ukulele. Then I saw the pilot come to the gate, ukulele in hand! I said, "Oh man, now I am really sorry I did not bring mine, we could have had a jam session!" and he just laughed.
 
Last time I saw/heard a ukulele being played with singing, loudly and very off-key, at an airport, the surrounding crowd was getting unruly. Before security could arrive the poor fellow's uke had been reduced to kindling and he seemingly had lost a tooth. The tooth loss may have been unintentional and due to the late arrival into the action of a small, older woman with an umbrella.
 
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I have to laugh at anybody referring to Key West as "uptight" or similar adjectives.

Ever been there? That's probably the last word I'd use to describe the rather.... colorful population of that island. :)

It's definitely the weirdest city in Florida - and that's saying a lot! :cheers:
 
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