Beat the Heat
Feels like Summer by Stephanie Schlatter
Whether you love the heat (I do not) and the outdoors (we have a tenuous relationship), playing outside seems to be an unavoidable reality of being almost any type of musician. If I’m being honest, I expected to leave playing outside behind when I left marching band, but audiences love outdoor concerts. I can’t blame them, either. My favorite way to see the bands I love is outdoors at beautiful amphitheaters! Ever since leaving school I’ve been enlisted to play in all manner of outdoor concerts, meaning that over time I have come up with many ways to adjust and adapt. All of us, from students, to hobbyists, to pros will perform outside at some point, and probably often. My best tips for beating the heat and conditions are below!
Hydrate
This is the most obvious way to contend with heat outdoors, but it’s worth emphasizing the reasons that hydration is crucial for our health and our playing.
We dehydrate quickly outside - especially if we are in a humid environment, dehydration can sneak up on us. It is important to hydrate before, during, and after outdoor concerts. It can be helpful to cut back on foods or beverages that are diuretics before playing outside in the heat as well.
If you have trouble drinking enough water, try adding a hydration tablet with flavor and electrolytes (for adding nutrient replenishment) to your water or eating some watermelon!
Beyond the medical reasons it is important for us to stay hydrated, it is also crucial for our playing muscles! Playing with dry mouth is difficult and unpleasant, and beyond that, the flexibility and suppleness of our embouchure muscles is crucial to our playing. Staying hydrated helps our sound and the health and longevity of those muscles!
Rest/Stretching
Sleep is important if you have multiple concerts outdoors - your body needs to replenish its resources. Both our large and small muscles need care when we have to be in the elements, whether that’s on a hot stage or in a hot amphitheater. Muscles can become swollen from overuse and extreme temperatures, and this includes our embouchure muscles. Remember to take breaks when possible, and resist the urge to spend a lot of time warming up or practicing to the detriment of your already-tired muscles.
Make some air!
A neck fan that can be used in between pieces will go a long way toward keeping your overall body temperature down. If you have long hair, keeping it up and away from your neck will produce a similar result.
If a neck fan isn’t available and your hair is already short, you can place a damp cloth on the back of your neck to help lower your body temperature.
Choose your fabrics wisely
Do your best to choose fabrics that breathe like cotton and linen. Wear sandals if possible, and try to find pants that are low in fabrics like polyester.
Spend more time outside
This may seem counterintuitive, but spending too much time right before an outdoor concert blasting the AC will make it even harder to adapt to the elements. Try to acclimate (in the shade, with a fan!) for at least twenty or thirty minutes before your performance.
Adjust your instrument
Our grip on our instrument can feel tenuous in the heat, which leads to even more muscles strain. Foam stickers, flute gels, or thumb supports can help tremendously to cut down on strain. In addition, you can add a piece of medical tape to your lip plate to keep your head joint from sliding off of your face!
Pick the right accessories
Have a microfiber cloth nearby to wipe off your instrument and your face. Keep some bug spray handy, as well as clips for holding your music to the stand in a breeze (iPads are great for outdoor concerts - no pages to blow away!). Sunglasses are important for those late summer sunsets that will shine right into your eyes during a solo.
Nourish
It can be easy to forget to eat when it’s hot - the temperature will zap our appetite and trick us into forgetting that we are hungry. Choose protein-rich, cool-temperature foods and eat your meals a few hours before you have to go out in the heat to avoid feeling nauseous.
Pick a good outlook
It can be easy to feel negative about less-than-ideal circumstances for performing, but we’ll fair better if we choose to keep our sense of humor in tact. There’s no reason to suffer even more.
No matter whether you like to play outside or not, the reality is that we want to sound our very best no matter the circumstances. With the outdoor odds stacked against us, playing our best just requires a little more preparation and planning.