To empty spit in a recording studio... offensive?

[Motrpt1]

In the last decade or so of being a professional musician, I've been to lots of studios, concert halls, clubs, etc, in the US and latin america. I always let the spit out on the floor, and so do all of my colleagues. Noone who I play with carries a towel on their lap or anything like this, and we've never offended or outraged anyone by doing it.

Until now.

While working in Europe this summer, the group I'm playing with was invited to record in a mobile non-profit recording studio, basically an oversized RV stuffed with the latest studio gear. Judging by the equipment alone, it was obvious that they don't record much with acoustic instruments. After the first few takes, we took a break, and in the meantime they gathered us around to tell us that although we sound great, they were highly offended by the brass players (2 trpts, 2 bones, and a tuba) emptying their horns on the floor, that it's rude, offensive, and unhygenic. They also implied that it's rude everywhere, not just in their studio.

Has anyone else recieved a comment like this from a venue? What would a proper response be? Educate them that it's no big deal, or just put some paper towels on the floor and be done with it (we chose the latter)?
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Marc Osterer
Vienna, Austria

[tomba51]

I have noticed in the last few years that it is becoming more common for brass players to bring a small towel or paper towels with them instead of emptying their water keys directly on the floor. This was something that I did not see 40 years ago.
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Tom Barreca

[linkera]

I always carry a small towel to empty water on. I also use one in my own house. Yeah....what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If I don't slime up my floors, I know other people don't want me to mess up theirs. By the way, studio owners have noticed and made positive comments etc.
allan

[deatea]

[dstdenis]

Those 16"x16" microfiber cleaning towels work great. They're absorbent enough to soak up the water without leaking through like paper towels. Handy if you have hardwood floors and don't want to worry about water marks.
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Piccolo Stomvi

[Nonsense Eliminator]

If there is a mat/towel/old newspaper/etc. provided to empty my trumpet on I empty it on that. Otherwise I empty it on the floor, which I have done in countless concert halls, pits, recording studios, and churches. Anybody who doesn't know enough about brass instruments to anticipate this issue deserves what he gets.
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Richard Sandals
NBO

[Crazy Finn]

I guess it depends on the setting.

If it's a concert or rehearsal hall that's used for band or orchestra, I don't worry about it. Ditto for practice rooms.

However, sometimes groups rehearse in non-musical places. I don't just dump spit on my wood and tile floors or on my rugs. They're not there to be spat on. So, I use a towel - either disposable or not. It's not a big deal.

Some of the rooms I teach in, the kids dump their spit out on the floor, other places they use a trash can.

There's nothing wrong with having some consideration.

Not everyone anticipates trumpets dumping puddles of saliva on whatever they're standing on.

If you're enough of a slob not to care about it one whit, well...
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[BedfordTrumpeter]

I'm fine with using a towel and being considerate of others, but if it comes up in conversation with non-trumpeters, let's not contribute to myth out there that it's "spit" or saliva. It's almost entirely water condensation.
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[RandyTX]

It seems pretty common for musicians (and church members) to feel a bit weird about emptying them in a church sanctuary.

Every time I've played in one, I have had some sort of towel (preferably close to the color of the floor) handy.

[Ed Hernandez]

Catching your own water, spit, condensation, or whatever you may want to call it is rapidly becoming the norm in many venues. More and more folks these days see it as a poor hygiene practice with potential health hazard due to perceived body fluid deposited on their floors/carpets.
As an old school trumpet player, it's no big deal to me, but as a Registered Nurse I can understand their concerns. I personally began to use a towel with the Praise & Worship Band about a year ago after the Band Leader (piano player) called it to the horn section attention of having to clean up "spit stains" off the stage. On the other hand, it has never become an issue with the Big Band or philharmonic band in all the venues we've played over the years.
Anyway, I now always throw a hand towel from home in the trumpet/flugelhorn case.
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[Capt.Kirk]

Most of my band teachers had us empty on a small towel that we where all supposed to have in our case or tempt into your case. That said I normally did not do either.

I have never taken it offensive or un-hygenic at all it is just a fact that brass players have to contend with . My one son has to empty water out of his saxophone as well.

I think they over reacted more then a little bit.

If someone asked me not too as a grown man I would do it with any fuss but you can not expect everyone to have been taught the same way.

As the church thing well draining my water valve has to be more hygienic then people sneezing or shaking hands. I also think it is not rude to do in church as that church is just another building nothing Holy about a building. If god minded that so much. No one tells the choir they can not release water vapor with each breath. Every see you breath in the cold that is condensation or water vapor in the air that came out of your lungs the only difference that when a singer does it they do it continuously when we do it we empty on as we need too. The water though is coming from the same place as the singers breath is coming from.

I would be more worried about the thoughts I take with into church then I would draining some water on the floor. Plus when they baptize someong do they not get water on the floor of the church yes they do no one is telling then the priest how rude he is for getting water on the floor.
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The only easy day was yesterday!

[lh]

When I was a kid I never understood the problem.

Under ideal circumstances, it's only condensation.

If you have been ill, or have a heavy cold, it's not just condensation. It contains primordial ooze.

If you don't often clean your horn, it's not just condensation. it contains moldy gravy.

If you routinely clean and oil your horn, it's not just condensation. It's the Exxon Valdez all over again, and is harder to remove from nice carpet than the other two... Also eats through most wood finishes.

Suck it up and bring a towel.
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Eclipse Enigma Bb trumpet 2011
Olds Super Bb trumpet 1958
Eclipse Red Flugelhorn 2011
Selmer Paris model 59 Piccolo 1977
Conn New Invention Cornet 1913

[jtpowell]

I have wood floors so at a home I keep a small wash cloth in my practice area. If it's good enough for my home why not someone else's? I just toss one in the case and no one has mentioned me using. I don't always use it but if it looks like it's that kind of crowd I've got it.
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[mcgovnor]

looks like this may qualify for a another double..who..will make the new case..??and the disposable ooze cleaning cloths???

[Nonsense Eliminator]

If I am someplace where it is reasonable to expect that the emptying of brass instruments is an unusual occurrence and seems likely to ruin something, of course I'll double-check before I empty my horn all over the floor. I'm not going to ruin your brand new hardwood floors or your white shag carpet or whatever, but I'm not going to worry about the floors in an elementary school gym.

But if I am in a venue that exists solely to make music -- stage, pit, studio, etc. -- and I am told to sit in a particular place and play my trumpet, I am going to assume that all trumpet-related tasks which I might normally be expected to carry out may take place in that location. I have been in those situations where for whatever reason a carpet is provided, and I use it. But I have never, ever, brought a towel or carpet to such a venue and I have never seen any of my colleagues do so either. If somebody asked me to I would, but otherwise it falls into the category of "things professional musicians expect to find at gigs in places that are built for gigs, unless explicitly mentioned otherwise, although we may have one in the car just in case, but don't give us a guilt trip if we didn't bring one because it's your own stupid fault for not mentioning it": stand, chair, adequate light, music, and a place to empty the doggone trumpet.

TL;DR: The host of a fancy party or priest at a fancy church saying, "Please don't empty that right on our fancy floor," is okay. The operator of a music venue saying, "You should never ever empty your trumpet on the floor anywhere," is so ignorant of How Things Work that he doesn't even realize he's ignorant.
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Richard Sandals
NBO

[cheiden]

Band rooms, stages and orchestra pits I rarely see folks use anything but the floor. All non-typical playing spaces it's best not to assume and to either bring or seek newspaper or a paper towel. I usually keep in my case a few small cloth swatches nominally for polishing, and in a pinch I'll use those then just chuck them into the washer when I get home. No big deal.
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[gstump]

I was accused of flipping my spit on Karen Carpenter! She went to my boss and tried to get me fired. So, yes don't spit on famous people or the floor anymore.
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[deatea]

Who would have ever thought this topic would get this much attention?
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[ljazztrm]

IMO their reaction was inappropriate and unprofessional. I have been in many recording studios here in NYC and the tri-state area. I've never had a problem with emptying my water key. Last Saturday I was recording at the Brill Building on 49th and Broadway where they record many popular artists and for TV shows such as SNL. Big names are all over the walls, etc..super nice place.. The recording engineer was a wonderful person to work with and I didn't even think about my water keys once.. Neither did the sax player..Hm..honestly I don't even know if that's a thing with sax players..lol. ANyway, my point is that in the truly well known studios that have great reputations my experience is everyone is very kind and respectful and if there was an issue with the water keys or anything else that came up, it would be handled in a much less aggressive manner. As another poster mentioned, it could be that the recording engineers mistakenly thought that it was actual spit being emptied and not water condensation..still, you catch more..what is it..bees? With honey...or something like that..you know what I mean!
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[ljazztrm]

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Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
Trumpets: THE LYNNZHORN!!/Stomvi Forte pocket
Flugel: Manchester Brass Pro Model
Www.LexSamu.com