Hi Martin He's a nice guy and a decent player, so you don't want to humiliate him. But on the other hand, he does have to get the message clearly and unequivocally. If subtle hints had an effect on him, then he would no doubt have stopped long ago.
So, I suggest that during the coffee break one rehearsal, you take him off to one side, to somewhere where nobody else can hear you. And you explain, politely but firmly, how distracting his movements are, and you give examples (such as the ones you you have described here) of occasions when it was seriously annoying. Explain that all members of the orchestra have a role, not only in enjoying the music for themselves, but in promoting that enjoyment for the other players and for the audience. If he expresses disbelief that his movements could distract other players, don't get into that discussion. Just say that you find them distracting, that you believe other players also find it distracting, and you are asking him out of consideration for the other players to find some way of stopping it. You make it clear that you consider him to be a valued member of the orchestra, and he will be even more valued if he can stop the extra distracting movements. If that doesn't do the trick, then the next step will have to a delegation of players. 3 or 4 speaking to him together with the same message. Regards Jonathan West _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
