Traveling tips from a globetrotting musician
By Erin Mae
I have always been a bit of a wanderer, and this time the travel bug bit HARD. This summer I was invited to teach at Halsway Manor in the United Kingdom. I could not pass up an opportunity for such a grand adventure, so I jumped on it. I met many new dulcimer friends, caught up with some old ones, and shared countless tunes with all of them. All in all, my husband and I traveled for 4 months, in 7 countries, and across 18 thousand miles.
…with 2 mountain dulcimers.
I couldn’t leave them behind. I NEED my instruments.
This is not the first time I have been far away from home with a dulcimer. Brazil, India, Japan, and now a large swath of Europe. All with instruments in tow. After all those months and miles, here are some things that I have learned about gallivanting with your instrument.
First, if you can avoid taking the instrument in the first place, that is the safest. If you can find a friend who is willing to loan you one, take them up on it. If not, plan for loss. I know it is not fun to think about, but no matter how careful and meticulous the planning, accidents happen.
Do not go anywhere with an instrument you cannot live without. When in Brazil I knew it was going to be wet. Between the rainforest and the Amazon River, “proper humidity” was not an option. So, I brought an instrument that was good enough to survive but not so precious that I would be heartbroken if it did not.
Next, a hard case is key. They are cumbersome and not as compact as a soft case, but when the goal is protection, nothing is going to beat a hard plastic shell with soft padded cases inside. The HPRC 6300 (hprcusa.com) is the best hard case I have found so far. It is water- and dustproof, short enough to fit in car trunks and aircraft overhead bins, and has convenient wheels. I fit two dulcimers in soft, backpack cases inside it.
Note the Bing Futch sticker in the front, center.
Photo by Justin Lewis.
Prior to finding this case, I used a hard-shell golf club case to check my instruments or risked bringing a single dulcimer in a soft case onto the plane with me. Neither of these situations is ideal.
Airlines have a lot of power to say “yes” or “no” when it comes to anyone (or anything) boarding their planes. This means that you must research each airline’s policies regarding instruments. Some state even a guitar is too big to have onboard and must either be checked or have a seat purchased. (I’m looking at you, British Airways.)
When flying with an instrument, I find it is best to be very kind (and stubborn) when talking to agents. When checking luggage, they will tell you it is too big. Just smile and say, “I am very protective of my precious dulcimers, you see. May I take it to the gate to let them decide?”
When at the gate, they will probably say, “I don’t know if that will fit.” Smile and ask politely, “Is there any way I can try to see if it fits?” If they say “No, we have to gate check it,” see if you can be the one to walk it to the end of the jetway… and before turning over your case, kindly ask the flight attendant on the plane if there is any way they can help you get it onto the plane. In my experience, the HPRC 6300, with two instruments, will fit in most overhead bins.
If you can make it past the gate agents and onto the plane, odds are that the staff onboard will help accommodate your instrument, either helping you fit it in a bin or finding a closet. After all, they are the ones that have to deal with you for the next several hours.
Futch flight fiasco inspires “Only a Northwest Song”
Bing Futch can tell you all about the perils of flying with dulcimers.
Encouraged by fans and the success of Dave Carroll‘s song “United Breaks Guitars,” he wrote “Only a Northwest Song” after his double neck dulcimer, Annie, was damaged during a flight in 2009.
A remixed version is on Futch’s album “Dive!” which is available as a CD or digital download at BingFutch.com.
Get “unlimited, exclusive access to all of Futch’s books, CDs, videos, tablature, educational resources, and more,” starting at just $5 per month at patreon.com/bingfutch.
Where trains are an option, I recommend them nearly every time. They are faster than cars (added bonus: I do not have to drive) and much less stressful than planes. Trains generally do not have the same size and weight restrictions or lengthy security prior to boarding. Most of the time, trains allow anyone to walk up and get on with whatever luggage they are carrying. (It is up to you to make sure you have the appropriate ticket BEFORE boarding.)
I would even go as far as saying trains may be my preferred way to travel – no parking, lots of room to move, and usually drops you off in the middle of the city. Across Europe, train stations seemed to be close to all the places I was trying to go, or at least close to public transport hubs – whether it be local trains, subways, trams, or buses. It was never more than a few hundred yards of walking, and the wheels really made it manageable to carry around the hard case.
And if all else failed, my husband would carry it.
Bon voyage!
Erin Mae was the 2004 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion. She teaches and performs internationally – both online and in-person – with the diatonic and chromatic mountain dulcimer. Erin Mae has a passion for passing on dulcimer and folk music traditions to anyone who is curious, but particularly to the next generation. Visit erinmaemusic.com.