The Boom Stand

Tight hips and hunched shoulders are instant killers to a great big resonant flute sound. Practicing hip openers in yoga and constant attention to opening the shoulders and chest to stand straight is a constant pursuit; however, why do hunched shoulders occur? It seems that putting a music stand in front of you could present a problem. Because you can only adjust a stand's height and the angle of the music holder in a vertical plane, the music will remain a static distance away from you and you will inadvertantly hunch your shoulders and head towards the music to be able to see (and not have the stand so high that no one can see you!).

Here's where the Boom Stand comes in. It's a regular mic stand with a music holder attached to the end. In addition to adjusting the height and angle, you can also bring the music closer to you while the base stays stationary. What an idea! I mentioned this quandary in @DTClarinet's practice group (http://blog.davidhthomas.net/groups/), and was actively thinking about what changes I could make to a traditional music stand when I found the Boom Stand.

The only downside to this side is the price. If you visit http://www.theboomstand.com/, they have a special internet price of $90. In the search for more ergonomic tools to improve our practicing and how our bodies feel, I think that if you have problems with neck and shoulder strain, it's worth the investment.

I'm also interested in hearing from you - do you use a modified music stand? If so, what changes did you make? Let me know!