[Menvi-discuss] Guide Dogs and Performances

[Sarah J. Blake LaRose]

I have had my dog onstage for the vast majority of performances, including 
some where I was placed directly behind the timpani. I thought that the 
timpani would scare the dog(s)--this happened to two different dogs I have 
worked with--but they were wonderful and slept through the whole thing. For 
one of the dogs, that meant an entire cantata in a cathedral-style church. 
It was very hard on her noise-wise and I have always been very proud of her 
work onstage.

We work a little bit ahead of time so that she knows the layout of the area 
and where I am supposed to be, I can give her appropriate directions, etc. 
My task with my current dog has been learning to perfect my nonverbal cues 
to her so that she moves to down/stay seamlessly and I'm not personally 
distracted by figuring out where she is, trying to get her settled, etc. 
Sometimes I just have to let her be farther out than I am comfortable with 
and trust her--sometimes I think she is nonverbally telling me off for being 
so anal about her placement. :) She has never let me down, and once she 
tricked me by snuggling up so far under my seat that I thought she had left 
me and I started to walk away and look for her.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Amy Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2013 6:32 PM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Guide Dogs and Performances

I majored in music and my Seeing Eye dog was always with me when I
performed onstage. The only times she wasn’t was during my senior
recital and when I was actually performing in an opera concert with
other students, when we were actually staging something instead of
just singing. Every week we had studio class in which students
performed for the other students and teachers, and my dog always went
up to the front with me when I sang. This went for juries, choir
concerts, and basically everything except for the things I mentioned.
Vonda was with me when I sang in choir concerts no matter what, even
when an orchestra played with us. None of my teachers ever even hinted
that Vonda should not accompany me when I sang for juries or anything
else.

Your dog is your mobility aid. It is not right for your teacher to ask
that you not bring him onstage with you. I was in a choir a few years
ago that tried to keep me from bringing Vonda onstage with me during
concerts, but I fought that because it wasn’t right. She was also
nearing retirement and I thought it might be her last concert
accompanying me, which it was.

It is up to you, of course, but I personally would never allow it. If
it is okay with you, that’s fine. Vonda was good at lying quietly when
I sang as well. I practiced a lot during college, not to mention choir
rehearsals and lessons and other things, so she quickly got used to
it. I understand that a dog can be distracting, but your dog is a part
of you and people seem to adjust well for the most part. I did several
solo concerts and each time my dog was with me. It’s just something I
never considered, not having her with me. During my recital I chose
not to because I entered and exited the room a few times etc, and we
just decided it would be easier. A family member held her in the front
row for me and she was good.

Sorry for the long message. I guess it just comes down to what feels
right for you, but whatever happens needs to be your decision. If
something feels wrong, you definitely have the right to speak up and
explain why it is important to you to have your dog with you.

Amy, retired shepherd Vonda and working golden Topaz

PS. We actually performed Carmina Burana at our very first concert
with full orchestra, and right before graduation we again did songs
from Carmina Burana and again with orchestra. Vonda did accompany me
then, but of course I understand if a person chooses not to do this.
It was so special to me that I entered and left college singing the
same songs. Also, my solo concerts lasted between an hour and an hour
and a half, with an intermission in the middle.


On 1/1/13, Marda <marda-pianist at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I am a guide dog user too and a pianist and this has been an issue for me 
> as
>
> well.  I remember one time when someone wanted me to leave the dog 
> offstage
>
> and use a cane to get onstage.  Not cool.  I've done the sighted guide 
> thing
>
> and I've had my dog onstage.  My preference is to have the dog onstage and 
> I
>
> try to do that when I can.  The dog might be a distraction at the 
> beginning
>
> when they see you come onstage but hopefully the music would draw the
> audience in and they would focus on you.  It's true that preventing you 
> from
>
> having a guide dog onstage is an ADA violation and is discrimination.  But 
> I
>
> don't think there's anything wrong with going sighted guide in itself and 
> I
>
> think it's a lot smoother than using a cane unless you get to practice 
> going
>
> onstage in advance.  I've trained my dog to find the piano because I've 
> been
>
> a church pianist and organist for years.  The piano is generally in a
> prominent place and I've never been told that my having a dog distracts 
> from
>
> the worship.  If you perform somewhere regularly you and the dog get used 
> to
>
> going on and offstage and people get used to seeing the dog.  I think the
> same thing would apply to juries.  You take your dog into the rest of your
> classes so why should the jury be different?  Professors are used to 
> seeing
>
> your dog and really once you get onstage people forget about the dog 
> because
>
> she lies down quietly and does not move until it's time to go offstage. 
> It
>
> can be a tough call and you need to do what's most comfortable to you 
> since
>
> you don't want to be distracted yourself thinking about the dog.  But if
> you're going to do juries for four years I'd consider fighting for your
> rights.
> Marda
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kelby Carlson" <kelbycarlson at gmail.com>
> To: "This is for discussing music and braille literacy"
> <menvi-discuss at menvi.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2013 1:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Guide Dogs and Performances
>
>
>> He has been on stage before and is generally very, very good.  But it
>> sounds like the concensus is that this isn't necessarily something I
>> should fight hard against.  My apartment is actually extremely close to
>> where I perform, so in certain circumstances it's actually easier for me
>> to just go with a cane rather than take him--he's fine sleeping at home.
>>
>> I'm also glad to hear others use sighted guide to get on and offstage.  I
>>
>> don't know why, but I always felt like that was cheating but could never
>> figure out a great alternative.  (It actually seems to work well,
>> thougheaz it allows my pianist and I to coordinate more easily.)
>>
>> Kelby
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Cristina Jones <coloraturajones at gmail.com
>> To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
>> <menvi-discuss at menvi.org
>> Date sent: Tue, 1 Jan 2013 11:36:35 -0800
>> Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Guide Dogs and Performances
>>
>> I'm a Dog user myself, and I completely understand why they think that a
>> dog might be distracting on stage.  It's not my favorite idea, but, I
>> completely understand.  So, in the situations, I generally have a 
>> tendency
>>
>> toward leaving my dog offstage, either with a friend or tied down and
>> lying on his blanket where he is safe and comfortable.  That way, I can
>> just go cited guide on and off stage, and I can come back and check on 
>> him
>>
>> whenever I need to.  He's usually good about keeping quiet.  Another 
>> thing
>>
>> you can do is to buy one of those collapsible crates.  They're really
>> soft, and they are very compact.  I think you could get them either at
>> target, Walmart, or Petsmart or Petco.  I would recommend to target or
>> Walmart since they're cheaper.  I have to get one myself or my dog, but
>> he's a bit too large for the ones at target or Walmart.  But that's
>> besides the point.  The other thing you can do, is to leave him in a
>> professors office if they're okay with it.  I've done that several times,
>>
>> and I find that works the best.  I don't have to worry about him when I'm
>>
>> supposed to be focusing on music.  One thing you can do if you're really
>> uncomfortable with leaving him Offstage, is you can take him into the
>> practice room with you and have him practice lying still in harness while
>>
>> you sing.  One thing I find to be helpful is that I leave him in harness
>> and unleash and I just sang and make him life still while I move around
>> him.  Not necessarily making circles around him or anything, but I do 
>> move
>>
>> a little bit when I sing for expressive purposes.
>>
>> Sincerely:
>> Cristina Jones
>> (714) 312-9889
>>
>> On Jan 1, 2013, at 11:31 AM, Kelsey Nicolay <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Well, I'm not entirely sure how to respond to this.  To me, this sounds
>> like a discrimination because your guide dog is your primary method of
>> travel, I'm assuming.  What I would do in this situation is if they ask
>> you not to bring your dog on stage, I would simply just go sighted guide
>> with someone.  I know this isn't ideal but it seems like they don't
>> understand that they can't deny you your travel aid.
>>
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Sarah J. Blake LaRose, M.Div.
Personal email: sjblake at sarahjblake.com
http://www.sarahjblake.com

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