Our conductor has told us that he wants a break, which has caused some chaos in the big band. I’m confused about why it happens now because the conductor told us this a year ago. Apparently, the committee has been sleeping because they haven’t prepared anything. Or, more correctly, they expected everyone in the big to play without a conductor for some time. But why haven’t they asked us?

I don’t understand how it is possible to be so narrow-minded that you don’t ask the members what they want when the conductor takes a break but instead assume that everyone wants the same thing as yourself. It turns out that many of the members, including me, don’t want to show up unless a conductor is present. Why haven’t we talked about this in the fall? And why hasn’t the committee asked for the prerequisites for people to keep showing up? And they should also have asked if people were willing to pay for a professional conductor.

There has been a professional conductor the last two times, and I think it’s fantastic. He is nice and has a great way of correcting us. It’s relaxed and friendly, and nobody feels singled out. There are rumors about people not wanting to pay for a conductor, and some think having a conductor for every rehearsal is unnecessary. Well, it is necessary because he has focused on teaching us how to play swing. It’s an indication that we need a lot of basic knowledge, and it’s about time we get professional help. But not all agree with that. I’m excited to see how it all ends.

I have used synthetic reeds on my saxophone for more than ten years. I was in a German music store called Thomann when I asked the salesperson which synthetic reeds they would recommend because there was a lot to choose from. The salesperson gave me only one choice - Legere Signature - and I haven’t regretted that decision. A couple of years ago, Legere launched a new reed - American Cut - which I have used ever since. Recently, they launched French Cut, and I had to try them.

I have tested the different reeds the last couple of days, and I have been a little stumped. The reed that I like the least is the American Cut, which surprises me a lot because I compared the American Cut to the Signature last year, and at that time, I preferred the American Cut. Well, I guess I’m allowed to change my mind. I like both the Signature and the French Cut. It is hard to describe, and I’m sure that others will explain the difference in other ways, but according to my ears, the Signature reed is more soft at the edge of the sound while the French Cut is more sharp. I’m not saying the French Cut doesn’t have a dark sound - it’s just more defined. I will play on the Signature reed again for now, but the French Cut may be more suitable for the big band. Time will tell.

I have bought a pair of AirPod Pro and have been very excited to see if they would be a good fit for me. I have always had problems with in-ear headphones because they don’t fit my ears, and every time I go for a walk, they fall out - especially if I have to look both ways before crossing a road. They are also supposed to function as earplugs when I play music. It is high time that I start protecting my ears. And lastly, I want to use them for listening to music and audiobooks.

First, I haven’t finished testing the different tips to find the ones that best fit me. I had big problems with changing tips because I couldn’t detach the default ones. Even though I watched several how-to videos, I still had problems getting them off. In my opinion, they were stuck. After a couple of weeks, I could finally change them to a smaller size. It needs more testing because the left one still does not fit me perfectly, but I’m confident I’ll find a solution. I have also looked for unoriginal ones made of foam that might be a better fit for me. As I said, I’m still testing the tips.

They are fantastic for music and audiobooks. I love the realistic sound they produce, so I approve of them for that purpose. I also approve them for my music performances. I love all the possibilities of adjustments, but at the moment, I’m using the default settings. I’m still fumbling around the menus when we start playing music. Sometimes, I turn on noise cancellation, making it very difficult to hear my fellow musicians.

I have also discovered that the AirPods are perfect for me when I need peace and quiet, whether at work or on the train. It is unnecessary to play semi-loud music to shut out the noise; it is possible to use them as earplugs. I was on my way home on the train one day while having a minor migraine, so I most of all needed some quiet. Four to five happy teenage girls entered the train and started chatting. Please don’t misunderstand me. Usually, that wouldn’t bother me, but I wanted to kick them out of the train at that time. Instead, I put on my AirPods and activated noise cancellation, and everything went almost silent. The noise from the train was also dampened, and suddenly, the train ride home was comfortable. The experience was so positive that the money I spent on the AirPods was well worth it.