How to keep flutes free of Covid
NewsThe Hochschule für Musik Freiburg has invented a disinfecting cabinet for flutes and other woodwind instruments.
It is claimed to kill all viruses, including Covid-19.
The man promoting it is Stefan Temmingh, a South African recorder virtuoso. He says: ‘Cleaning flutes is incredibly time-consuming. You can disinfect them with alcohol or other cleansers, but immersion damages the wood. So we have a disinfection cabinet that comes with ultraviolet light … it is particularly useful for instruments that are shared by different students.’
Disinfection takes 25 minutes. The box is now on sale for 7,600 euros.
My fly on the wall tells me that the next stage of this development is the construction of a box that eliminates or neutralizes wrong notes on instruments. Before a concert, you put your instrument in the box for 15 minutes which will remove any wrong notes or false intonations for the next 2 hours.
I have a cheaper solution. Just leave it in the case for a week.
. . . and if it’s a recorder remember to throw away the key just to be sure.
What a terrible thing to say. You should be ashamed.
Sorry, but why would students share woodwind instruments in the first place?
It’s the preparation stage for more personal entertainment.
I can confirm as a conservatoire-trained recorder player that instruments were shared at times in order to give us all experience on instruments we may not necessarily own e.g. entire Renaissance consorts, larger-sized recorders (usually those larger than the bass), or if someone had an instrument that someone needed. For example, my professor lent me a voice flute for several weeks to prepare for a recital that called for it as I didn’t own my own.
It’s really not that uncommon. Pretty sure every wind musician will do it eventually e.g. conservatoire bassoonists sharing contrabassoons.
UV light certainly has disinfecting power, but it has to reach all the nooks and crannies where the virus might lodge, in order to be effective. Keyed instruments have plenty of hiding places; there has to be a way to hold the openings open and expose the seals to the UV to disinfect the instrument completely.
If TüV certified please rush me two dozen.
Ultraviolet light is also damaging natural materials.