Severe ivory restrictions coming.....and it *will* hurt

[oleorezinator]

Ah delrin, from the regions which are holy land.

[Jon C.]

Just ordered some ivory, so I can stock up before the ban...

[keithsandra]

This is an email an American friend sent me on Sunday about US Customs' treatment of bamboo flutes recently. Book burning next?

"This was my life," said musician Boujemaa Razgui in December, referring to the 13 handmade flutes that he played professionally, "and now they'e gone." Arriving in New York City from Madrid with the 13 woodwinds in his checked luggage, he was shocked to discover that US Customs had destroyed them without notice because "wood" is a restricted "agricultural" import. Unsophisticated agents had apparently regarded them as mere bamboo. Razgui plays all over the world, including, since 2002, with the Boston Camerata ensemble staged by the city's Museum of Fine Arts."

Best wishes,

Keith.

[MTGuru]

This is an email an American friend sent me on Sunday about US Customs' treatment of bamboo flutes recently. Book burning next?

Yes, Keith, we discussed this at the time, here: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=96393

The man made a number of stupid mistakes, including bundling illegal raw bamboo with his finished flutes, not securing any documentation, and not hand-carrying his precious instruments. There's a cautionary tale here, but it's not the hysterical one ("book burning") that some people are trying to spin.

[Aanvil]

I guess my idea of making flute cases from baby elephant trunks isn't gonna get well received.

[jim stone]

That's different.

[MTGuru]

I guess my idea of making flute cases from baby elephant trunks isn't gonna get well received.

Jayz, how long are your flutes?

[jim stone]

The plan is to get three or more cases from one trunk.

[Aanvil]

I guess my idea of making flute cases from baby elephant trunks isn't gonna get well received.

Jayz, how long are your flutes?

Umm.... I'm somewhat proud yet too embarrassed to say.

[keithsandra]

"...malevolence ... what can be explained by sheer stupidity - and in this case, pitifully poor training, and perhaps, sadly, ethnic prejudice."

John, these are from your words in the topic you referenced me (which I hadn't seen; thank you).

I think "... malevolence ... and pitifully poor training and perhaps, sadly ethnic prejudice" are just some of the mentalities behind all such examples of "book" or any other kind of destruction like this one. Maybe it's a classifiable syndrome, and in this case not one from an ancient Chinese dynasty or Nazism, but here and now, alive and well and living in America.

Call my indignation hysterical if you think it properly describes my reaction, but I know you wont mind me reminding you of the quote, "Freedom is lost when good men remain silent."

However, I do appreciate your other more thoughtful sentiments on the subject in general and on this case in particular, and support your ideas to back up our music colleagues in any action they take.

All the best,

Keith.

[Ben Steen]

"The man made a number of stupid mistakes, including bundling illegal raw bamboo with his finished flutes, not securing any documentation, and not hand-carrying his precious instruments."

Was the unfinished bamboo illegal?
Exactly which documentation is required for bamboo flutes?
'Not hand-carrying . . . ' at least some of his flutes; yeah that was short-sighted.

[MTGuru]

Was the unfinished bamboo illegal?

Yes, apparently so.

Exactly which documentation is required for bamboo flutes?

None for the finished flutes, I think. I didn't say there was. The raw cane would have been a different story. I'd think accompanying documentation that the cane had been dried or prepared in such a way as to render it not an agricultural threat, if that was indeed the case, would have prevented confiscation if it had been hand-carried through customs.

[MTGuru]

Call my indignation hysterical if you think it properly describes my reaction, but I know you wont mind me reminding you of the quote, "Freedom is lost when good men remain silent."

I think you just need to take step back, Keith. Equating Nazi book burning with barring the importation of dangerous agricultural products and invasive species, or with curtailing destruction of the rainforests and extinction of endangered animals is, you know, just silly. Unless the freedom in question is the freedom to wreak agricultural and ecological havoc.

The devil is in the implementation. My concern, as for others, is that bureaucracies are ill-equipped to enforce well-meaning regulations in such a way as to accommodate the legitimate needs of traveling musicians. The filing fees alone for documentation and the testing fees for certification can run to hundreds of dollars per instrument. It's a burden that a casual musician like myself would never be able to afford.

[mrcharly]

This is wandering off topic, but for general information if you tried to enter Australia with a wooden flute it would highly possible it would to be seized and you'd have to pay for it to be sent back home.
Signs of 'bark or insect infestation' on commercially-manufactured instruments will guarantee this happens.

[Ben Steen]

Sorry for posting earlier they were bamboo. I was mistaken.

"Just for starters, ney and kawala flutes are generally not made from bamboo - the traditional material is Arundo donax ("Giant reed" and many other names), which doesn't even belong to the same family. It's a member of the Poaceae (grasses/reeds) not the Bambusoidaceae (bamboos)." > > http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/0 ... oes-Viral#

It took myself a bit of time reviewing the many reports to realize my initial mistake. I'm guessing the lot of you knew they weren't bamboo much sooner than me; & since none of you are employed by Customs & Border Protection in the United States you shouldn't have any cause to admit how long it took you to recognize there never was any bamboo at all.

Fair enough, gents ; )