The Relatable Musician 3

For those of you who don't know, a trap table is a very useful stand for a percussionist.  Typically it is a table top that has a padded top, and excels at keeping noisy instruments such as shakers and tambourines quiet when put down.  It keeps auxiliary percussion easy to handle.

A relatively clean trap table

The other day, I took a good look at the percussion section and noticed that it was a mess (more than usual, at least.  It's always a mess).  So I decided to rearrange things a little bit, and tidy up.  That included the trap table.  Looks pretty neat, right?  Relatively organized, for such a disorganized person.  I'd say that's a success, keeping in mind that the idea is to be able to grab any instrument on the table in under 2 seconds without making too much noise. I was satisfied with my effort, and content.  Until...

Five days later, this happens:

I don't look after it for five days and look what happens... 

I'll give my classmates and underclassmen credit; the whip, gong mallet, triangle beaters, and rock tambourine stayed in place.  And the claves almost stayed in place.  However, where did the concert tambourine come from?  When did we have an extra pair of 5a sticks?  We have another pair of super soft (and super fuzzy) bass drum mallets?  It's amazing, the things I learn and lose when the percussion section is used after a week.  Not only is it frustrating for inventory count, it becomes inconvenient for other people to use.  Imagine rehearsing one day, knowing where everything is, and then walking in the next day not having any idea where your essential instruments are.  The conductor starts the song with your giant swing at the bass drum, but you're still trying to put down the sleigh bells that are rattling in your hand, turning 40 heads your direction.  

So if you are a percussionist, take pride and keep your playing space clean!  You don't want to be that guy that creates an avalanche of sticks during a caesura.  Be organized!