[nagdu] Musicians with Guide Dogs

[Heather Hutchison]

Hi Rachel,

I am a professional musician and I worked a guide dog while studying voice in university, so she was at rehearsals/concerts/master classes pretty much every day of her working life (she is now retired). It was really never an issue. Sometimes I would leave her with a friend if I was going to be in the recording studio, because even her shifting position would disrupt the recording and I didn’t always want to leave her in the control room depending on who I was working with, and how long the recording day was going to be. I guess it depends on what kind of ensembles you play in, but I was almost always able to find a place for her next to me at shows and rehearsals. I also worked with her a lot on holding a down-stay and using subtle body language to cue her instead of voice commands so I was very confident that even if she couldn’t be right by my side she would stay put during the performance. If I was hired for a show I never really mentioned that I had a guide dog and nobody ever questioned it as she was never disruptive to the show. She actually seemed to know the difference between shows and rehearsals and would act extra professional. :) Have you talked to your school about your concerns? I mentioned that I was a musician at my home interview and they matched me with a dog whose raiser was also a musician, so she had been on the stage since she was a puppy. It is very doable to work a guide dog and do everything that a musician usually does. Please let me know if you have anymore questions.

-Heather
On Nov 14, 2014, at 6:35 PM, Rachel Grider via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hello, Everyone!
> 
> I just had my home interview, but I am still concerned about a few things. I would like to hear from any musicians on this list, particularly professional clasical musicians. I am concerned about the practicality of a guide dog in rehearsals and studios. Any insight would be appreciated.
> 
> I really want to get a guide dog, but I need to make sure that it would be the right decision for both me and the dog.
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Rachel
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