[NAGDU] Leading Music with a Guide Dog

[Julie McGinnity]

Hi friends,

This week I'm filling in for our music director at church.  It's such
a great experience, but my dog and I need to find a way that will
allow me to conduct the choir comfortably that works for him as well.
Since I think I may want to do this as a career, I want to have a
method in place that makes me and Bill happy.

My dog doesn't react well when he can see me but not get to me.
Putting him on tie-down, for example, while I go across the room and
rehearse with a group makes him a little crazy.  It got to the point
at which I had to keep him in my professor's office while I rehearsed
with my opera class in grad school.  He used to bark and do everything
and anything so that I would return to him.  Now, he has gotten a lot
better over the years.  Last night at rehearsal, I put him under a
chair right next to my friend who held the leash for me.  He was in
the first row, maybe five feet from where I stood conducting.  He did
well enough, and my friend had no problem with him, until about
half-way through the rehearsal when he got up and decided he would
come back to me.

So, you can understand why I may not feel comfortable putting him with
someone else or on tie-down.  On the other hand, I don't want to be
stepping on his leash either.  I don't feel as free to move when I am
on the dog's leash.

Have any of you ever directed choirs or other musical groups?  What
did you do with your dog?  What would you do?  Would you take the risk
and leave the dog with the friend under the chair?  I have a
hands-free leash, but it's too large for my waste.  I would have to
fix it up a little to fit me, and I'm afraid I would look ridiculous
up there with a leash around my waste.  Hopefully, I can buy a
hands-free leash that is as unabtrussive as possible and fits a very
small waste size.  :)

Thanks for any ideas you might have!

O, and Billy Bob appreciates this too!



-- 
Julie A. McGinnity
President, National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division,
First Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
"For we walk by faith, not by sight"
2 Cor. 7