Could it be that your sax playing leads to divorce for you?
Does your partner like your saxophone playing? Are you an evening person? Do you like practicing into the late hours of the night, or into the early morning hours?
Depending on how you answered these questions, you could end up like Mr. Herbert Lorden, a former saxophone player in the San Francisco theatre’s orchestra. Back in 1922, his saxophone practicing choices quite possibly left him single, and paying alimony for years.
Source: The Spokesman=Review, February 23, 1922
Given that no fault divorces were still decades away, Mrs. Lorden had to argue her case for wanting a divorce. In the event that her husband’s choice of practicing his saxophone past midnight wasn’t enough, it seems another, arguably more serious one was needed too.
According to the article, Mr. Lorden felt that husbands didn’t need to help with the children, and should be left alone to do they wanted. Interesting guy… How enlightened of him…
Oh, and just as a side note, this story was only picked up on because the 1920s backlash against saxophones was already in full swing, and as the author of this piece wrote:
Music may be all right in its time and place and it may have charms that soothe the savage breast [sic]. All this Mrs. Loren will admit, but Mrs. Lorden is not a savage and the home and midnight are not the proper place and time, she declares. She has had experience, so she ought to know. Which also raises the question: Is the sour moan of a saxophone music? [emphasis added]
Yup, no bias against saxophones there. 😈
How the story of the Lordens relates in today’s world
I wonder if Mrs. Lorden was granted that divorce, or if Mr. Lorden contested it? Either way, having a partner who is on a different schedule than you is not necessarily a deal breaker, but it can be a challenge.
I am not now, nor have I ever been, a real morning person. I don’t wake up really early in the morning with a spring in my step; jump in the shower; and then plunge into the day’s activities with glee and abandon. It has always taken me a good 90 minutes to wake up once I’m upright. That old saying: Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my 2nd cup of coffee, used to be emblazoned on my coffee cups at home and work.
The evenings, late nights, and very early mornings are great for me. That’s why I could work nights, as well as play in clubs. I don’t crash and burn until around well past 2 am.
Now I have never been as rude as Mr. Lorden from San Francisco allegedly was, and don’t practice my saxophone past midnight. However, it used to not be uncommon for me to practice until 10 or 11 at night during the week. Fortunately my partner doesn’t go to bed at 8 or 9 pm, and I’ve lived in a house for most of my adult life. Therefore I don’t have neighbours living above or below me to disturb. I also keep my windows closed when I practice, so the sound really doesn’t travel that far.
All of this discussion about practicing late at night, spouses, and circadian rhythm compatibility leads to perhaps the inevitable question: What would you do if you find out the person you’re dating hates saxophones? Would you:
- Politely let them know that the two of you are incompatible.
- Dump them hard and fast. Hell, leave them holding the check in the restaurant that you’re at!
- Continue to date them, but casually, and without the idea of any future commitments.
- Expose them to all the possibilities of sensual saxophone sounds, and what that could mean for your, um, sax life? 😉
