Airports Abuse Musicians and Damage Their Instruments

We’ve all stood in line at airport security, waiting for our bags to safely pass through the X-ray machine. It’s a long, tedious process, but at least we come out of it without any harm done. The same could not be said for world-renowned violinist Carmit Zori, who was returning home after playing a concert series in Raleigh when an overzealous TSA agent caused over $6000 worth of damage to her instrument. The Spectator reached out to Zori and got her full account of the story.

Upon reaching security at Raleigh Airport, Zori was informed that the X-ray conveyor was too narrow to fit her violin. A member of the TSA grabbed her violin and brought it to the other side of the machine to inspect it for possible drugs and weapons. Concerned, Zori suggested that she open it for them; however, she was not allowed to do so. “I talked to the first lady there; ‘I have a really expensive instrument. It’s old. It’s from a few hundred years ago. It’s got some bows there. It’s very expensive and somebody that is very educated about antiques, paintings, and musical instruments should be the one to do it. Otherwise, it should be me, because you’re risking being sued. It’s very dangerous and the instrument may get damaged,” Zori said.

After putting up a brief fuss, the woman ceded and had a coworker take the case. The TSA worker first tried to open the case upside down. Had Zori not convinced him to open it correctly, the violin could have been severely damaged. The worker took the instrument out carelessly, waving it around and looking at it. Zori said, “so far he was careful and then he was all done as far as he was concerned, but then he looked into all the little spots in my violin [case], all the little containers. There was a container of resin there.” Resin, which is used on violin bows, is kept in a small container away from the violin so as not to damage either. However, after taking the resin out of its container to inspect it, the worker left it on top of the violin’s face. “Who needs to put anything in a container when there’s just space on top of the violin?” Zori joked.

When he proceeded to zip the case with the resin sitting on top of the face, he couldn’t close it entirely. “He tried pushing and pushing on the lid and I screamed, ‘Let me close it!’” Zori said. The worker quickly told her to “go ahead, lady,” and quickly left. “I think he heard something. Why did he all of a sudden say that I was allowed in that area? It was because there was something he knew he was guilty of. It wasn’t on purpose, but it’s ignorance. When you don’t know something, you can do bad things, that’s what it is,” Zori said. Zori inspected her violin, removing the resin from it, and saw a crack in the face. After consulting with the violin repair shop, she discovered that the repair would cost $6000. Though the violin will be fixed about six weeks after the incident, the emotional stress and damage are still everpresent. “Have the gun ready to shoot me if I’m really a criminal,” Zori said. “There’s nothing dangerous about this little violin.”

This is not an isolated incident, as aggressions toward musicians have occurred for decades. For many years, it was unclear whether musicians were allowed to bring their instruments into an airplane cabin. Though small stringed instruments like violins and violas can be stored in overhead compartments, airplane crews often deny musicians the right to do so under the claim that musicians need to check their instruments in the hold. Storing extremely delicate works of art in an airplane hold is simply not feasible, as they would be smashed to bits in the crowded space. Often, musicians leave their planes to switch flights in the hopes of finding a more educated captain. Most cellists and double bassists buy an extra seat for their instruments just to avoid placing them in the airplane hold, yet they are still sometimes not allowed on the plane, despite paying for both tickets.

Fortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 declared that violins and other small instruments must be allowed into airplane cabins when carry-on rules applied. Despite this law, many airport staff and captains still deny musicians the right to bring their instruments into the cabin. For example, Rachel Barton Pine, Cecilia Bernardini, Zach de Pue, and Nick Kendall were all declined this right in Chicago, Amsterdam, and Charlotte for the latter two, respectively. Some musicians have started carrying a physical copy of the law, but it is not a common precaution.

Another particularly upsetting case is that of Itzhak Perlman, who is widely considered to be the greatest living violinist. The 70-year-old Israeli violinist contracted polio in his youth and requires the use of a wheelchair or crutches to walk. While in Toronto, Perlman was abandoned by airport staff with his crutches, his violin, and two bags. The worker assigned to help him told Perlman that he wasn’t his personal assistant and left him entirely alone.

While the TSA and airport staff’s abuse isn’t limited to musicians, their treatment is a prime example of cruelty against ordinary, non-threatening members of society. Women with underwire bras being brutally searched and people of color being stopped and interrogated are other examples on a much larger scale. The TSA and airport staff are in a position of power and abuse their authority at times. If people were less arrogant and instead communicated with compassion and respect, we could avoid these unnecessary grievances and focus on issues that truly matter.

“I’m willing to give you respect, please give me respect,” said Zori. “It’s so easy to do.”