OK Marion, strap yourself in... The easiest, lightest and most flexible mic stand is (Dah Daa) a portable music stand with one or two 12" flexible goose necks attached to the up right portion of the stand with a couple of hose clamps.

1. Get the bottom portion of a standard folding music stand, and one (or two if you plan to use the same stand for a vocal and a guitar mic) goose necks.

2. Get a couple of one to one and a half inch hose clamps from an auto parts dealer.

3. Lay the stand top and the goose neck(s) side by side and slide the first hose clamp over the stand base and the gooseneck(s) til they all meet at the bottom of the goose neck(s). Tighten the clamp so that the top of the gooseneck is level with the top of the stand upright. Then slide the second hose clamp half way down the gooseneck and stand top and tighten at the middle.

4. By bending the gooseneck forward you can put the top portion of the music stand back on and still attach a mic or two to the forward bent gooseneck.

5. Avantages: low weight, small size when folded, easy to set up, ajustable in a number of different ways, low cost, and stable, especially if you use the music stand with music on it. I thought of this many years ago and have used it in in all sorts of occasions. If I want to stand up I use a dime to loosen the hose clamps and move the gooseneck to the top of the stand upright and the middle hose clamp; leaving the music stand top off. With the stand itself extended, it is just as tall as a normal mic stand with a goose neck on top. And the whole thing weighs less than a pound, and takes up no more space than a regular portable music stand. MacIver never had a chance...