An acoustic damper system is described that is suitable for musical performances. In one example, a musical instrument is carried on a stand. A fixture is configured to be attached to the musical instrument stand and one or more fingers extend away from the fixture and the musical instrument stand to contact the musical instrument, such as a cymbal. An acoustic shield can also be attached to the musical instrument stand that has a side wall surrounding a portion of the edge of the musical instrument to reflect sound back toward the musical instrument.