How old were you when you started whistling?

[DrPhill]

Age has been mentioned again and rather than hijack that thread to ask I thought I would start a poll.

Phill

[jemtheflute]

I started on (Bohm) flute aged 17 and acquired my first Gen D and C whistles about the same time - can't recall now (after 33 years!) for sure if I had a whistle before the flute, but think not. I had, of course (for GB of that era), done a bit of recorder in lower secondary school (not very successfully). I acquired some recorders as well as whistles in my first few months of starting to play at 17, and my family heirloom 6-key simple system F flute plus a rather nasty Premier 5-key Bb band flute not long after. So they all came in pretty much a clump, within the first 12-18 months. It wasn't ITM at that stage, though - mostly David Munrow-ish Renaissance stuff and some Playford tunes, then some other English tunes...... I didn't really start to hear ITM (there wasn't that much around in Britain then unless you moved in just the right circles) until after I went to uni in Cardiff, joined the uni Folk Club, met Ben Hall among others.........

[Tommy]

Hmmmmmm...... uh.... let's now... I can get this, it's not realy a trick question. I got it! To old.

[Bothrops]

I started to play tin whistle when I was 20 years old. About a year later I started with the irish flute, and now, at 22 years old, I started to play piano and I also want to learn guitar. Is it impossible to do all of this being 22? I wish I started to play music when I was 5

[Tia]

I started when I was about 9 with just basic stuff, I left it for a while then came back when I was 15 and started actually learning all the tricks of the trade

[ancientfifer]

Age 12, drifted away in college with the occassional toot by a campfire, or after a good drunk to wake up the dorm, and finally picked it back up after many years dormant, and sharing my time with it and the flute now.

[Ceili_whistle_man]

Learned whistle when I was around 8 or 9 years old. Played for a couple of years then progressed onto button accordion then the natural progression was on to flute (Bb fife to be more precise) playing in marching bands. (It's a Belfast thing)
Had a blow every now and then over the years, but was doing more listening than playing.
Came back to more serious whistle playing in my 20's and have been playing ever since. (I'm 50 this year)
I am now tending more towards the flute because of my fifing background (and the tunes from it) starting to come to the fore. I find my whistle is getting played less and less these days.

[projektio28]

I started in utero, back when I had a "womb with a view"! Wakka wakka!!

But seriously, I started getting into it when I was 24 or so after I joined a band playing the GHB with other pipers...my interest in all things Scottish and Irish traditional music really made me pick one up quick.

Matt

[pipersgrip]

I think 18-19.

[pancelticpiper]

I started on the GHB at 17 and by 19 was playing Irish flute, whistle, bodhran, and uilleann pipes also.

I don't think any teacher would recommend starting Irish flute, whistle, and the uilleann pipes all at the same time.

There's a teenager around here who is learning GHB, uilleann pipes, whistle, flute, accordion, and tenor banjo all at once (in addition to playing at least one instrument in the school band) and seems to be doing quite well.

[pipersgrip]

Hmmm.... I started whistle in March of 2006, and flute on March 2008. So I think I was 18, almost 19 when I started.

[MeaghanEryn]

My first instrument was piano, which I began at age 7. I started playing the Boehm flute in school band at age 11, and started taking private lessons when I was about 15. I bought a whistle when I was around 17, and I got a keyless Irish flute (I suspect it was one of the infamous Pakistani ones) for my high school graduation present. I tried to hit the odd session, but only in the past year have I been making an effort to attend regularly. I've also bought a bodhrán and now that it's summer and I have time I'm going to try my hand at fiddle and guitar, too!

[Infernaltootler]

I put 41+ but actually I first tried the whistle when I was about 19, however, got little encouragement from my Irish mum and enthusiasm wained after a couple of months I think.

20 years later I'm really into it and have been playing daily for coming up to two years.

How I wish I'd stuck with it 20 years ago

[mutepointe]

There should be a poll, "When do you wish you would have started whistling?" I only learned whistling as a side effect to breathing exercises following heart surgery. If I would have learned the whistle as a child, this would have changed my life. I hope the children who learn the whistle know how lucky they are.

[Mick Down Under]

I put down the 11 to 20 bracket as I first bought one and started working out tunes when I was 17, however the interest didn't last and it was only when I was 36 that I came back to it with any kind of real serious intent. I practice as much as limited time will allow (never enough), but probably too much for my ever patient neighours.


Mick