Mike Grinter RIP

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Fildafluter
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Mike Grinter RIP

Post by Fildafluter »

Seen a message about it today on the net.

Anybody else heard anything?
"The more you weigh the harder you are to kidnap,
be safe, eat more ice-cream"

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1298297360297681/
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by kkrell »

He was posting on Facebook up until December 1, so unless something incredibly sudden, he should be OK.
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by andy_skiff »

It has been confirmed... in a car accident
https://twitter.com/sarahtlawrence9/sta ... 3265247232
So great loss...
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kkrell
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by kkrell »

Sorry to hear this. The Twitter link with the news report video is at
https://twitter.com/i/status/1070182459189354497
Last edited by kkrell on Wed Dec 05, 2018 3:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by Terry McGee »

I've placed a mention on The Session. Are there other places we should let people know?
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by Terry McGee »

I've just put this note on the Session. It applies equally here....

We’ve had a few "notable folkies" pass on in Australia just recently, to the extent that I’ve just penned a suggestion to the Australian Folk Alliance that there should be an easily accessible place (a website?) where we can collect stories and commemorate people in and around the folk scene who have influenced or even (in some cases) totally redirected our lives. I’m hoping they might agree to host such a space. A few thoughts spin out from there….

Is anyone aware of such a commemorative space anywhere else in the world? A precedent might be useful.

Has anyone any memories or stories about Mike Grinter that they would like to contribute to such a place?

I’ve made a very small start to such a commemoration with a page (on my website) remembering that scalliwag flute dealer and player, Paul Davies. http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Davies.htm

But that’s just one person in a lifetime of people. We folkies are all about stories. Surely we can look after our own?
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by Ursula28 »

So tragic. Condolences to all his friends and family.
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by Casey Burns »

Alas! We had some lovely conversations over the years. I will miss these! We were about the same age and got started flute making at about the same time some 35 or so years ago, in the early 1980s. His flutes and other instrumentsare lovely and his craftsmanship is superb. I've always liked his work.

I ponder what his waiting list was like and how many will be unfortunately not receiving his flutes now. Any of us can go any time (David Williams who also passed away in a car/bicycle accident comes to mind). This is one reason why I am glad I do not have a long waiting list.

I also used to be an avid bicyclist, but gave it up as life got complicated with family and then moving to Seattle which is frankly not very bike-friendly. In longer term this hasn't been good for my health and now, I would be too scared to get onto any highway full of SUVs and cell phone-distracted drivers and perhaps avoiding the hazardous roads has been a good thing (I am already a veteran of 3 car/bicycle accidents!). I need the exercise though and my arthritic knees are prohibiting walking as much as I used to so I just got myself a nice LeMond Revmaster to get my bicycling strength back. I hope to be around and making flutes for a few more decades (into my 80s) hopefully, assuming my body lets me.

I'm sad for Michael and his family and for the Irish Music community!

Casey
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by Fildafluter »

Terry McGee wrote:I've placed a mention on The Session. Are there other places we should let people know?
Thank you Terry. The mostly non-Irish membership will appreciate the notice when any have an order with Mike (RIP).

But I keep off of it as I heard that the site has a reputation of abusing natives who annoy the owner Jeremy Keith. Quite the 'bully' I understand.
"The more you weigh the harder you are to kidnap,
be safe, eat more ice-cream"

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Conical bore
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Re: Rumor ... Mike Grinter dead?

Post by Conical bore »

Fildafluter wrote:
Terry McGee wrote:I've placed a mention on The Session. Are there other places we should let people know?
Thank you Terry. The mostly non-Irish membership will appreciate the notice when any have an order with Mike (RIP).

But I keep off of it as I heard that the site has a reputation of abusing natives who annoy the owner Jeremy Keith. Quite the 'bully' I understand.
I haven't had that experience on thesession.org. It's true that the flavor of the site has changed in recent years, due mainly to Jeremy's heavier enforcement of "be nice to newcomers" rule. That drove off some of the crustier, and frankly, more knowledgeable longtime members who sometimes overstepped the bounds, but more often just told newbies what they needed to hear. Some people also can't distinguish friendly slagging from hostility on the Internet. The site is now friendlier, but blander and a bit less informative than it used to be. It's still the main site I visit for discussion of ITM in general, and for exposure to the interests of musicians who play instruments I don't. I rely pretty heavily on the tune database there too.

Back on topic, so sad to hear about Mike Grinter. It's awful when a member of such a small community of those we rely on for niche instruments is gone "before their time." I'm not really a candidate to be a flute collector, I'm happy with what I have. But in my "what if" fantasy of some day owning one each of all the respected names in Irish flutes, one of them would certainly have been a Grinter.
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Re: Mike Grinter RIP

Post by MadmanWithaWhistle »

What a tragedy. Such a phenomenal maker. A lot of folks like me after a really old-school sound sought his flutes, to great effect.
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Re: Mike Grinter RIP

Post by Jerry »

Stunned and saddened by the passing of Mike....the world was given a great gift, the gift was Mike..RIP.
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Re: Mike Grinter RIP

Post by endaman »

So sad, a lovely guy. I had an order in with him for a new flute.
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Re: Mike Grinter RIP

Post by benhall.1 »

It's terrible news. I met him once. A gentle, lovely man. I wish I'd had the pleasure of getting to know him better. I've met quite a few of his instruments, and they're absolute beauties.

A great loss.
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Re: Mike Grinter RIP

Post by jim stone »

Always kind. Always helpful. Flutes better than very good.
Unspeakably sad loss.
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