Thomaston wrote:I imagine my answers will be very different from most, especially considering this is a site devoted to the whistle more than any other instrument
You're correct. I wasn't expecting answers like yours, and I have debated how to respond.
Thomaston wrote:1. What did you accomplish on whistle in 2019?
A couple of things. First of all, I became a teacher. Only one student, but she’s stuck with it and learned a lot.
Teaching is not easy. The fact that your student is motivated and making good progress means you're doing a great job as a whistle teacher.
Thomaston wrote:3. What tunes are you learning this month, and which is your current favorite?
... My favorite tune is quite possibly a Scottish strathspey in A Dorian called “The Cat That Kittled in Jamie’s Wig.” It’s not a whistle-friendly tune, but is a blast to play on something 5ths tuned, i.e. banjo/mandolin/fiddle.
I'll have to look that one up, just for the title alone.
Thomaston wrote:5. What do you enjoy most about playing tin whistle?
What I enjoy the most is the very thing that has me divorcing myself from it for the foreseeable future: the ease it provides me. But if I’m going to grow as a musician, I have to continue with this divorce. Not that I dislike the whistle at all; I do still love it. And one day, after I’ve succeeded in eliminating it from my “arsenal,” I’ll happily invite it back into the fold.
If whistle is not bringing you joy the way your other instruments are, then it's time to move on. You didn't post here to have us talk you out of setting aside the whistle. However, I'm still going to comment. I haven't heard of many music teachers who aren't actually playing the instruments they are teaching. You owe it to your student to play whistle at least a few times per week, to keep your skills polished. You've labeled your whistle playing as a
crutch. It sounds more like a
talent. There are a lot of beginners who will be reading this thread, wishing they had your facility on whistle. And it will be hard for them (and me) to fathom that you're giving it up because it comes too easily to you. Just my opinion.