Misery seeking company... got my first NEGATIVE feedback...

Dewhistle · Post by **Dewhistle** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:38 pm

After having the flu all weekend, I did not need any crap from anyone... Today I was busy trying to get the hang of my Doolin one-piece, and playing around with a tune from The Nightmare Before Christmas as well, so certainly my playing wasn't even as okay as usual, but all the same... It pissed me off pretty badly to hear someone barking in the courtyard. I couldn't make out the words but I am sufficiently self-conscious to think it could be about me. Sure enough, when I failed to stop on command (out of sheer cussedness in case it really WAS about me) I heard some terminally loud, passive-aggressive or even just plain aggressive male voice bark, "Who is doing that?" and more words to the effect that whoever it was should have stopped it when ordered to in the first place. Well, I most belligerently finished my song but lacked the conviction to take up another... the idea that I had someone in the complex childish enough to scream at my poor, feeble Doolin that I thought was so quiet, well, that poisoned any fun I could get from it and made me use too much air for that whistle anyway. And, well, I gotta live here and I didn't want the creep to get a bead on me.

I just HATE that aggressive male type voice, grates on my nerves like a shrill woman using a grocery loudspeaker. Just makes me want to relieve him of his aorta. I'll bet he was a member of the "spoiler club." This refers to a small group of guys who occasionally collect on the street on the other side of our apartment. Why they bring all their cars and stop there I don't know, like watching wildlife I don't interfere with them. But these geniuses park by the red curb and even on the street across the danged driveway while they chat, and one of them has a spoiler built into his car, and the rest got cheesy-looking metal kit spoilers and fastened them to their cars. Anyway, that's irrelevant but they annoy me so it pleases me to think it's one of them. This is also because they are white males and a large portion of my neighbors are Spanish-speaking working stiffs with families, therefore do not fit the indignant "how dare you make noise in an apartment building" barking I heard.

I got one good thing out of this. I say the nice neighbors can play all the mariachis they want if they don't mind my whistles. They can even play that polka hybrid stuff. I will, though, be playing on the opposite side of the apartment by the street. If the loudmouth has a problem hearing music on a public street, he'll have to take it up with the city.

Stella · Post by **Stella** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:58 pm

Thankfully that is not something I have happened across yet...though I am very beginner (and thus more likely to be told to shut up!

I am geting more hacked off with my flatmate playing very loud music all day everyday, but I think I ought to just deal with it if I dont want him telling me to shut up...

Anyway, why I wrote: Any chance of sending in the Nightmare before Christmas music you mentioned?
pretty please?

Stella

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 10:50 am

Keep at it and those barks will eventually turn to applause. It's like clean shaven to beard - that period between looks really bad.

Wizzer · Post by **Wizzer** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 10:57 am

I had two neighbors move when I first took up the whistle. Now I get complaints when I do not play for a few days.

DazedinLA · Post by **DazedinLA** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 11:00 am

I was playing fiddle in the back room of my local pub a few months ago and someone sent the bartender in to say that it sounded like two cats fighting.

That threw me off for a few days, but then I shook it off. Dont let it get to you...its easy for some to cast stones at those who are endeavoring a challenging path to something worthwhile.

Of course, it could be worse...you could be playing the banjo!

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 11:05 am

Borrow a Drum set (don't forget the crash cymbals) and wail away on that for a week or so, then give Mr. No Talent Bad Attitude a choice of what he'll get to hear in the future: Drumset, or whistle. I suspect you'll have no problems after that.

Loren
P.S. Now, if you decide you really like playing the drums after that, well, I happen to have a few Cymbals I'd be happy to sell you - and I promise you won't find them anywhere cheaper!

weepiper · Post by **weepiper** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 3:28 pm

Jeez, people complain when you play the whistle??? I'd better never move to the USA. I practice bagpipes at home and no-one has complained yet. I'm careful never to do it before 12pm or after 8pm, so frankly I don't see how anyone would have much right to complain anyway unless they were working nightshifts. People are so intolerant these days.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 3:37 pm

On 2002-09-16 13:00, DazedinLA wrote:

Of course, it could be worse...you could be playing the banjo!

WHy would anyone complain about the banjo? The only reason I could see is if you skinned their cat for the head, or something.

DanD · Post by **DanD** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 4:00 pm

If you think complaints can throw you off, wait till you get complimented!!
"I really liked the way you played that little run in the B part of tuneXYZ"
Then you spend the rest of your life trying to recreate that little run, until you give up the tune in disgust!

_________________
Without music, life would be an error. - F. Neitzche

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DanD on 2002-09-16 18:01 ]</font>

JohnPalmer · Post by **JohnPalmer** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 4:17 pm

I am too self-conscious (sp?) to practice with the window open. I can't practice at my best if I know people might be listening. I do a lot of wood-shedding, where I practice the same thing over and over and over, either because I haven't gotten the hang of it, or just because it's fun. I'll play Drowsey Maggie many times over just because it's fun. But practice to me is a private affair. I love performing, but practice is not perfoming. And I absolutely love to practice. My kids can sleep right through it. And my wife ignores me anyway, so there's no problem, there. (She does read my posts, though. Hi Honey!) But if you are going to practice where the neighbors can hear it, then I hope you are improving!

JP

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 5:32 pm

What other people think of you is none of your business. (grin)

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 5:50 pm

I can play in front of other people if I'm not the only one playing. Once a friend and I played tunes in the park during a festival while his kids were on the playground, and once I played tunes with a friend while walking down a downtown street...in the rain! Both times I had a blast and wasn't the least bit self conscious, even when I messed up.

But playing in public with no friends about? That's still a bit odd for me. I have played over lunchtim a couple of times at work (there's a pond on site with a walking path) but tend to fizzle out when someone comes within range. And I tried to play on campus at school last spring but always chickened out. I'm hoping that was due to my newbie status and that I will do better when I go back!

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 5:58 pm

Hey Dewhistle... three words
GREAT HIGHLAND BAGPIPES.

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 6:19 pm

Hi Dewhistle,

Your not alone, I was practicing my Dixon Low D the other morning and my son asked me "Who's cat are you killing in there?".

Kathy

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 7:41 pm

Paul's got the right idea. Or, in a pinch, if you don't have a set of GHBs handy,come to think of it , the best would be breaking in a NEW chanter reed, but anyway, a pipe practice chanter would be good too, since to it can be made to sound pretty awful and irritating..

After reading this post, I'm feeling lucky. My husband learned long ago to tune me out(even the GHB) and the dogs and cows just give me funny looks and go on about their business.