A Challenge for the Newbies & Lurkers

[Denny]

ex-nerds club

ex-nerds?

I thought it was like being a Jet

[MTGuru]

I guess you (MTG) are now a member of the ex-nerds club! Maybe you should renew with W6MTG?

Whadda you mean, "ex"?

Yes, my favorite is HF CW and digital. So I should renew to get in on the latest sunspot cycle before the plasma storm on Mayan doomsday next year strips our atmosphere and we all die horrible deaths.

I can only imagine the demi-god status you lived operating the slide projector and advancing the slide to the ding prompt.

Mostly I remember being nearly electrocuted a few times because of faulty AC cords.

Well, there was the time (later, at university) when I was projecting the premiere of some arty film for a packed audience at the university theater. It wasn't until the first reel change that I realized that the distributor had mislabeled the reels, and I had shown the second reel first. Thing is, the movie was weird enough that no one knew the difference until then. But you don't know ugly until you've been chased by a mob of angry cinephiles threatening to lynch the projectionist.

[Anyanka]

I've been posting occasionally for a little while, but I still feel very newbie, so here goes:

1. What instrument(s) have you been playing? and 2. How long have you been playing?
given up on: Recorder (various), ten years early in my life; guitar, the ten years after that, badly.
current: piano (5 or 6 years), piano accordion (1 year), bodhran (6 months), Irish whistle low & high (3 months?). Irish flute - soon.
I also have a fiddle. I can make really bad noise on that.

3. Where are you playing? (inside/outside/underground/in spaceships)
Mostly in the living room. Whistle occasionally with other enthusiastic amateurs. Accordion soon with the No1 Ladies' Accordion Orchestra.

4. What are you working on?
Accordion: Manchurian Waltz; piano: Lully's Courante; whistle: working out an Aidan O'Rourke piece by playing along to the CD

5. What's the best fun you had with a whistle?
Trying to keep up with the concertinas.

6. Have you inspired anyone else?
I can make my little lurcher sing. Sometimes. It requires a high G whistle, or the very very high notes on the accordion.
One of the greyhounds sings along to the harp. Now if we could only get the others to harmonise...

[Smee]

I don't remember when I found this website- maybe a year ago? I just never registered for the forums because I did not have any whistles other than one we got from Fort Megs that is a simple tin cylinder with a wood piece on the mouthpiece. Not easy to play but it sounds interesting. Anywho....

1. What instrument(s) have you been playing?
I started out playing a little piano, and then picked up the flute in grade school. I played until I graduated, then only sparingly over the next handful of years. I also play recorder, fife, and recently got an Acorn D whistle. I am also trying to get my hands on some pipes, but so far the hubster is not convinced.

2. How long have you been playing?
Flute, I started waaaaaay back in 1984. Recorder, just a little before that, but nothing serious. In fact, I got a recorder of my own the year before last. Fife has only been a few months, and the whistle has been a month. That was my birthday gift to myself

3. Where are you playing? (inside/outside/underground/in spaceships)
As fun as a spaceship sounds, I practice in my bedroom with the doors closed. I play in a community orchestra and flute choir with my girl (also a flutist), and we are in a fife & drum corp together. I recently (like last week recently) found a pub in Dallas that has some open sessions that I will be going to. I'll just be listening, but maybe I'll get brave enough to actually play.

4. What are you working on?
I want a good sound on the whistle, but as of right now my upper octaves aren't so spectacular. I'm still going to practice, though, no matter how much our dogs- or the hubster- complains. We have a sit-down performance coming up for our fife corp, and our orchestra season is just starting, so we have music for that. Flute choir has been going on for a few weeks now, but there are still some pieces that I need to work on. I'd say my hour a day practice sessions may need to be a little longer.

5. What's the best fun you had with a whistle?
Does buying it count? I was hoping the hubster would get the hint and get it for me as a birthday gift, but since he didn't, I bought it for myself. Granted, it's a bright yellow, but that would make it fun, right?

6. Have you inspired anyone else?
So far my girl hasn't been bitten by the whistle bug, but she did take up flute and fife. I also got her a recorder, but I don't think she has a real interest in it. Which is too bad, because I think Christmas carols sound great on the recorder.

[RonKiley]

Also WB3BDE. Formerly a 10 meter fan. I had an Icom 100 watt 5 band rig in my car as well as an Azden 2 meter rig. Accidently let my license lapse. (i was having a heart attack at the time).

Ron

[Peewit]

I'm a newbie to Chiff and Fipple, and pretty much a newbie to taking the whistle seriously. About 2 weeks ago I bought a WD Sweet delrin D whistle, wanting to upgrade from my cheap James Galway model. (I don't like Galway's flute style either.) So I've been practicing my new whistle and I like it a lot. I've been a classical flutist for 50 years (!) and an Irish trad flutist for about 4. My keyless wooden flute is a Windward, made here in Nova Scotia by Forbes Christie, and it's wonderful. I also play recorder, alto flute, and piccolo.

I play my whistle at home, where I am probably bothering the landlady upstairs, especially because I need to work on the upper octave, and at my weekly session. I'm working on the session tunes I already play on flute. I decided to play whistle because of arthritis in my hands, hoping it would be easier than flute. I might also try to learn some Brian Finnegan tunes which he plays on whistle - although my current favourite is Last of the Starrs, which is a gorgeous air on the flute.

So far, I had fun surprising my friends at session when I pulled out the whistle. It's more enjoyable when there aren't 4 or 5 whistles going on at once. Mine seems to play in tune, according to my tuner, even in the upper register, but I can't say the same for my whistle colleagues, and there is a fair bit of discord... I haven't inspired anyone yet, though I've already played a few tunes for my students in music class, which they seemed to enjoy. I've been inspired by Mary Bergin and Brian Finnegan, both of whom taught at Boxwood, a summer festival/workshop I go to every year.

Since I'm a newbie, can anyone tell me how I might change my username? Mine just sounds like someone spitting and I want to change it. Also, does anyone know how to create a profile? I emailed Dale with these questions and he just said to ask the forum, or to introduce myself... Guess I've just done that, basically. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Anne B

[jkrazy52]

Since I'm a newbie, can anyone tell me how I might change my username? Mine just sounds like someone spitting and I want to change it. Also, does anyone know how to create a profile? I emailed Dale with these questions and he just said to ask the forum, or to introduce myself... Guess I've just done that, basically. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Anne B

Anne, you can't change your user name. Perhaps one of the moderators (MTGuru, Nanohedron, etc) can. Contact one of them by PM (the private messages through the board) and ask. As for the profile, look on the top of the page for "User Control Panel" aka UCP. This is where you create and edit your profile or add an avatar or a signature to your posts. One word of caution, whatever you put in your profile will be public.

Welcome to the Chiff!

Judy

[Mack.Hoover]

Dear Anne,
I'm a lurker but not new. My advise is to keep your interesting attention getting handle (it caught mine) and include an amazing avatar. Your profile has already spoken here.
Mack

[mutepointe]

Regarding the name change, I've known of one person who got their name changed. Moderators can do that. It would be easier if you just set up a new account and not panic when you're asked for a name. But keeping your name and telling us why you chose that name would interesting too. Avatars and signatures are really where it's at. There are websites with free avatars.

I sure don't mean to be starting anything about Sir John Galway but I borrowed a CD of his music from our local library. At the time, I thought a whole CD devoted to showcasing the flute was the problem.

[Kem]

Regarding the name change, I've known of one person who got their name changed. Moderators can do that. It would be easier if you just set up a new account and not panic when you're asked for a name. But keeping your name and telling us why you chose that name would interesting too. Avatars and signatures are really where it's at. There are websites with free avatars.

I sure don't mean to be starting anything about Sir John Galway but I borrowed a CD of his music from our local library. At the time, I thought a whole CD devoted to showcasing the flute was the problem.

No, see, the problem with Sir James Galway is that my parents have one of his easy-listening CDs, which they play over...and over...and over again in their car. I swear that if I ever again hear "Perhaps Love" or "The Wind Beneath My Wings" played throbbingly on the flute as frickin' elevator music, I shall scream and throw things.

[Denny]

"The Wind Beneath My Wings" played throbbingly on the flute

aye, there ya go, eh!

[Peewit]

Thanks for the advice. I added my location and a signature. Avatar when I can figure it out. I tried creating a new account with a new name, but was informed that my email address was already in use. Short of using my work email, which I prefer not to do, I don't know how to create a new account. Maybe I'll just stay with my odd username.

Anne

[Denny]

Having multiple accounts is generally frowned on here.

[mutepointe]

Critiqueing people, unless they asked, is generally frowned upon too, and I apologize for encouraging this direction. Now if Sir John happens to show up, registers under one account only, and politely asks, well then we'll see how that goes.

[hans]

Thanks for the advice. I added my location and a signature. Avatar when I can figure it out. I tried creating a new account with a new name, but was informed that my email address was already in use. Short of using my work email, which I prefer not to do, I don't know how to create a new account. Maybe I'll just stay with my odd username.

You can change your registered email address under User Control Panel / Profile / Edit account settings. You can't change your user name on this board. A moderator with admin privileges can do so, maybe some moderator is willing to help you, since you just joined and haven't got much posted. Or ask to be removed, so your email address gets freed for you to start with a fresh account.