Quarterly Reports are due again Newbies, Lurkers, & Others

[mutepointe]

I'm in the middle of compiling real life quarterly reports. I wish social workers could do math. Next fiscal year the monthly reports are going on Excel spreadsheets and I inserted all the formulas so they will never have to do math for me again. Anyway...

1. What are you working on now?
2. Tell us about a recent achievement.
3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)
4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?
5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?
6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?
7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.

[dsmootz]

About a year and a half into my ITM adventure, working primarily on flute and pipes (with bits of whistle and English concertina on the side)...

1) Working on learning more reels, since my current stock of tunes leans heavily toward jigs. Shifting toward learning by ear remains my constant challenge, reformed classical musician that I am - learning tunes about 90% by ear now, referring to dots only for bits I just can't get.
2) Bought myself a Snark tuner, which is much more responsive than the iphone app I'd been using...this has helped me get a solid picture of the particular tuning of my flute, in particular recognizing that I tend to go wildly sharp on high G, A, and B.
3) Taking a trip to Ireland (which involves buying lots of things) with my wife over the summer...it's actually a delayed honeymoon, but she's consented in advance to seeking out sessions in the evenings
4) Just finished performing as part of the "pub band" in a community theater production written by a local couple ("Echoes of Ireland", in Bastrop, TX)...it's was a rousing success by the theater's standards.
6) More or less the opposite I think I've crushed any interest my wife might have had in ITM by practicing it interminably. I've been asked whether my flute was some kind of recorder...don't think that counts either.
7) We have two dogs. One doesn't care how much I play. The other whines intermittently when I hang around the high end of a flute or whistle (Cliffs of Moher and The High Reel are among her least favorites), and constantly when I practice the pipes. She's not smart enough to leave the room, though...

[Hotblack]

1. What are you working on now?

16 months in and just keeping up regular practice (2hrs a day generally).
Tunewise (up to about 75 now) - currently working on Herbert the Sherbert/The Plane Tree and Childgrove. Mainly English tunes anyway 'cos that's what get's played at local sessions.

2. Tell us about a recent achievement.

One of the local pubs that held a regular session has just closed. I arranged a new (and far more welcoming and better) venue. It's now every week instead of twice a month. We now get large jugs of ale planted on the table in front of us during the session.

3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)

I need a tenor G. Possibly Dixon or Sindt for financial reasons. Would prefer a Goldie or Chieftain.(Being English, no).

4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?

Yes (shameless plug alert). Abingdon Arms Session in Wantage on Friday and an apres Morris session in Oxford at The Head Of The River on Sunday afternoon, if that's what you mean. If you mean a real performance in front of an audience then I'm practicing a few tunes with a friend to play at an Open Mic evening (in the next few weeks but as yet to be decided).

5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?

Almost everything I play is non-ITM. I'm rooted in the English tradition.

6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?

You're 'avin' a giraffe aren't ya?

7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.

Not that I'm aware of......as yet.

[DrPhill]

I'm in the middle of compiling real life quarterly reports. I wish social workers could do math. Next fiscal year the monthly reports are going on Excel spreadsheets and I inserted all the formulas so they will never have to do math for me again. Anyway...

1. What are you working on now?

- Learning enough tunes at sufficient speed so that I can join in more at the sessions. Trying to overcome the boredom of repeated practice of tunes that have lost their allure through repetition.
- Practicing 'Eleanor of Usen' on my bass A, and coordinating a group of folk to make a recording of it in a smaller and more focussed session.

2. Tell us about a recent achievement.

- Settling (mostly) on a set of hole sizes/positions for my bass A whistle so that I can stop 'improving' it and start playing it.
- finding a lovely simple tume that fits the bass A whistle nicely (see above).
- playing a reel that sounds like a reel. A bad reel, but at least it does not sound like a hornpipe. (I have external corroboration of both those points, don't I Ben?)

3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)

I am thinking of selling a low D whistle to fund purchase of another low D. But this is not the place to advertise..... If you give me some USA Income Tax Refund Monies I promise to spend them on whistles. What a quaint colonial idea - government giving back some of the money it took. Bless.

4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?

At a session - quite likely. In front of a mic at home - quite likely. As a real musician in front of an audience? Not if I adhere to the trades description act.

5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?

Pig Ankle Rag. Solitaire. As Time Goes By.

6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?

Probably - very probably. But I keep my eyes on my whistle very carefully so no one can steal it and stop me playing. Mwhaa haaa haaaa haaaaa.

7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.

Apart from giving myself a nasty solvent hangover a week or so back while working on a new whistle head design, no, or not that I know of.

[Jäger]

Reporting in, sir!

1. I recorded a session I was at two weeks ago, some 3 hours of tunes that I'm working my way through. Got the first four down good enough now, and to see which ones I like enough to put some serious work into later on.
2. Managed to play a session last week with the uilleann pipes, and not killing anyone in the process. Except that waiter, but those fellas are a dime a dozen anyway.
3. Considering my bouzouki arrived yesterday, for the first time in quite some time I can honestly say no. Though a flat chanter would be fun...
4. Just finished a few months of regular gigging, so now we're in a lull, just playing around and polishing tunes before we go on to renew our repertoir.
5. Some old swedish songs. And I've been writing some new black metal lately. I guess that counts.
6. Only if you mean picking it up and chucking it away to stop me from playing too late. Or whacking me on the head with it. Whichever feels right for the lady at the time.
7. I don't think so. Not the whistle. The pipes? Oh, about three. Thousand, that is.

[Blaydo]

Jäger is that a nyckelharpa you're playing in your profile pic? Do you know a guy called Peter Puma Hedlund? Met him a few times here in Ireland.

[Jäger]

Jäger is that a nyckelharpa you're playing in your profile pic? Do you know a guy called Peter Puma Hedlund? Met him a few times here in Ireland.

It is indeed, and I have seen the man perform several times. Never had the chance to have a chat with him, though. Maybe this summer.

[Hotblack]

There's a chap around here plays one of those nykelharpa thingies. Caused quite a stir when he first showed up with it.

[Jäger]

There's a chap around here plays one of those nykelharpa thingies. Caused quite a stir when he first showed up with it.

Much like the uilleann pipes do around here then.

[Larry Marshall]

I'm a fully qualified n00bie, with a month or so of experience. I respond only as a balance for those here with considerable experience.

1. What are you working on now?

Avoiding sour notes, mostly, but getting my fingers to wiggle fast enough as well.

2. Tell us about a recent achievement.

I managed to play, poorly, Eagan's Polka last night. Only two high-octave squeeks

3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)

The US has a narrow-minded policy of not giving refunds to those of us filing Canadian tax returns. In spite of this, I've just ordered a set of Freeman Blackbirds. Bought a Micho Russell CD last night.

4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?

Heck no. I have too much respect for my fellow humans.

5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?

Yankee Doodle

6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?

My daughter tried it, wanting to show me how it was done. She couldn't jump the octave and handed it back. I'm a failure at promotion.

7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.

I have a cramp in my neck from all the cringing I do when I play. Those bad notes are nasty buggers.

Cheers -- Larry

[osage59]

3 months along....

1. What are you working on now?
Just practicing, and learning.

2. Tell us about a recent achievement.
This is pathetic, but once I'd played the song "Sine Bhan" halfway well I felt like I'd arrived. Somewhere.

3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)
Not just yet.

4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?
No!

5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?
Next question please. I'm on the easy stuff still.

6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?
Nope.

7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.
Hahaha, not that I know of

[Porridge Face]

1. What are you working on now?
Caliope House, The Lark in the Morning, Munster Buttermilk, and Balleydesmond No 1 & 2.

2. Tell us about a recent achievement.
I am a beginner at the whistle and I'm learning the whistle tunes by ear-- and finding it much easier than I thought it would be. I play bagpipes and piano, but have always used written notation.

3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)
I am spending my Canadian Income Tax Return money on flute lessons. They start in May. Can't wait! Very excited!

4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?
Not in the near future.

5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?
Theme from "The Flintstones", My Grandfather's Clock.

6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?
Yes: my brother and my 7 year old grand-daughter.

7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.
I also play the pipes. I was once practicing outside right beside a golf course, and some golfers accused me of injuring their game. Apparently they couldn't concentrate. Also, I once cracked an RCMP officer in full ceremonial dress across his head. He was standing behind me at a Remembrance Day parade, and I turned around quickly not knowing he was there,... and POW! He got a full set of African Blackwood drones to the head. His hat fell off. Lucky for me, he laughed.

[mutepointe]

You should exercise great caution playing The Flintstones". Besides that song, I also know the theme to "The Brady Bunch". People have received whiplash turning around to see what was going on.

[Scionic]

I haven't posted much on the forum yet, and this is a good opportunity! Thanks for the fun question!

1. What are you working on now?
-Well, i's not really ITM, but it's more or less related. I just acquired an antique German guitar lute that I'm working on restoring with my dad. Plans are in the works to turn myself into a full-on wandering bard complete with whistle, flute and lute.

2. Tell us about a recent achievement.
-Just getting back into whistling was an achievement. I'd been so distracted for so long with not just work and day-to-day grind, but other instruments and such. Glad to be playing.

3. Are you planning any purchases for yourself or other people? (Did you use USA Income Tax Refund Monies?)
-I actually just bought a bunch of stuff, (Several low end whistles to broaden my palate) but yes, a Low D is in the works. Probably not with tax money. That's already got someplace to go.

4. Will you be performing any time soon? If yes, what/where/why?
-Yeah! Funny story. I found a website that gives you assignments to do in order to develop yourself in a particular "class" in the style of old Dungeons and Dragons classes if you're familar. The premise is simply to get you out there doing positive and productive things. I took a little quiz, and was given Bard as my class. And my first assignment is to head out and perform "something" for "someone". My plan is to find a nice plaza somewhere and play a few whistle tunes for the passers-by. Don't know exactly where yet.

5. What non ITM songs have you added to your repetoire?
-I play in a session that has a lot of Non-Irish traditional music in it, so at the moment, I'm really playing more bluegrass, gospel and appalachian old-time than Irish, but there are three or four guys in the group that want to play more ITM. To name a couple though, I whistle a mean Amazing Grace with a little bit of an ITM bent, and I've been known to take a lead on Faded Love.

6. Have you inspired anyone else to pick up the whistle?
-I have, and it's a very flattering thing when someone likes what you play enough for them to want to try it. In fact, I bought him a Sweetone so he'd have something to start with.

7. Have you caused, either by accident or intent, injury to any living creature with a whistle, low whistle, flute or other musical instrument? Bagpipers can just provide an estimate to the nearest 1000.
-I can neither confirm nor deny the events that transpired on the date in question.

-Scionic

[benhall.1]

1. My Grade VI pieces. Plus, any tune that pops into my head when I've got a flute in my hand. (Oh, this is the whistle forum - in which case ...) ... getting tunes out of one of Phill's bass A whistles. It really is an extraordinary thing - great 'beak', and excellent sound production, but a challenge to cover the holes securely;

2. A recent achievement. You don't really want to hear it again, do you?

3. No US income tax refund monies. No refund at all, in fact. But still, I'd love to find a Copeland high D sterling. Can't find one;

4. Got a gig or two over the Easter weekend, during which I will definitely be playing fiddle and whistle, and may lash out and try flute in a gig for the first time. I'm also going to be leading the band (="concertmaster" for US members) for a production of The Pirates of Penzance during the week after Easter;

5. I always play along with the ads and programme them tunes on telly, if that counts. ;

6. I don't think so. I've tried once or twice, but you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink;

7. Yep. Poked someone in the eye with my bow. (Too easy, I know.) Also, last summer, someone grabbed my low whistle off me and, in so doing, hit Liam Kelly in the mouth and cut his lip. Wow!, eh?