What started you on whistles?

cramer · Post by **cramer** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 4:01 pm

i was in a park in quebec city a few years ago with my girlfriend (our first date) when some musicians came by singing and jamming - one hippie dude was playing some irish tunes on the recorder but it didn't sound right. i did a search the next day on irish trad instruments and found C & F then at my lunch break ran out and bought a clarke - i realized that that was the sound that gentleman should have had in the park. i haven't stop playing since, but i never saw that man from the park again.

rosenlof · Post by **rosenlof** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 4:08 pm

For Christmas a few years ago, my daughter (then 6) asked for a "wooden flute". I bought her a wood whistle in a mystery key, my in-laws sent a Clarke. I started playing the Clarke and found it great fun, it made me decide I wanted to learn to play flute (Bohm).

I had played the alto, chromatic whistle in F for a while, and started Bohm flute lessons with a real teacher. For quite a while, I used the whistle to figure out some melodies or rythms while I was _really_ struggling with flute embouchure. Now that I only _sometimes_ struggle with it, I'm playing whistle less, but I still enjoy it a lot.

paulsdad · Post by **paulsdad** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 4:33 pm

I was poking aroung in a gift shop in Stone Mountain, Georgia about 10+ years ago. They had a display of plastic "Dixie" whistles priced at about $1.50.
I bought one just for the heck of it and brought it home. I spent the rest of the weekend playing with it and the next several years playing popular tunes by ear and off key.
Finally, my wife bought me a Clarke original and a song book.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: paulsdad on 2003-02-27 17:34 ]</font>

McHaffie · Post by **McHaffie** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 4:44 pm

Downloaded a song that had whistle in it. Said to myself... "Wow, I want to do that".

Looooooooooooonnnnnnnggg... story about finding out what the instrument was, etc. found plans on the internet, made a whistle, and here I am. Still playing!

John McHaffie

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 5:06 pm

Hi there!
My story: I have a good friend whom I got to know when I started dancing (finnish traditional dance). He's a very skilled accordion player. And once I started to hang out with him I too got very interested in all traditional music, and he suggested that I started playing some instrument (sounds weird), but I ended up with a good old Generation brass D. Now im hooked (of course). And we are now playing in the same band. //Henke

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Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 5:24 pm

I bought my son a whistle for Christmas, thinking it might spur an interest. But I broke into the package on a whim. The whistle and C&F (thanks, Dale) have helped fill a void in my life created when my kids left home. Let me think, there's Sarah, and David, and Stubby...no, that's not right...Stubby is a whistle...I keep getting them mixed up. Dang, I love them all so much!

jim_mc · Post by **jim_mc** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 5:58 pm

My grandmother brought me back a Clarke original in C when she went to Ireland in 1973 or '74. I noodled around with it for years. Then three or four years ago, I decided to get serious about learning to play Irish Trad properly and hooked up with Bill Ochs. It's been downhill with all my other occupations and diversions ever since.

Emilie · Post by **Emilie** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 4:04 am

I've always liked Irish traditional music, and I've wanted a tin whistle for as long as I can remember. A few years ago came the Corrs, and I recognised the tin whistle, and it reminded me of how much I wanted one. In my little town in Northern Quebec though, they were hard to find, and I never thought that they could be bought on the internet. (That's how little I knew.) Later I moved to Norway, and for about a month ago I went on a trip to Scotland, and I bought one. Or two, actually: I bought two Walton's, one 'Irish' one and one 'Scottish' one, I found out later that they were exactly the same, but it's nice to have two of them!

Now I can play ONE song, and I have 4 whistles and 2 more coming in the mail.. it's so easy to get hooked!

Next step: learn another song.

Emilie

PapoAnaya · Post by **PapoAnaya** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 8:35 am

Hello:

My wife made me do it.

Luis

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 9:31 am

I started out playing Hammered Dulcimer about 2 years ago and bought a couple of HD CD's and they had whistle on them and when I went to the Scottish Highlands games the next year, I found a Waltons Scottish Whistle and book and I was hooked.

Kathy

rosenlof · Post by **rosenlof** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 10:34 am

On 2003-02-28 09:35, PapoAnaya wrote:
Hello:

My wife made me do it.

Luis

Cool! My wife keeps asking me to stop.

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 10:50 am

http://www.jumplittlechildren.com <--crazy ass band. They have whistle stuff in a few of their songs. My first whistle was a blue sweetone.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 11:27 am

On 2003-02-27 18:24, Whitmores75087 wrote:
I bought my son a whistle for Christmas, thinking it might spur an interest. But I broke into the package on a whim. The whistle and C&F (thanks, Dale) have helped fill a void in my life created when my kids left home. Let me think, there's Sarah, and David, and Stubby...no, that's not right...Stubby is a whistle...I keep getting them mixed up. Dang, I love them all so much!

LOL! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who names my whistles! My family is finally getting used to my refering to "Lark" and "Morningsong" and "Blackbird," but other people give me odd looks from time to time, or assume I'm talking about a pet ("Did she say she was going to play Lark? Did she mean "play with Lark"? And what the heck is Lark, anyway...darned funny name for a dog...).

Redwolf

Jo C · Post by **Jo C** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 11:27 am

My Dad started teaching me when I was 5 - I had a lesson in bed before going to sleep every night. I started on a gen G (cos they're small), but I can't really remember learning to play.
Jo.

AngeloMeola · Post by **AngeloMeola** » Fri Feb 28, 2003 11:29 am

About 20 years ago I had a booth at the Rennaisance Faire in Southern California. I used to camp at the fair site over the weekend. The best music and partying was after the customers went home.

I got an Oak that I still have and taught myself to play. My learning was hampered by having such a bad teacher. I had never played any instrument so I was starting from scratch.

WHOA didn't set in till many years later. I had the one whistle for more than 5 years before I got another one. That was a B-flat Gen. I've gotten 9 whistles in the last year so I think I have no hope of recovery. WHOA is me.