Introduction

[Phillip Rolfes]

Hello All,

I just want to introduce myself. I'm fairly new to the forums here, although I've been following them for some years.

My name is Phillip Rolfes. I've been playing Irish flute and whistle for nearly 20 years now, and have been teaching for almost as long. I used to compete at various Feis and Fleadh Cheoil competitions, but after winning a good amount of gold, silver and bronze medals and competing in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil I decided it was time to quite and focus on what Irish music is really all about. Since then I've been trying to teach and play in sessions as much as I can.

I'm currently playing a David Copley flute (Dave is a friend of mine), and John Sindt and Michael Burke whistles. I used to play the Uilleann Pipes as well, but ran out of money in college, so I sold them to a guy in Nagasaki (that's right).

Originally I came from the Cincinnati area, where I spent a good deal of time teaching at the Riley School of Irish Music and playing in sessions. I went to college at a small private school in Ohio, but near Pittsburg. All through college I taught private flute and whistle lessons. After college I moved up to Ann Arbor, MI. to prepare for my wedding. While there I taught some more private lessons, and attended the weekly sessions at Conor O'Niell's pub. Those sessions were lead by the great Mick Gavin, and I have many fond memories of having some tunes with the musicians up north.

I'm now living in the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area. I had been attending a session at McGlinchy's pub in Chrystal City, but was absent for awhile due to a number of deaths in my family, as well as the birth of my daughter. When I tried to go back to the session there I was sad to discover that the pub had closed. I have since been unable to locate a session in my area (any help would be appreciated).

Recently I've also started a blog dedicated to all things Irish flute and whistle. If your interested you can check it out at www.irishfluteobsession.blogspot.com. It's still in its beginning stages, so I'm still working on building an archive; so be patient with me.

I'm glad to finally be posting on these forums, and I hope I can actually bring something to these discussions. The musicians here are certainly very knowledgeable.

[Doug_Tipple]

Welcome to the flute forum, Phillip. I think that you may want to enlarge your list of recommended conical polymer flutes in the < $500 price range on your blog. This is currently being discussed on another topic here.

[Phillip Rolfes]

Thanks, Doug. Where's the thread discussing the >$500 conical flutes? I'm going to have to do a search for that one.

[Grizzle]

I used to drive down to Cincinnati every week from Columbus and spend the night so I could take take classes in the morning at the Riley School of Irish Music. Concertina lessons with Tim Clarke and Wally Carroll - always would listen in whenever I could to John Skeltons flute classes. Dave Copley teaches at Riley also. Great environment there, love that place and miss it since moving back to Seattle.

[Denny]

Best Flutes in Delrin or other Polymer

I don't know if this is what Doug was thinking of.

I seem to remember a recent 4-500 dollar flute digression but I'm not sure it was it's own thread. It might be buried in with something else.

[Doug_Tipple]

Actually, I was thinking of this thread, but the one you provided, Denny, is also pertinent.

I would also mention Jon Cochran, M & E, Garry Somers, and Rob Forbes as makers of quality polymer conical flutes.

[Phillip Rolfes]

Dennie and Doug, thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Grizzle, the Riley School is certainly a wonderful place. I have many friends there, and miss it dearly. My wife and I hope one day to move back to the Cincinnati area. If/when that happens I will hopefully become a regular at Riley again.

I actually used to teach there before John Skelton was a weekly instructor (he'd usually show up once a semester, sometimes twice). I remember when Wally was first getting started on concertina, and his wife, Jackie, was learning the bodhran (from my brother I think). I also remember when Tim was first getting started on the concertina, although by the time he joined the School I was off to college out near Pittsburg.

I would've loved to have had John Skelton as my weekly instructor, instead of trying to work the flute out on my own. But as it is, I'm happy to consider he and John Creaven as my mentors. I'm sure if you checked out my blog and watched the videos of me playing you'd hear their influence.

[Aanvil]

Fek me that's good stuff Phillip. Welcome aboard!

[Rob Sharer]

Welcome, and congratulations for escaping the world of music competitions!

I like your music, real straight-down-the-middle, old school fluthering. The world needs more of that.

All the best,

Rob

[LorenzoFlute]

Welcome, nice playing

[Phillip Rolfes]

Fek me that's good stuff Phillip. Welcome aboard!

Thanks, Aanvil! I try.

[Phillip Rolfes]

Welcome, and congratulations for escaping the world of music competitions!

I like your music, real straight-down-the-middle, old school fluthering. The world needs more of that.

All the best,

Rob

Thanks, Rob. Actually I strive for that "old school" sound. Supposedly I used to sound like Matt Molloy, but that was in my younger days when I was more enamored of technical ability than with the "pure drop." Saying I sound like one of the "old guys" is a huge compliment for me.