And, You Started to Play the Whistle because...

[Whistlin'Dixie]

music has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.

I played the "flute-o-phone" as a child, then clarinet.

I sang in the church choir.

I taught myself guitar.

I taught myself the silver flute.

Then I hurt my right hand. So I had to give the flute a rest.

I found C&F on a computer surf ~ can't remember what I was looking for.
Anyway, in my area there happened to be a great Folk Music Store (Ashland OR at the time) with any number of cheapies available, so I bought a bunch, and it's been wonderful ever since.

And since my hand has healed, I can now play flute again
But I've switched to keyless wooden flute!!!!! But that's another story!

Mary

[jbarter]

I can't remember.

[kevin m.]

I used to be heavily into jazz,and played Alto sax (self taught)- badly- in a couple of local amateur bands- Dixieland,Rock and even 'Free-improv'.
I hadn't played any instrument for about 15 years,and thought about dusting down the old Sax.,but I fancied playing a less 'mechanical' instrument,covered in keywork,springs,pads that leak etc etc,not to mention mucking about with reeds.
I had a few Generation whistles,got them out of the cupboard,did a 'net 'search,and found 'Chiff'.
My fate was sealed.This was in 2001.I lurked for a long time,and at first thought it was incredible that anyone could be obsessed enough by these instruments to pay hundreds of £'s/$'s on them-were these people mad or what?
My answer now to that last question is ;Yes, WE probably are!!
I must say that I've leared more about playing music in the last 3 years than the previous 25.

[Cayden]

I fancied playing a less 'mechanical' instrument,covered in keywork,springs,pads that leak etc etc,not to mention mucking about with reeds.

So that's why you eventually started learning the pipes :roll:

[GaryKelly]

About 9 months ago I actually wanted to learn to play the simple system flute. So I bought an "Acoustica" (which is, imho, the tool of the devil). Couldn't get a note out of the bloody thing and after two weeks of agony I came up with a Cunning Plan: buy a tin whistle, learn the tunes on that, and then, mwa-ha-ha, when I finally figured out how to make that "Acoustica" work I'd be halfway there.

I still can't a worthwhile noise out of that alleged flute. But I don't care, for I have subsequently acquired other flutes which actually work. And about two dozen whistles (including the Low F Dixon that Amar forced me to buy).

I still keep the "Acoustica" in the corner of my living room. Whenever I begin to feel the slightest bit clever or important, I look at it... it reminds me that I am eminently capable of gross stupidity. And I enjoy playing my Bleazey flute right in front of it, so the spiteful little b*&^t&rd can hear what a *real* flute sounds like

[amar]

About 9 months ago I actually wanted to learn to play the simple system flute. So I bought an "Acoustica" (which is, imho, the tool of the devil). Couldn't get a note out of the bloody thing and after two weeks of agony I came up with a Cunning Plan: buy a tin whistle, learn the tunes on that, and then, mwa-ha-ha, when I finally figured out how to make that "Acoustica" work I'd be halfway there.

I still can't a worthwhile noise out of that alleged flute. But I don't care, for I have subsequently acquired other flutes which actually work. And about two dozen whistles (including the Low F Dixon that Amar forced me to buy). mwahahahahahaaaaaaaa

I still keep the "Acoustica" in the corner of my living room. Whenever I begin to feel the slightest bit clever or important, I look at it... it reminds me that I am eminently capable of gross stupidity. And I enjoy playing my Bleazey flute right in front of it, so the spiteful little b*&^t&rd can hear what a *real* flute sounds like

[burnsbyrne]

I played guitar for 20-some years until I broke my left wrist leaving me with permanent nerve damage. When I break things I like to do the job right. Eventually I had to give up guitar and while I was going through the grieving process I pulled out those old whistles that had been gathering dust for years and I decided to learn how to play them. That was about two years ago and while my left hand still cramps up occasionally I'm making steady progress and having fun as well.

[IDAwHOa]

About 24 years now. I liked the GHB, happened to hear some SSP and Northumbrian pipes and someone said get started on a whistle before getting bagpipes.

Then I got some Chieftains and Planxty albums and heard the uilleann pipes.

If you think WhOA disorder is bad, try UpOA disorder.

You better give that whistle to someone before you happen to find a pipemaker

Heard Pipes, Seen Pipes

Not a problem with this whistler. I must be imune.....



Or smart!!!!!!!!

[rkottke]

After paying $7,200 for my wife's cello, $600 for my wife's cello bow, and $400 for my wife's cello case, tin whistle is all I can afford!

Even with my severe case of WhOA, I still have not reached the cost of a cello bow. (My WhOA is limited to Clarke and Generation whistles, all keys, tweeked and untweeked. Soon to include a Mack Hoover Whitecap brass D Generation! )

[Berti66]

because I am a pagan and all the lovely songs that I got to know seemed to come from a celtic background and wanted to learn to play that kind of music...........last summer.

berti

[SirNick]

I'm a bass and guitar player (non-professional) for many years. I understand how hard it is to make a living in any of the arts, so I always try and support any and all types of artists. I was at the Carolina Ren fest about two years and bought a bamboo flute from a very nice gentleman with his wife and small baby. (the baby clinched the deal :roll: ) I found that I really enjoyed the flute but hadn't been exposed to much flute music besides Jethro Tull. In searching out new flute music I ran across Flook After hearing what Brian from Flook does with a whistle, I immediately started on the whistle and haven't played much flute since. I've find myself now with whistles numbering in the double digits and developing a decent set list of trad favorites!! With each new whistle and each new tune learned....it gets worse....AHAHAHAH

[Montana]

Similar to kevin m., I was a flute and sax player in junior high/high school (after playing the requisite r*c*rd*r in middle school). Also was self-taught on the guitar (hence not all that good). Have always been interested in medival/renaissance subjects and was drawn to the Celts (Brehon law and high kings). Enjoyed Celtic music but wasn't avid about it (like I am now). Bought a Clarke (cheaper than a chanter) but didn't know any tunes or how to go about learning any. Until I moved to a community that had a session (now defunct). Showed up to listen and noted that the musicians just seemed to be normal folks. Asked one of the musicians and he said anyone could come and sit in. Showed up the next week with a guitar. Learned the tunes over the next 3-4 months. Started bringing in my flute with the guitar. Started playing waltzes on the flute. (And don't cringe but I also once brought in a r*c*rd*r - boy was I naive! I know Az is having convulsions.)
But... there were plenty of guitar players, some who were far better than I. And the silver Boehm-style flute didn't seem 'authentic', didn't seem to fit. I wanted to find a niche. I mentioned this to one of the other guitar players. He said, "You play flute; why don't you learn the whistle?"
After I recovered from the bolt of lightning, I started searching for whistle reviews (erroneously thinking the Clarke was just a toy) and found C&F. And my life was changed.

[littlejohngael]

Then I wanted to play pipes, but they were pretty expensive so I settled for a practice chanter - from which I could never get much more than a loud buzz.

LOL!! I had friends in both high school and college who spent the better part of their days trying to get a loud buzz! hehehehe

As for me, I've dabbled with the tin whistle from time to time. But I was a young, energetic, forgetful youth, so every tin whistle I owned got either smashed or lost. Not too bad, though. All I knew was about Clarkes.

Then, after about 7 years of tin whistle silence, my wife said, "You were a poet and a minstrel when we got married. Nowadays I hardly ever see that side of you. I miss it." I was extremely stressed at this point -- which is why she said something -- and I ran across a tinwhistle my sister had given me years ago, so I started playing it. Within a few months my mother bought me a copy of -- please don't flame me -- Riverdance (for 25 cents at a yard sale). That was the very first time I had ever seen a tin whistle that big! I didn't know they came that big. ... and I HAD to have one!

I searched on "Riverdance whistle" and discovered C&F ... and subsequently discovered both WhOA and Albas. I own several now, and will buy more.

I intend to buy an Overton as well, but that's another story ...

Little John

[DCrom]

Like a lot of others, I'd played a number of other instruments, though none seriously.

Started out with "Song Flute" in elementary school (ugh!). Learned recorder on my own about this time, but never did much with it.

Played Alto saxophone and oboe in middle school/high school. Joined the SCA about this time, and started playing recorder a little more seriously because of it (played with others from our local group).

Self-taught classical guitar in college, but I had a problem - I have a weak left index finger (broke it as a kid) so after half an hour or so my finger would give out. Finally gave up guitar because of this.

Kept up with recorder, but only (maybe) an hour a week - most of the music I could PLAY on the recorder didn't grab me. My main listening fell into {classical, 60's rock, jazz, folk-rock} - although the recorder can be used for classical music, my skills weren't quite up to it (I like Bach and Mozart - what can I say, I have plebian tastes).

Fast forward 20 years or so, and I ended up in Ireland for 3 weeks on a business trip. One day in Cork I stumbled into a music shop that had a huge display of whistles, and figured it wouldn't hurt to pick up a whistle and a tutorial. That's all it took.

These days, I almost never pick up a recorder, but I probably average over an hour a day on my whistles. And my CD collection has expanded dramatically for some reason.

[kevin m.]

I fancied playing a less 'mechanical' instrument,covered in keywork,springs,pads that leak etc etc,not to mention mucking about with reeds.

So that's why you eventually started learning the pipes :roll:

I was WAITING for someone to pick up on that!
How contradictory can we Humans get,eh?
Actually,after my lapse of faith the other week,I've picked up my Pipes this week-put in an hour and a half today.
I think the trick is that you Have to be motivated and see music as FUN-you don't take up an instrument to be another 'chore' do you?