Urgent question about tinwhistle "culture"

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:21 pm

Lost-in-North-Dakota wrote:IDAwHOa wrote:

>Why do you ask? Do you have an admission to make that we should know about?<

Yes..sniff...there is a recorder quintet that plays at our church, and...sob...I think they're OK. Am I banished??

Lost

No, you are not banished. Confession cleanses the soul.

I also have an admission. Recorder was the entry instrument for us to whislte. We went to a Red Priest concert. The recorder player (his name escapes me) is a phenom and made it look so easy and the style was not dodgey at all so we thought to give it a try.

It quickly became apparant that we would not only be displeased with the sound and volume of the recorder, but the fact that an ENTRY LEVEL wooden instrument cost more than $500. That is more than my top of the line Bleazey Low D. Even more than a Copeland Brass Low D. That put a serious halt to our recorder careers.

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:41 pm

Played recorder since elementary school - I was lucky that our school used "song flutes" rather than recorders, so I never developed a hate for 'em. But despite the appeal of being able to play in any key, and a little experience playing with a consort, I never did more than dabble. I'd pick up the recorder every couple of weeks, play a few tunes (mostly from books), then put it back down again. I still play recorder about that much, come to think of it.

Since I started playing whistle a couple of years back, I've been much more involved with music - even on my worst days, with no time to "practice", I usually get half an hour or so in going over old favorites. I listen to music a lot more, and pay much closer attention as well. And unlike my recorder experience, I look forward to practice time instead of viewing it as a chore.

Am I a good player? If you'd asked me a year back I would have said "intermediate level". Today, I'd probably say "beginner, or low intermediate"

But I'm a better player now, I think - it's just that despite the apparent simplicity of the instrument and the music, there's always more to learn.

If recorder does that for you, more power to you! As I said, I still play it (mostly for early, classical, or pop music in odd keys) - and despite the lack of practice on recorder, a lot of the whistle skills transfer over. But because I enjoy it more, I spend more time on whistle - simple as that.

Dana

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 3:39 pm

Lost-in-North-Dakota wrote: How would you describe the attitude of tinwhistle players towards recorders and recorder players:

Open contempt? Slight annoyance? Bitter envy? Scorn? Mild bemusement?

In my case this would have to be a case of self hate, since I play recorder as well as whistle...

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 3:41 pm

I'm a complete weirdo-I like both whistle and Recorder!
IDAwHOa-Red Priests' Recorder player is Piers Adams-and for those of you who haven't heard him-take your fingers out of your ears and LISTEN!-This guy is a VIRTUOSO and he is as FUN a player as anyone you'll ever hear in any walk of music!
Red Priest are a musical phenomenon-I can't decide if I'd class them as a 'Baroque Pomp Rock band',a musical 'joke' or totally amazing!

On a more down to Earth level-I DO enjoy playing BOTH instruments-and why not?
I'm 46 years old,and wise enough (doesn't take much!) to realise that I'll never be the next Micho Russell or Willie Clancy,or Piers Adams or Dan Guerin(that's TWO Recorder players name checked in a single posting-so sue me!!

)-but I can be the first kevin m.!
I play totally for my own amusement,and some frustration-but on the whole I enjoy it,so I carry on.
Oh by the way,I wasn't indoctrinated in primary school-I bought my first Recorder AFTER my first Whistle!
So my message is-enjoy your music,whatever it is-I would hazard a guess that 98% of board members play purely for pleasure,rather than economic necessity,so live and let live.

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 3:56 pm

At the risk of spoiling all the fun, the situation was best described in Marguerite's post.

Lost-in-North-Dakota · Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:46 pm

Yes, I know that 99% (but not quite 100%) of this is all good fun.

The big question is...do recorder players have a web board as fun as this one??

I looked up various whistles and recorders on the web site of an internet retailer. I had to smile at two words describing an entry-level plastic Yamaha recorder...."dishwasher safe." I am not making this up.

Well, I don't have a tin whistle, yet, but I might dig out my wife's recorder tonight and make some noise (yes, she was one of the afflicted millions who had to buy a recorder in school, and for some reason never burned or buried it).

For those of you who play both instruments, I do have to say that the recorder group at my church really, really does sound cool. They have the full set, from bass to soprano, and play really old tunes. They even have a couple renaissance instruments (krumhorn? sackbut? I forget).

Lost

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:02 pm

Are we talking video or audio?

moxy · Post by **moxy** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:21 pm

Lost-in-North-Dakota wrote:The big question is...do recorder players have a web board as fun as this one??

Fun?... You think this is fun?...

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:27 pm

no one is as fun as we are. no one.

and for the record(er), I am more than likely going to buy one of said instruments at some point. But you are not to breathe a word of that to anyone. And if you do, I'll deny it

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:05 pm

izzarina wrote:no one is as fun as we are. no one.

and for the record(er), I am more than likely going to buy one of said instruments at some point. But you are not to breathe a word of that to anyone. And if you do, I'll deny it

IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!

There, saved for posterity and not editable by her.

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:43 pm

Lost-in-North-Dakota wrote: I looked up various whistles and recorders on the web site of an internet retailer. I had to smile at two words describing an entry-level plastic Yamaha recorder...."dishwasher safe." I am not making this up.

Ooh...that's good to know. My daughter starts 3rd grade next year...

Robin

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:46 pm

I still have nightmares about my 600 pound grade 5 music teacher screaming "You're not tootin' when I'm not tappin'!!!"

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 10:15 pm

IDAwHOa wrote:
izzarina wrote:no one is as fun as we are. no one.

and for the record(er), I am more than likely never going to buy one of said instruments at some point. You can tell whomever you wish...I'll not deny it
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!
IZZY's gittin' a Recorder!

There, saved for posterity and not editable by her.

STEVEN!!! I can't believe that you would go through such lengths to discredit my (somewhat) good name!!!!! I'm appalled, just appalled.....

Oh, and did I mention that it was one of my other personalities that wrote that previous post? So I went back and fixed it. That way the record(er) is now straight

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 10:51 pm

With Tinwhistles, wHoa sends you looking for whistles in many different keys.

With Recorder, Roa (whatever) sends you looking for recorders in many different ranges, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Great Bass, Contrabass, Subcontrabass. Currently, recorders go a lot lower in pitch than whistles.

But someday we too will have 2 ton stainless steel subcontrabass whistles with 3 inch delrin blocks.

RAD = Recorder Acquisition Disorder

jkrazy52 · Post by **jkrazy52** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:47 am

Lost-in-North-Dakota wrote:Well, I don't have a tin whistle, yet, but I might dig out my wife's recorder tonight and make some noise (yes, she was one of the afflicted millions who had to buy a recorder in school, and for some reason never burned or buried it).

No tinwhistle yet??

I have a SweeTone, Walton's Mellow D, and/or a Meg or two extra -- I'll be happy to send a couple your way.

About ... that "other" instrument .... never played one ... yet. I can barely afford my whistle habit.

In my school, music classes started in 5th grade. If you wanted to take music, you had to get a "real" instrument. My choice was saxophone ... the parents' choice was a clarinet (cheaper). They won.

~Judy

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Urgent question about tinwhistle "culture"

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