How old were you?

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:03 am

We undoutedly had penny whistles around the house when I was a child - they're the sort of thing one adds to a purchase in a music shop, just because it's there on the counter next to the till.

However I didn't start seriously until I'd played guitar for five years and mandolin for another couple, and was looking for a more convenient travelling instrument. That was in the Summer of 2001, so I was 35. I joined C&F that Autumn through the recommendation of another whistler.

I dropped whistle (more or less completely) when I went back to fiddle, my first instrument and still the one that comes most naturally to me, in the Summer of 2003.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:02 am

I was about 43; started with a Bill Ochs package of book of tunes, Clarke C whistle and cassette, purchased at my favorite toy shop in Manhattan when my daughter was about 3 years old. I wrote to Bill asking about lessons, but he wasn't teaching at the time. Some years later he contacted me and I started my long and happy association with him and the music that endures to this day.

Philo

cavefish · Post by **cavefish** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:15 am

i am 45 now , i started at around 34 went when i saw riverdance,called up some friends in england , and started getting overtons from bernard, went crazy on it, for about 3 years, close to doing a CD, -----than kids started popping out all over the place , i started driving OIL tankerships for ARCO ( transfered now to a refinery) and it all went down hill, whistle playing anyway

, ------------now at 45 i starting all over again , LIFE

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:05 am

I bought a Feadan in 1982 or 1983 in Newport Rhode Island. I began playing it when I returned from a trip to Ireland in 2002. I was 63 when I began to play. It is not as easy when you are older but you can still learn. Since then I have been learning flute and keyboard. BTW 40 or so whistles later the original Feadan is still very good and is always in my bag along with Albas, Humphreys, Feadogs, Dixons, Susatos and Generations. Love them all. See the signature line.

Ron

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:13 am

I started when I was 18. Now I'm 21.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:10 am

I got my first one was I was 10, and tried to figure out how to play it, had no book I just loved the idea of it, when I was 11 I got a book, and played every now and again the tunes from there, At 16 I actully started, when I was inspired by the cottars, and found more and more tunes, and all the tricks, and now am 19 and loving it

cavefish · Post by **cavefish** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:32 pm

Tia wrote:I got my first one was I was 10, and tried to figure out how to play it, had no book I just loved the idea of it, when I was 11 I got a book, and played every now and again the tunes from there, At 16 I actully started, when I was inspired by the cottars, and found more and more tunes, and all the tricks, and now am 19 and loving it

lovely name

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:48 pm

I started when I was 14 which was 4 years ago.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:52 pm

cavefish wrote:
Tia wrote:I got my first one was I was 10, and tried to figure out how to play it, had no book I just loved the idea of it, when I was 11 I got a book, and played every now and again the tunes from there, At 16 I actully started, when I was inspired by the cottars, and found more and more tunes, and all the tricks, and now am 19 and loving it
lovely name

huh? what is?...confused

sweet potato · Post by **sweet potato** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:15 pm

I became a penny whistle OWNER at about age 16. I began working seriously on becoming a PLAYER in my early forties, a few years ago.

Laura

twistedfingers · Post by **twistedfingers** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:02 pm

At 30 I visited Ireland for the first time and picked up a Kerry low D and tutor book whilst I was there. Took me the last 4 days to get more than one note out of it as I remember.

Stayed with low whistles for the first couple of years, then 'graduated' to highs.

Since then my collection has always grown quicker than my ability.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:10 pm

i had heart surgery when i was 43 and learned how to play the harmonica for my breathing exercises, then we had a guest musician at our folk group at church, the keyboard player's son-in-law. he played a whistle. you folks taught me the whistle shortly thereafter.

if i could turn the hands of time back, one of the few things that i would change would be to ask for a pennywhistle when i was a kid. this would have been way better than that awful guitar my parents got my brother and me when we were kids. later on, as adults, we both went on to learn how to play the guitar too.

manu.bande · Post by **manu.bande** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:50 am

About 11 or 12 years ago I went to Ireland by hitch-hiking and that was the first time I've started to appreciate irish people and their music !

It was so easy to hitch-hike around Irland and the people were really kind and friendly !

Anyway , after that I've been traveling for many years and did not have the chance or time to get a whistle , then more or less a year ago I've bought rthe first whistle ,a Sweetone, in Hong Kong and later a irish flute from Patrick the Doc .
From that moment I've been playing irish music everyday (at least 10 minutes a day ) !

Well , so I've started about 1 years ago , but wait a minute, how old am I ?!?!

Manuel

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:01 am

I'm 53 now. I plan to begin learning to play soon.

mordred · Post by **mordred** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:02 am

I started two weeks ago, and I'm 23.. Couldn't resist to ordering a clarke sweetone and original after having purchased my first whistle, that is a generation. I'll slow down, I want to concentrate on playing..

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How old were you?

How old were you when you started playing?