How did you get started and what was your first love?

scottadm · Post by **scottadm** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:47 am

About four years ago a friend of mine talked me into going to a Society for Creative Anachronism (basicaly a rowdy mediaval fair) event. That evening we roamed from campsite to campsite with him singing songs. Later, I thought that it would be cool to be able to accompany him and tried to think of an inexpensive instrument to learn as the saxaphone just wouldn't be right. One day he tossed me a Gen. D that his father had given him. I then purused the web for instructions and discovered Irish music. I quickly accumulated as much sheet music and mp3s as I could and began down the road to I-Trad. By coincidence, at about the same time I picked up a concert flute at a garage sale for $30, got it refurbished and began the frustrating experience of trying to learn Irish music on the flute. I now also have a sweettone C, a couple of Sweettone Ds, a Susato C, a Hoover Whitecap on and Oak D, an Olwell Cane, and a handfull of miscellanious bamboo whistles.

Dex · Post by **Dex** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:47 pm

Having reached 40 I was looking for a hobby and I had always wanted to learn to play an instrument. I starting plunking away on my wifes piano with a beginners book, but then I got a new job that involved quite a bit of travel. Well, schlepping along a piano on a plane wasn't going to work and I didn't think a guitar was going to work any better.

That was when I remembered my brief fling with trying to learn the bagpipes that ended with my 4 year old daughter breaking my chanter. She still claims it was an accident, but I think we all know better. Given the ease in which it broke then, I was worried about it surviving repeated plane trips in the luggage. Whistles, though, now there was an instrument I could afford to break. A little research and two weeks shipping later, my beautiful shiney black Clark original wiht the little gold diamonds showed up on my doorstep. The rest as they say is history.

arnie · Post by **arnie** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:20 am

40 is a magical age. I reached it last year. 5 years earlier I bought a Generation and played a little. I'm playing in a folkband, always having played the guitar. Not until last year I got more serious. I got lessons from an Irishman in the Netherlands. He tought me the playing of jigs and reels and the real love for Irish music. Flook brought in the magic, the everlasting love. I got enchanted by the playing of Brian Finnigan. Also got the honour of meeting his whistlemaker, Colin Goldie, who invited me in to test about 40 whistles. Overton now has got THE sound for me, but is a little above what I can afford. I bought a Tony Dixon, which I had to underblow so much that it got a nuissance. I could get a Bernard Overton secondhand. It had the enchanting, haunting sound. Colin improved it for me. I traded my Dixon for a Chieftain last year, but that was so loud and I had to blow extremely hard. Ian Turnbull, maker of the Impempe whistles wanted it for three of his whistles. Now I'm the owner of 4 Impempe whistles and a B.OVerton low D. I'm getting more and more in love. The sound of the Impempe is fantastic and worth 3 times its price. The whistle (and I'm gonna get an Overton when I can afford one) has taken over my soul.

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:36 am

Thirteen kids?!

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:16 am

Whitmores75087 wrote:Thirteen kids?!

Guilty as charged.

Nine are adopted (in case you were wondering whether we owned a TV set

) Two have grown up and moved away so we're actually down to a paltry 11 at this point.

Doc

CranberryDog · Post by **CranberryDog** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 6:33 pm

Doc Jones wrote:
Whitmores75087 wrote:Thirteen kids?!
Guilty as charged.

Nine are adopted (in case you were wondering whether we owned a TV set ) Two have grown up and moved away so we're actually down to a paltry 11 at this point.

Doc

Any idea why they moved away?

Cheers, Cyril.

buddhu · Post by **buddhu** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:02 am

Yup, Pogues here too. Then The Dubliners, and through them Planxty, Bothy Band, Chieftains and a gradually widening exposure to the real stuff.

It's all good.

Started on a Feadog, drifted through various others and then went back to Feadogs. Only difference is that now I play nickel ones whereas the original was brass.

*[Clare__x · Post by *[Clare__x » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:39 pm

I was born in Glasgow, Scotland - to Irish parents, so I have had a strong republican upbringing. My Grandmother used to take me along to Marches and Parades, I loved the music && colour and everything like that.

I've always been into the old republican music..and being in Ireland every summer that I can remember, you see your fair share of folk bands. I've always remembered the whistle, and I believe I played it when I was about 6 - just the old "Three blind mice" and stuff like that, nothing worth talking about.

However, recently I've been listening to [half stalking!] a band called The Wakes [Fronted by the lovely man in my avatar]. The wakes consists of a guitar, drums, a harmonica, flute, sax [at times], bass && a whistle. Now, I love music. And I love The Wakes - but which of those things could I afford to play? I've never really been one to stick at things. There are the occassional things I get right into - but there was no way I was going out to spend hundreds of pounds on an instrument to sit in the corner.

Soo...this morning I went into my local music shop on the way back from Uni && I noticed their whistles. They had the kinda typical ones with the plastic tips..then one in a box. Always one for fancy packaging - I chose the Clarke D. Brought it home, found this...and who knows what the future holds

*[Clare__x · Post by *[Clare__x » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:40 pm

Sorry, double

Tucson Whistler · Post by **Tucson Whistler** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:53 pm

My first whistle was a Clarke D with the infamous gold diamonds. It was in my Christmas stocking (a thoughtful gift from my husband). I was immediately hooked and I took it with me everywhere. I accidentally left it behind on an airplane.

The airline thought I was crazy when I called them to see if anybody turned it in. I still think about it and I hope that someone else has made a good home for it. I've never bought another Clarke; it just wouldn't be the same.