Just what brought you to music?

[sbfluter]

peeplj your story is awesome! Thanks for sharing it!

[Aanvil]

A willow switch.

[peeplj]

peeplj your story is awesome! Thanks for sharing it!

Hmmm....

...it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to, while things that are uncomfortable, palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a deal of telling anyway.

(from "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien)


You are most welcome.

--James

[mutepointe]

i begged for piano lessons too but got really crappy guitar lessons instead and a really crappy guitar too. i finally got the piano lessons in high school, my new sister-in-law taught me for $2 a lesson. i got a monstrous beautiful old piano for $50 that had a damper switch. i've never seen a bigger upright piano.

we had an organist at our little country church. she played with her feet and everything. she could make things happen. i wanted to do that too. i am. i play the guitar, whistle, and flute in church but i'm most sneakily happy to play the harmonica in a catholic church. only in west virginia.

[Cork]

It's not that I hated school, at that time, but at seven years old, going on eight, I was able to take music lessons, which I found to be a great relief, and downright enjoyable, too!

OK, eventually I learned to "hate" school.

Worse, eventually I went on to do well at mechanical engineering, talk about math, physics, and all else to do with school!

Ah, music!!!

[daiv]

my uncle plays the flute. he's in the band the kells ( http://www.kellsband.com ). as far back as i remember, i wanted to play the flute; it was agony waiting til my arms were big enough to play the flute... when i got to fourth grade, when we started band, they still werent big enough, so i got a flute with a curved headjoint.

my grandma also plays the fiddle. i have many memories of going with her to the irish american heritage center and wondering why all the guys were playing the fiddle, a girl's instrument. funny... i thought the fiddle was for girls and the flute was for guys! it wasnt until much later that i realized that i was playing the more girly instrument.

i got teased a lot like peeplj did when i was young. by the time i got to high school, people changed their attitude, as they noticed that i was much more committed to my instrument than most people, and that i loved to play so much. in fact, i played in the hallways, the lunch rooms, while i was sitting in class waiting for class to start, after class, etc.

i still play whenever and where ever i can. while walking between classes at college, a tune will often hit me, and i'll just sit down and whip out my concertina or whatever instrument i have on me and play til my fingers are done.

[BillG]

High School years I joined a Boy Scout Troop in Queens that had a Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps. Tried the bugle but, uh uh. The fife screamed out at me, literally, so I gave it a go. In the meantime I learned to play a harmonica by the guy across the street. It was only diatonic and I soon realized there were notes missing on it and on the fife. This led me to the Boehm flute and on it went. Currently I'm with Irish flute and chromatic harmonica with an occasional toot on the Boehm.

[Cork]

...i thought the fiddle was for girls and the flute was for guys! it wasnt until much later that i realized that i was playing the more girly instrument...

Quite honestly, I don't think gender figures into flute, fiddle or whatever. However, I am aware that such concern could exist, quite mistakenly.

I have studied flute with both men and women. And, when it comes to carrying a tune, gender seems to matter not at all.

Really, it is a matter of musical heart.

One has it, or not, apparently.

[awildman]

...i thought the fiddle was for girls and the flute was for guys! it wasnt until much later that i realized that i was playing the more girly instrument...

Quite honestly, I don't think gender figures into flute, fiddle or whatever.

The vast majority of flute players in the school band many moons ago were girls. Violins 50-50. Brass instruments, boys-sax, trumpet, trombone, mainly. Etc. The flute was definitely considered a girl's instrument among the students. I have no idea where that viewpoint came from, but it was a pretty strong feeling.

My story: There was always a piano in the house. I took lessons for a year or so when I was 9 or so. My parents pulled me out for some unknown reason. I didn't think I was doing bad with practicing or anything. And I loved the lessons. My dad played clarinet when I was very young, and even played in a community orchestra. I always loved when he would dig out the thing and play us a few tunes. Those times got further and further apart until eventually he stopped entirely. He was more into folk-type music, anyway, and somehow we inherited a guitar. I can't recall from whom, but I would plink around with it and the piano quite a bit. Never really learned much, but did get some basics. Moved my way from that to a cheap harmonica. I had always begged for lessons and an instrument, any instrument, but was always put off by them. I was never really given a good reason, either. As a high school graduation present, they bought me a chromatic harmonica. I spent hours and hours on it. I got to the point where I could play Redwing with two or three flats pretty ok. Soon got to the point where my progress was stagnating and couldn't find a teacher. Moved out on my own, bought a keyboard, speakers, etc. Thought I would learn it. I didn't have the time to devote to that, what with 12-13 hours a day and a new relationship. Sold the keyboard when money got tight. Down to just the harmonica again. Still stagnant, so I gave it up again. Besides which, I never viewed it as a real instrument. Became single, job changed, I moved, etc. I had more free time, and I happened to watch Darby O'Gill and The Little People. I liked the fiddle music in there, so I searched for Irish music. I discovered Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, etc, and that's pretty much all she wrote. Been learning the fiddle for coming-up-on-two-years and I've been dabbling in flute and whistle.

I've always loved listening to music, and always wanted to play, but have never had a strong drive to do so until now. I discovered I've always fought depression, and that may have had a lot to do with it. The love of Irish music is a huge motivator, and the sense of peace and serenity I get when playing are worth any cost. Sometimes it's hard to stay awake while practicing, it relaxes me so.

[Cork]

...i thought the fiddle was for girls and the flute was for guys! it wasnt until much later that i realized that i was playing the more girly instrument...

Quite honestly, I don't think gender figures into flute, fiddle or whatever.

The vast majority of flute players in the school band many moons ago were girls. Violins 50-50. Brass instruments, boys-sax, trumpet, trombone, mainly. Etc. The flute was definitely considered a girl's instrument among the students. I have no idea where that viewpoint came from, but it was a pretty strong feeling.

My story: There was always a piano in the house. I took lessons for a year or so when I was 9 or so. My parents pulled me out for some unknown reason. I didn't think I was doing bad with practicing or anything. And I loved the lessons. My dad played clarinet when I was very young, and even played in a community orchestra. I always loved when he would dig out the thing and play us a few tunes. Those times got further and further apart until eventually he stopped entirely. He was more into folk-type music, anyway, and somehow we inherited a guitar. I can't recall from whom, but I would plink around with it and the piano quite a bit. Never really learned much, but did get some basics. Moved my way from that to a cheap harmonica. I had always begged for lessons and an instrument, any instrument, but was always put off by them. I was never really given a good reason, either. As a high school graduation present, they bought me a chromatic harmonica. I spent hours and hours on it. I got to the point where I could play Redwing with two or three flats pretty ok. Soon got to the point where my progress was stagnating and couldn't find a teacher. Moved out on my own, bought a keyboard, speakers, etc. Thought I would learn it. I didn't have the time to devote to that, what with 12-13 hours a day and a new relationship. Sold the keyboard when money got tight. Down to just the harmonica again. Still stagnant, so I gave it up again. Besides which, I never viewed it as a real instrument. Became single, job changed, I moved, etc. I had more free time, and I happened to watch Darby O'Gill and The Little People. I liked the fiddle music in there, so I searched for Irish music. I discovered Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, etc, and that's pretty much all she wrote. Been learning the fiddle for coming-up-on-two-years and I've been dabbling in flute and whistle.

I've always loved listening to music, and always wanted to play, but have never had a strong drive to do so until now. I discovered I've always fought depression, and that may have had a lot to do with it. The love of Irish music is a huge motivator, and the sense of peace and serenity I get when playing are worth any cost. Sometimes it's hard to stay awake while practicing, it relaxes me so.

I see your post as coming straight from your heart, and I thank you for that!

That is nothing less than a musical ability.

Keep at it!

[FLUTEinVT]

I played and did some minor touring/recording as a bass player with a rock band about 20 years ago. I gave that up pretty quickly and then relegated music to an avocation, which for years centered around acoustic guitar playing. Chiefly from listening to an occasional Chieftians album, ITM was mostly a side listening interest.

About 15 years ago I became obsessed with Richard Thompson's guitar playing, and learned some of his arrangements for a few jigs. About 10 years later, I started playing socially again, and took up mandolin to avoid being just another guitar player in some old-time and ITM sessions.

The slippery slope of wind instruments in ITM started when I made a 5$ investment in a cheapo whistle, which I found myself playing endlessly. That morphed into a more expensive whistle, a low whistle, and finally flute, which lately has been getting most of the time I have for music.

Paul

[jemtheflute]

Music.

[jemtheflute]

Who said I couldn't be concise?

[TheKrowe]

Where to begin...

12 years of classical piano began in the first grade. My senior recital was Pictures at an Exhibition.

Got an acoustic guitar for Christmas when I was 9. Bought a used Gibson SG when I was about 15 and played that through college.

Stumbled into Jim Miller, a luthier in Hampton, Tennessee, at an arts and crafts show in Knoxville, TN. He was playing something that really sparked my interest; a hammered dulcimer. Well, I had to have one. That sucked me into celtic music. Along the way I picked up the flute and whistle. Started the band... blah, blah, blah...

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Kelly

[Cork]

Quite honestly, I don't think gender figures into flute, fiddle or whatever.

The vast majority of flute players in the school band many moons ago were girls. Violins 50-50. Brass instruments, boys-sax, trumpet, trombone, mainly. Etc. The flute was definitely considered a girl's instrument among the students. I have no idea where that viewpoint came from, but it was a pretty strong feeling.

My story: There was always a piano in the house. I took lessons for a year or so when I was 9 or so. My parents pulled me out for some unknown reason. I didn't think I was doing bad with practicing or anything. And I loved the lessons. My dad played clarinet when I was very young, and even played in a community orchestra. I always loved when he would dig out the thing and play us a few tunes. Those times got further and further apart until eventually he stopped entirely. He was more into folk-type music, anyway, and somehow we inherited a guitar. I can't recall from whom, but I would plink around with it and the piano quite a bit. Never really learned much, but did get some basics. Moved my way from that to a cheap harmonica. I had always begged for lessons and an instrument, any instrument, but was always put off by them. I was never really given a good reason, either. As a high school graduation present, they bought me a chromatic harmonica. I spent hours and hours on it. I got to the point where I could play Redwing with two or three flats pretty ok. Soon got to the point where my progress was stagnating and couldn't find a teacher. Moved out on my own, bought a keyboard, speakers, etc. Thought I would learn it. I didn't have the time to devote to that, what with 12-13 hours a day and a new relationship. Sold the keyboard when money got tight. Down to just the harmonica again. Still stagnant, so I gave it up again. Besides which, I never viewed it as a real instrument. Became single, job changed, I moved, etc. I had more free time, and I happened to watch Darby O'Gill and The Little People. I liked the fiddle music in there, so I searched for Irish music. I discovered Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, etc, and that's pretty much all she wrote. Been learning the fiddle for coming-up-on-two-years and I've been dabbling in flute and whistle.

I've always loved listening to music, and always wanted to play, but have never had a strong drive to do so until now. I discovered I've always fought depression, and that may have had a lot to do with it. The love of Irish music is a huge motivator, and the sense of peace and serenity I get when playing are worth any cost. Sometimes it's hard to stay awake while practicing, it relaxes me so.

I see your post as coming straight from your heart, and I thank you for that!

That is nothing less than a musical ability.

Keep at it!

BTW, you are also a good writer. In that sense, your writing gives me an in depth picture of your thoughts. Not so many writers can do that, good going!