Whistle discrimination?

[keithsandra]

Are these whistle denigrators the herd following sleepwalkers who have no views of their own and feel threatened by those who do? Tell them to go listen to classical orchestral and international best selling solo flutist Sir James Galway on his Abell "penny whistle" and shut up. (Or hear MTGuru jazzing up Si Bheg Si Morr on HIS whistle...).

Keith.

[MusicalADD]

An interesting topic.... I suspect that it's impossible to come up with good answers to some of these questions unless you've stopped to articulate why you play music.

For me, playing music in general, and that includes my relatively recent foray into ITM, serves three main purposes: a creative outlet; a form of meditation; and a social, uh, thing. For me, ITM, via mandolin or whistle, works just fine as a vehicle to achieve all 3 of those goals.

But, the idea of a musical competition is interesting. I suspect that, in general, folks that enter into musical competitions have different goals than I do. Maybe competitors have different needs, needing to accomplish a very demanding task, because that provides a sense of satisfaction that they crave. If that's their goal, then I guess it doesn't surprise me that they would look down their nose a little at whistle. Different priorities, different agendas, different... "tribes" I guess.

[swizzlestick]

Bottom line. Good music is good music. Whether it's created by a full orchestra or by the Blue Men banging away on plastic pipe.

But that doesn't address the original question. Yes, I am sure there is a tendency for some less than knowledgeable people to see a whistle as a toy or an introductory instrument. If only because of price. Ever price a harp? People know you are serious when you need a long term payment plan to buy your instrument.

But this is a brave new world for whistlers. Any way you cut it, famous whistlers are performing, selling CDs and producing highly visible scores for TV and movies. We have more successful, high end whistle makers than at any other time in history. We have Chiff and Fipple, of course, but we also have dozens of other Internet sites, instructional books and DVDs and -- most important of all -- a fast growing population of new players.

I don't expect the corner music store -- making the majority of its profit from selling band instruments and guitars -- to know this. Anyone who plays ITM should. Especially since so many flute players have also played whistle. Maybe those flute players like to comfort themselves with the knowledge that their instruments are more complex (as they certainly are), but deep down they must know that the final sound is everything.

On the other hand, you may be taking it too seriously.My best friend in high school was in band and joked about tuba players. I have seen a few cracks about bodhran players on this board as well.

[emtor]

And the music we play is folk music. Nobody wears a penguin suit or brings opera glasses to a session

What a sight that would have been . . . what a sight!

[Cayden]

Anyone who plays ITM should.

While I would be the first to state nobody should underestimate the whistle and that playing it well is not to be thought of too lightly, the reality is that it IS an instrument most people start off on but move on from. 95% of young players I see become very proficient on it in their mid teens and then move on to fiddles, pipes, flute, concertina etc. Multi instrumentalists abound and few stick to the whistle as their main instrument. That's not a problem is it? Everything has it's place.

Quote:
And the music we play is folk music. Nobody wears a penguin suit or brings opera glasses to a session


What a sight that would have been . . . what a sight! lol

A friend of mine, a very fine guitarplayer who when you twist his arm turns out a very fine whistleplayer too, used to live in Birmingham. They used to have a session in the town centre right near where the local symphony orchestra was based. The orchestra people used to come into the session for a few tunes in full gear after their rehearsals. It does happen.

[Mitch]

I tried waering my penguin suit to a session once, but the beak kept getting tangled up with my whistle. - and you can only get D, G and C# with your hands inside those wingy flipper things.

[sbfluter]

The misconceptions that classical musicians hold are one thing, but are you saying some people in the ITM world think that whistle is just a starter instrument?

I suppose it is for some, but our session has a whistle player who plays only whistle and he's one of the most valuable members of the group. We'd never suggest he's not playing a real instrument or that he ought to grow up and get a flute or something. That just wouldn't make any sense.

In my opinion, the whistle adds a great deal to the session and that a session wouldn't be as good without a whistle player.

I play whistle and flute. I play the flute only because that's what I really wanted to do. I like the whistle and want to get better at it but I find for me personally the whistle is actually harder to play than the flute.

[Cayden]

The misconceptions that classical musicians hold are one thing, but are you saying some people in the ITM world think that whistle is just a starter instrument?

Well, I am not saying it's regarded as a starter instrument but the reality is most people move on to other instruments. Very few, if any, only play the whistle. And many wellknown for other instruments are well capable of playing the whistle. Bobby Casey was a lovely whistle player, Jackie Daly has whistles all over the house because they're easier to pick up than the accordeon when a tune comes into his head. Brid O Donohue, while quite happy thinking of the whistle as her first and foremost, will play the flute mostly when in company. That's just how it is.

[pipersgrip]

Most people think it is a toy, or a recorder, or a child's instrument. They also think the Irish flute isn't great because it has holes instead of keys.

[Tucson Whistler]

I haven't played whistle for very long, but I can say that I like it better than I did clarinet (and I liked my clarinet a lot!!). Although I like the flute and pipes, I can say that I have no interest in learning them. I can proudly say (in the right company )

I am a whistler player

[space cadet]

Go, Tucson Whistler, You Rock I am also a raw beginner and having a ball. Give me my whistle and my dulcimer and I am a happy camper. The only problem is, it is pretty lonely in my neck of the woods. There are no other dulcimer or whistle players that I know of

[s1m0n]

And by the way, no one needs to "get used to it", because instrument discrimination is not acceptable.

Not 'acceptable' to whom?

[A-Musing]

For many of us, around the world, (not Ireland) the whistle is an instrument in it's own right. Has nothing whatever to do with childhood, or progressing to other instruments.
For me, Irish music (and the whistle in particular) was the impetus to keep playing music. But "Irish" music is only a part of what I like to play.
I love to whistle, and happily don't feel like the whistle is superior or inferior to any other instrument. It's a "simple" invention with a tremendous propensity for pure joy.

Brilliant!

[Whitmores75087]

very few flute players can keep up with full speed ITM all through a session. I've seen them switch to whistle when the going gets tough. Yes, the whistle is easier to play.

[swizzlestick]

While I would be the first to state nobody should underestimate the whistle and that playing it well is not to be thought of too lightly, the reality is that it IS an instrument most people start off on but move on from. 95% of young players I see become very proficient on it in their mid teens and then move on to fiddles, pipes, flute, concertina etc. Multi instrumentalists abound and few stick to the whistle as their main instrument. That's not a problem is it? Everything has it's place.
l

Peter, I am sure you are right. The whistle is a good starting instrument even outside ITM. And historically, many do move on to other instruments even here on C&F. I do think that, at a minimum, the people participating in and running this competition should know that the whistle is well established in this kind of music and that very accomplished adult whistle players do exist.

Personally, I would like to think they would notice that whistles are gaining in popularity and focus, but maybe I'm too close to it.