So what's a 'professional' whistle?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:50 am

The use of the word 'professional' always intrigues me.

So when is a whistle 'professional' of 'professional grade' or 'professional looking'?

And you what I am going to say: I have seen very cheap whistles on the job and doing it well, earning a good living in the process. So what's the distinguishing mark, or is it all hot air?

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:25 am

I don't think it's the whistle that earns the money, it's the player!

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:25 am

Perhaps it's a whistle used by a professional.

Pyroh · Post by **Pyroh** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:33 am

Well, I believe that "professional whistle" is something like..."good smelling message board" - message boards can not have smell, it´s a nonsense. And the same way, I think that "professional whistle" doesn´t make sense either.

"professionally made whistle" would be whistle made by a person with trade certificate with whistles, I think. Of quality, it doesn´t say much (same as professional players, who can be very bad, sometimes).

I´d rather use the term "quality whistle", which would be very well in tune, with tone that some group of people will find nice (we can´t define "good" tone because of many personal tastes).

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:06 am

Well, obviously a professional whistle is one made by a professional like, say, a podiatrist or nurse...

Brigitte · Post by **Brigitte** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:03 am

everything you paid money for?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:46 am

Glad to see I am not the only one who thinks it's a ridiculous notion. So why does the term get used so often?

Guinness · Post by **Guinness** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:06 am

Professionally speaking, professionally made equipment is used by professionals and non-professionals (i.e., professional wannabees) to produce professional-like results in the hopes of gaining recognition as a professional and be paid as a professional. Marketing professionals have for a long time associated the term 'professional' to position their product as professional grade equipment, which enables them to command professional-like prices. Showing up at a session with pro-sumer grade equipment and playing like a professional wannabee might be regarded as unprofessional. If this all seems too confusing, then I suggest seeking professional help, unprofessionally speaking, since therapy is not my profession.

scheky · Post by **scheky** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:46 am

There may be something to the scented messageboard. I sure do smell a troll.

Cmon Peter...dead horse. Even though I mostly agree with you, why keep bringing up the argument in differing and creative ways? I admit that going around the subject and picking at it is at least original, but honestly...dead horse. Let it go.

Pyroh · Post by **Pyroh** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:49 am

Peter Laban wrote:Glad to see I am not the only one who thinks it's a ridiculous notion. So why does the term get used so often?

No idea - same with "women's logic" - so often used, yet nothing in common with logic

But if fun is cast aside, it´s interesting, why people use words in a bad way. We even have useless words - for example have to/must (not sure which, english is my second language) should be never used, because we´d have to be sure there´s only one option left. Yet, most of the time, there are many (however many are ridiculous).

I believe people don´t concentrate on exact meaning and hope that "betweenline talk" will make it well understandable.

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:08 am

Peter Laban wrote:Glad to see I am not the only one who thinks it's a ridiculous notion. So why does the term get used so often?

Because human beings are ridiculous.

I guess in my mind a "professional" whistle would be any whistle that you could use for public performance that you wouldn't cuss at and pitch in a trash can when you're heading off stage. In other words, one that doesn't get between you and your music in any way.

IMO there is some real garbage on the market that falls squarely in the "unprofessional" category. OTOH there are some very inexpensive whistles which, in the right hands, are entirely suitable for "professional" use

Doc

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:13 am

scheky wrote:There may be something to the scented messageboard. I sure do smell a troll.

Cmon Peter...dead horse. Even though I mostly agree with you, why keep bringing up the argument in differing and creative ways? I admit that going around the subject and picking at it is at least original, but honestly...dead horse. Let it go.

I don't know. That horse seems to find its legs pretty regularly. Maybe Peter's crusade needs to be a sticky, so those who choose to can just ignore it.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:25 am

brewerpaul wrote:Well, obviously a professional whistle is one made by a professional like, say, a podiatrist or nurse...

Hmmmm... . . . well l l, I certainly hope a podiatrist nurse whistle maker washes their hands before sending whistles out.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:27 am

Doc Jones wrote: I guess in my mind a "professional" whistle would be any whistle that you could use for public performance that you wouldn't cuss at and pitch in a trash can when you're heading off stage. In other words, one that doesn't get between you and your music in any way.

That's generally what I mean when I use the phrase "professional whistle". I can get up on stage, play the thing, and not have to worry about it. I've used this kind of phrasing, before, for instance: "Don't be fooled by its looks--that's a professional instrument."

Which brings up another point. When I say "professional looking" I mean a whistle which evokes a sense in the viewer that it's made for musicians and not for kids. Most people i know would view a brightly-colored plastic-top whistle as a toy, and I freely admit that this is cultural bias. That's just what they look like to folks around these parts, and generally, that's how Generations are marketed in most music stores. Not all of us live in Ireland, where Generations are well known and respected.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:44 am

scheky wrote:There may be something to the scented messageboard. I sure do smell a troll.

Cmon Peter...dead horse. Even though I mostly agree with you, why keep bringing up the argument in differing and creative ways? I admit that going around the subject and picking at it is at least original, but honestly...dead horse. Let it go.

Isn't it a bit simplistic to reduce everything I say to the same old mas-produced-designer made argument?

'professional' comes up regularly in descriptions here but this time my curiosity was tickled by a post yesterday:

I've been playing whistle since "Chieftains Five" was released. At that time and to present date, my main instrument is guitar: acoustic steel string, nylon string (flamenco) and National tricone bottle neck blues.

Since I am a performing professional musician, I find it necessary to purchase and play professional level instruments. Since I often play with other musicians it is a rudimentry necessity that what ever instrument I play must play in tune and have a high level of "playabillity".

The search for a whistle with professional level attributes was rather expensive and time consuming. Often the descriptor "tunable" whistle was an oxymoron. boggle

I have found makers who turns out a consistently professional level whistles. They are out there, In keeping with the not naming anyone tone in this thread I'll not name names.