Azalin wrote:ImNotIrish wrote:Thank you all for the input. I'm not sure what to do with it other than to stop associating my playing with ITM.
Now, going back to your style, I find it surprising that you don't have a few ITM "heros" you're trying to emulate. Trying to emulate musicians and then add your little twists is part if it all, and I'll boldly say that those refusing to accept this *certainly* don't play ITM, even if they think they do (some meat you can jump on!). So, maybe if you immerse yourself in the music a bit more, listen to more stuff, go to festivals and open your horizons, you'd certainly find a few 'models' you'd like to follow. A few years ago I cycled around County Clare for three months, and it helped a lot. I remember watching Geraldine McNamara, Geraldine Cotter and Sean Ryan play the whistle, and be awestruck... and the list goes on. I'm not sure if you do a lot, but you learn a lot by interacting with people. Maybe you don't need this, maybe you do, I wouldn't know.
Ah, ITM heros... Why, yes I do have a number of players that I love to listen to. All instruments, not just flute. And I listen to them all the time. Have done so for over twenty years. I do play out regularly at sessions and I do attend workshops and summers music weeks. Perhaps the fact that I don't have one player to whom I pay sole attention is what is undermining my efforts? I don't know. I suppose if there is one player whom I might like to emulate, it might be Fintan Vallely. I have been listening to Eddie Cahill a lot recently. Even when I listen to these players and pick up tunes, I am getting the tune playable until it is in my head, and then taking it from there on my own. I may take a particular ornament placement, a triplet run from here or there, but honestly, I have neither the patience, nor desire to re-create the entire version. My original question, broad as it may be, was an attempt to see if I had any particular reference in my playing style to that of the regional ITM styles. I know I don't have the 'huffy-puffy' style of the Northern players, and frankly, I am not well informed enough to really identify most regional styles. Rather than having my request seem like an egotistic plea for acknowledgment, I was hoping to identify any slight stylistic indication which I could then further pursue. If my playing 'sounds' Irish, great. If it seems I am just out there playing something loosely connected to ITM, okay. By 'traditionally style-less,' I was not implying 'pure drop' playing, but rather regional associations. And Guru, yes there is work to be done. I have not bothered to put up 'polished' clips. So, I am well aware that there are issues around timing of rolls, phrasing, etc. But I also know there are examples where these things fall together as well. Hope you all will not view this as being defensive. Just a clarification, if you will. I am delighted that the topic has generated such response, and even brought some of you back to the board from the outer realm.
Arbo
Are we not men? We are Arbo! 
