In reading the thread about young whistlers, I began to wonder, how many of you are asked to play for others?
It may be just me, but no one ever asks me to play my whistle for them. I know a few tunes and, with practice, can do a reasonably decent job on some of them (even if it doesn’t sound ANYTHING like Joanie Madden).
I wonder if is because my playing really does stink, or is everyone so jaded from listening to edited and polished recordings?
How about the rest of you?
I’ve been asked to play. But only once.
I’m often asked to play.
It’s a tune called “somewhere else”
goes well in a set with “a bit quieter”
Cheers,
jb
I’m not young but I’m a new (14 months) player. I was asked to play at church a few months ago - I graciously declined because IMO I pretty much suck (but I’m slowly improving) and I get nervous playing in front of people 
IMO most people are much more critical of their ownself than they are of others. As a result, we tend to underestimate our own skills – chances are you that you actually sound much better than you think you do. No, maybe you don’t sound like Joanie but you may be surprised by what others think of your skills.
A lot of whistle music non-whistlers listen to (at least in the Canadian prairies) is not very good so it isn’t too hard to sound good. Case in point, the TV miniseries “Random Passage” (which was a good show BTW), has a fair bit of whistle tracks that are actually pretty easy to play proficiently. The only people who typically listen to good whistle music are whistlers and Irish Trad enthusiasts - its pretty easy to fool the rest of them. I’m sure the situation in Ireland, or New York, or Cape Breton, or other places is quite different.
Case in point, I was playing an arrangement of Loch Lomond (yes, I know its a cliche but me eldest daughter loves it and knows all the verses) that has a bit of ornementaion in it while a friend (a flutist) was over at the house. She asked me how many years I had been “studying” whistle for and was stunned when I said “one year”. My rendition of Loch Lomand obviously sounded fine to her but I knew of so many places in it that I want to improve. Like I said, I think we are overcritical of our skills.
Maybe I’m dense (MID) or hopelessly uniformed (HU), but I’m not familiar with the acronyms “BTW” and “IMO”.
Thanks for your words of encouragement (WOE) (as opposed to WhOA). Most of this post is definitely TIC (tongue-in-cheek).
Happy whistlin’
[ This Message was edited by: paulsdad on 2002-02-28 14:33 ]
On 2002-02-28 14:24, paulsdad wrote:
Maybe I’m dense (MID) or hopelessly uniformed (HU), but I’m not familiar with the acronyms “BTW” and “IMO”.Thanks for your words of encouragement (WOE) (as opposed to WhOA). Most of this post is definitely TIC (tongue-in-cheek).
Happy whistlin’
[ This Message was edited by: paulsdad on 2002-02-28 14:33 ]
BTW = By The Way
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In my HUMBLE Opinion.
PaulsDad et al
The place I used to work up till a few months back had a security code accessed lab that only a handfull of people would visit each day.
It had quite a lot of background ‘noise’ (with pumps and equipment running 24 hrs a day) . . . so I thought I was quite safe practicing in that lab at lunchtime with my tweaked Clarke, which I thought was barely audible to anyone in the building - but nonetheless allowed me to ‘let rip’!!
I always thought I was sh**e as a player but weeks later I was paid the greatest compliment I ever had when I visited the Stores Dept. in the adjoining building (I needed a set of AA batteries for a portable meter).
. . . I could feel the rush of blood to my face when the guy behind the counter said " Do you need those for your CD player next door?" !!
Regards . . . Tony P.
[ This Message was edited by: tony pearson on 2002-02-28 14:41 ]
[ This Message was edited by: tony pearson on 2002-02-28 14:45 ]
Oh, sorry - there are lots of these little acronymns to help speed up typing in newsgroups and e-mail - here’s a few:
IMO = in my opinion
BTW = by the way
FWIF = for what its worth
ROFL = rolling on floor laughing
AFAIK = as far as I know
RTFM = read the fine manual
OIC = Oh, I see!
Our Sunday session leader makes a point of asking people to play, and I’ve always declined. This past Sunday though he put a mike in front of me, I shut my eyes, played Blind Mary, and my hands SHOOK like leaves. And my heart raced. And I knew I was going to die.
And I didn’t!
That was my first solo. I have been asked to lead off on Da Slockett Light on two occasions in memorium when session members have had a loss (aside: this started when, just over a year ago, the Hartford area folk music community suffered a terrible and unexpected loss of Bill Domler, a robust, hearty man who slipped and fell, hit his head and died. I miss him still. Cried my way through that tune that night.)
I don’t like solo. . .but now I know I won’t die.
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
AFAIAC - As Far As I Am Concerned (Also AFAIC)
aka - Also Known As
B&P - Blanks and postage (See section 4.7)
CD - Compact Disc
CDS - CD single (i.e. BwBW)
FS - For Sale (helpful in subject line)
FT - For Trade (helpful in subject line)
FWIW - For What It’s Worth
HTH - Hope This Helps (usually said sarcastically)
IMHO - In My (Humble|Honest) Opinion
ISO - In Search Of
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
OT - Off Topic
NP: - Now Playing (used at end of messages to indicate what poster
was listening to at the time of posting)
ROFL - Rolling On the Floor, Laughing (also ROFLMAO, adding “My Ass
Off”)
RTFM - Read The Fine Manual (although ‘Fine’ is often replaced by
another word of the user’s choice) 
UCE - Unsolicited Commercial Email (aka email spam)
WTB - Wanted To Buy (helpful in subject line)
WTT - Wanted To Trade (helpful in subject line)
YHBT. HAND. - You Have Been Trolled. Have A Nice Day.
Thanks, Sam. I thought LOL was ‘Lots
of Love!’ Boy was my life getting
screwed up!
I like C&F, OBO, MMAO, DBM and KTW (AKA STDW)
MH
The Onion recently posted these acronyms:
LODLSM - Logged On Dressed Like Sailor Moon
XIF - Christ, I’m Fat
DYHTNTMBG? - Did You Hear The New They Might Be Giants?
18/F/NYC- Pockmarked 46-Year-Old In Bathrobe
IHTWBSAP - I have Trouble With Basic Spelling And Punctuation
JEOMK - Just Ej(censored) On My Keyboard
NTBUSWAB - Not To Bring Up Star Wars Again,But…
TOMTB - Taking Off My Training Bra
CILYIMBF? - Can I Lock You In My Basement Forever?
HOGMP - Hang On, Getting More Pringles
WSTS - Weeping Silently To Self
Just so you know…
TMFA-Too Many Bloody Acronyms
I’ve been asked to STOP playing once or twice!
But on the plus side, I’ve had the occasional encouraging comment while playing on the fire escape at work.
No-one except my mother has ever requested a tune.
Bless her, and all mothers worldwide!
On 2002-02-28 14:42, tyghress wrote:
Our Sunday session leader makes a point of asking people to play, and I’ve always declined. This past Sunday though he put a mike in front of me, I shut my eyes, played Blind Mary, and my hands SHOOK like leaves. And my heart raced. And I knew I was going to die.And I didn’t!
I know what you mean by the shaking hands. There should be a word for that other than I was nervous, or I was scared S@#$less.
A word only a whistler would know.
It is really difficult to play the whistle when the fingers are shaking!!!
Laura
I had been practicing soprano whistle for 6 months, 1-2 hours every day, in the kitchen, in the car, even in the bath, just anywhere. My family hated it, they shouted at me to stop. However they loved the sound of the low whistle. Now I practice flute quite a lot. Nobody asks me to play, but at least they don’t shout at me anymore.
I don’t get asked to play much, except by my friends who love music. Have been asked at church once or twice. Most people aren’t as into music in general as we who must have it, produce it, listen to it 24/7 etc. I, like some of y’all, feel I’m not at a level where I can play at the local Irish pub, who already has whistlers whose fingers are lightning fast and have the trad sound.
But my 5-year-old son asks me to sing and play sometimes, and that’s as cool as it gets!
[ This Message was edited by: cj on 2002-03-01 09:57 ]
I do get asked occasionally, like sitting in the willie Clancy piping concert listening to the first on and than having Sean Potts on to me ‘Peter, someone didn’t turn up can you so the next spot’. the five minute warning is usually what I get(maybe for the best, I am a bit of a private person and get very nervous ahead of that sort of thing).
Just got a call from Brid O Donohue who teaches most local kids the whistle. Whatever she does (probably just being a nice person playing lovely music), nearly all of them turn into lovely whistleplayers. She recently started a session for the kids to give them a context and a bit of fun. Every second week they have a mystery guest who plays a bit and talks about the music. So when the phone rang an hour ago I new what she was going to ask.
On 2002-03-01 11:09, Peter Laban wrote:
I do get asked occasionally, like sitting in the willie Clancy piping concert listening to the first on and than having Sean Potts on to me ‘Peter, someone didn’t turn up can you so the next spot’. the five minute warning is usually what I get(maybe for the best, I am a bit of a private person and get very nervous ahead of that sort of thing).Just got a call from Brid O Donohue who teaches most local kids the whistle. Whatever she does (probably just being a nice person playing lovely music), nearly all of them turn into lovely whistleplayers. She recently started a session for the kids to give them a context and a bit of fun. Every second week they have a mystery guest who plays a bit and talks about the music. So when the phone rang an hour ago I new what she was going to ask.
Good for you Peter
You will be perfect for them.
Do you get nervous also when performing for children?
I find children easier and more forgiving at times. Unless it is a major mistake. They will let you know. But there is always a way that one can turn it around. Even adults make mistakes.
Laura