Otter, Tyghre plays tape recorders and stereos, but I have gotten him a Sweetone D and Walton nickel C, and now a Clare D that he seems to enjoy very much. Occasionally over vacation he would nap and I’d go downstairs and play or visit or something, and then I’d hear him running scales!
I never really imagined he’d get very interested, but last night at session he came to me and said he had been doing inventory, and didn’t he have more than one nickel whistle and had it gotten given away or relocated to one of my stashes? You could have floored me! He cares! Anyway, I’m going to make him go back to the tutorials, because, though I’m pleased he’s finally able to get a solid D scale without mussing up the low D, I really want him to learn to play SOMETHING ELSE.
Bloo, that wasn’t a Walton’s; it was my Feadog Mark I. I played that, the two piece Doolin I picked up at Shannaquay, and the Dixon F, which may turn out to be my fave solo instrument. A bit quiet on the lowest two notes, but oh so lovely higher up, and nice octave changes. You’ll see it when you break free of your labors and join us at CS!
Five days ago we had dinner with an Aer Lingus pilot and he warned us of the strike. I’m soooo happy that it didn’t interfere with vacation! I do hope all you who are thinking of an Irish holiday get the opportunity to travel and enjoy one of the most hospitible places in the world. We’ll be back, thats certain!
Tyghress
…And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges
[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2002-05-30 18:10 ]
Actually it’s now a lock-out… Aer Lingus and it’s pilots are in a big fight right now… Fortunately I’m flying KLM so my flight won’t be in danger… Everything should be back to normal in a matter of days anyway.
Stevie, the hysterical thing is that so much of the behind the music bickering I hear here, happened THERE too. You’d have one person playing bodhran very appropriately for the session (the lady in the picture really has a great soft touch, sensitivity to the music, she added to it very nicely), then someone comes in and beats a drum and the other musicians rolled their eyes. Or when talking about a session we’d been to, the musician we were talking to yammered about this person or that person never tuning. Or tempos being off. Or too many bodhrans. I’m coming to believe its a universal, no matter how good or poor the session is, no matter how authentic, whether key players are paid or not… The only constant was that they were utterly polite and encouraging to me. Kind of comforting to know that it happens everywhere!
The strike was Thursday (30th May) but no Air Lingus flights went today (Friday) either - from Shannon or Dublin. Some US visitors I saw today, expected to suffer being in Ireland 2 or (maybe) 3 days longer than planned! But, it should all be sorted out by next week.
UPDATE: Air Lingus have just announced that their aircraft will not be ready to fly on Monday 3rd June.
Steve
[ This Message was edited by: stevepower on 2002-06-01 03:18 ]