Come to the Celtic Wasteland where there are 4 million people and not one whistle teacher - Houston Texas area
Phil, DONT listen to these suggestions you have been hearing. YOU asked for a CENTRAL location…and NOBODY is suggesting a CENTRAL location. I think it should be somewhere in oooohhhhhh…hmmm ILLINOIS or MISSOURI. THEY are in the MIDDLE of the country!!! (ok…so am I, and I AM a bit biased) BUT maybe you could cook something up with that wonderful whistleshop in Bloomington IL???
Actually, Los Angeles is LOVELY in the summer =) Just in case you’re ever looking at June… Solstice Festival is in Malibu area last weekend in June. Very well attended and always looking for whistle people to teach. Look at California Traditional Musical Society homepage for details.
Now…Whidbey Island is Gorgeous in the Summer, All 3 days of it, See, Up here his workshop would generate at least 12 attendees.
He wouldnt get swamped with people and it could be a relaxing retreat type thing.
(Hey …I gotta try right ?)
Dan
Phil,
Looks like it boils down to how long you’re going to be here.
Suggestions are to consider the locations from this post, checking the whistle retailers on the C&F site and see if they could give you some indication of where their sales are coming from (you could sign a non-disclosure agreement if the retailer got nervous about that.)then check for local festivals, retailers and even universities who would be willing to have a person with your talents come in for some classes or a seminar. Then put together a schedule. You can also have a chance to see the very vared terrain and geography North America has to offer.
Good luck with it!
Coming to America…
Wasn’t that the name of an Eddie Murphy movie?
I’ve never been there myself, but Boston is reputed to have a rather large Irish community…
Although you may not know it, there are many places that would love to have you come and visit. In Brockville Ontario we have successfully organized “tutorial sessions” with groups like The Angel Band. We are sort of in the middle of a triangle with Montreal, Ottawa, and Kingston as the points. I am sure that if you selected Kngston or Ottawa, there would be avery good turnout, and many musicans would be willing to drive for 1-2 hours to work with you.
I second Hillfolk’s suggestion of Dublin, Ohio. The Irish fest there is well known and other whistlemakers have been known to show up. I’ve corresponded with other whistle players in that area. Dublin goes all out for the festival.
edited for spelling “Dyslexics of the world-UNTIE!”
Scott
“If thy neighbor offend thee, buy his child a bodhran.”
[ This Message was edited by: ScottStewart on 2002-03-23 08:10 ]
On 2002-03-22 20:14, Graphics Guy wrote:
Now…Whidbey Island is Gorgeous in the Summer, All 3 days of it, See, Up here his workshop would generate at least 12 attendees.
He wouldnt get swamped with people and it could be a relaxing retreat type thing.
(Hey …I gotta try right ?)
Dan
Dan left some stuff out. In April the Skagit Valley has a Tulip festival that would knock your socks off! Acres and acres of intense color.
Whidbey Island boasts incredible scenic views. Deception Pass, The Strait of Juan De Fuca, Port Townsend is a fifteen minute ferry ride (victorian town), and we on the island have Coupeville, which hasn’t changed much since the late 1800’s. We have a water festival which has canoe races and a art center at the end of the dock which is splendid. Actually, Whidbey Island boasts of it’s resident artists from musicians, actors, sculptors and painters.
There ARE more than 3 days of summer; it just doesn’t get as hot and humid as Florida, and Dan misses that. We actually are considered the banana belt of Washington.
There is some sort of Irish Festival which I have never attended. It’s never really advertised. People seem very proud that Oak Harbor was founded by the Irish, but there is very little evidence of that left. An aquantance of ours (David Daye) went to it once to play the Uillean Pipes. He said the only apparent Irish thing about it was that they were all wearing plastic green hats and it ended at six in the evening. We all got a good gufaw from that one!
Dan and I were waiting for pizza the other night and played his Dixon low G outside of the pizza place. There were people sitting outside of Starbucks (by the way, the Seattle area boasts INCREDIBLE coffee selections and tea’s). No one ever is seen playing music in public here, and the reactions were incredibly positive! Seeing the childrens faces were truly entertaining.
I am going to reiterate my opinion of Minneapolis. DD said that none of us were offering such a central location as Chicago, or Bloomington, I beg to differ. Not only is Minneapolis fairly central in America, but it is almost the exact center of North America, what more could you want. And in addition to the Irish festival we have in August, that is also when our Renaissance Festival is going on. The largest in the country aside from Texas. You could easily get set up in one, or both events.
Seth
Hey..Now Whidbey is central. Find a map,
Now, Draw a circle that encompasses 2000 miles, And just look at all the places fit in that circle, Doing that its clear that we are Internationally Centralized.
Dan
On 2002-03-22 15:18, jim stone wrote:
St. Louis, no doubt about it.
a VERY VERY smart man that Jim. 
And, the week after our Irish Fair in Minneapolis/St. Paul is Irish Fest in Milwaukee! The summer school starts Aug. 11 through the 16th. The Festival itself is from the 15th to the 18th. It’s a lot of fun! The web site is: http://www.irishfest.com
Sally, are you going to Milwaukee summer school? Please email me if you are.
Also, does the Minneapolis Fest have workshops?
– N
PS long time no see
OK Guys,the response has been overwhelming.
I’m coming.
I want to try and get over in May and do some small workshops to begin with ,maybe 5-6 .
1-2 in Canada with a view to set more up later in the year so a contact is needed for a venue.I do need a bit of help here until I know how things work,them I can arrange things myself,I’ve never been to Canada.
3-4 in the US,again any help with this would be muchly appriciated.
Colorado seems to be already set,I have some people there ready to help.
East coast and central also would be good.
I am looking for a good guitarist to back me on the concerts,I will see if Ed(Boyd)can do it ,if not I’m sure there will be somebody who can do it.
This is very exciting for me and I will be putting alot of energy into this in the next few weeks ,I really want it to happen and if it goes well it could become a regular thing.
Thanks for all the positivity and encouragement,it’s really appreciated.
All the best
Phil.
“Central” to the northeast U.S. is the Irish 2000 Music and Arts Festival near Albany, New York, being held on Sat. September 21, 2002 from 10am to 11pm.
This will be the fifth year of the event and they draw between 12and 16 thousand people each year.
It is held at a fairground near Albany, with non-stop Irish music of all types from 11am thru 11pm and lots of crafters and vendors.
The festival web page is;www.irish2000fest.com, and you can contact them at;www.info@irish2000fest.com, and by phone at 1-888-414 3378.
Itwould be great to see you there!!
Keith
How about Hedgesville West Virginia? I can clean out the shed and move the mattress in off the front lawn.
If you get hungry, there is a Piggly-Wiggly in town, about 45 minutes away. But dont worry: I always keep a jar full of some meat jerky around…if you dont mind sharing it with my “Ol Blue”, my Blue-tick hound.
Stewy Smoot, West Virginian and proud of it.