Feng Shui

Whistle
1

A couple of days ago I went nuts while cleaning my appartment. I had gotten tired of all the things that I keep just because “well.. it´s not THAT bad, and it might be good to have… later on”.

For example; A clarke C out of tune and raspy sound. Walton D and C, out of tune raspy sound. A couple of medium quality panpipes out of tune.

The panpipes I gave away (as decoration), the whistles I bent over my knee and then they went down in the garbage container.

It felt SOOOO GOOOOD!

You know, I´m the type of guy who can resist buying something new as long as I have something decent, but on th other hand this “decent” stuff only annoys me in the long run when they don´t measure up to my expectations of what they should be and do.

The only cheapish whistle left is a Clarke D, HEAVILY modified. Five of the holes are retuned, enlarged and one is lowered by covering a bit of it with tape. The enlarging of the holes made it a little louder, very nice. I also have sealed the fipple with tape to reduce the leakage there.

So… now I´m down to only three whistles;
Clarke D
Copeland Sterling D
Copeland Bras Low D

Ready to be shipped from the states is;
Copeland Sterling Low D
Abell D
Abell A

Also have a Rose D and
Overton big hole low D on order.

Nothing wrong in having many instruments IMO, but they have to be used and decent. I hate collecting crap that only collects dust if you know what I mean.

I did not only get rid of the instruments while cleaning the house, I also dumped old clothes and other stuff that hade a certain value but never got used. You know stuff you have in the closet for years without using it, thinking “well I´ll use it someday”. Well if that someday ever comes, I´ll go out and shop something new.

Feng Shui feels very good, sound and healthy IMO :slight_smile:

/Peter

2

It’s a kind of keeping only what you need thing suppose. About to go through that same phase you went through. Junk smashing!

Never though I would reach a time in life where I’ll be selling stuff to pay for something else…

3

A few months ago my family (me, my wife, and six kids) moved from one house (where we had lived for four years) to another. We knew we had lots of stuff we didn’t need but when it wouldn’t all fit in a 26 foot (8 m) moving truck we realized we had a problem.

After the move we decided to sort through all our stuff and get rid of what we don’t need – we figure we can reduce the amount of stuff we own by about 50%. Our rule of thumb is, “If we don’t need it or love it then its gone!” Thus far the experience of decluttering our lives has been nothing less than empowering. I’ve even put the brakes on my WHOA (well, mostly anyway).

One thing though, just because you don’t need something doesn’t mean somebody else couldn’t use it. Rather than smash perfectly good stuff I think it is more appropriate to give it away if possible.

4

Garycrosby,

I kind of agree with you on the last point but… The whistles were out of tune and in such a way it was as good as impossible to retune it/them. I had done some work on them, partially “destroyed” at least one of them by sanding the fipple blade.

The panpipes I gave to my brother, they was not so bad but not up to my standard of a good instrument. Actually I was thinking on giving away the whistles but lately I have been thinking this way;

If something is not “good enough” for me, what do I signal by giving it to someone else?

I also am a STRONG believer in that a first instrument should be a REALLY GOOD one. Otherwise the newbie maybe get tired of the whole thing, and never get that joy for life that many of us have got in the love of music.

It is also very possible that the development of pitch accuracy and harmonic intervals may suffer if a person start out on a bad instrument (badly in tune/ bad intonation).

This aproach I have in many areas in life, really give myself noting but the best possible, I think I´m worth it.

Hell… how nice it was when I bought my first real guitar, a Martin D16T.
Decided to learn some advanced fingerstyle early this year, and bought a Lowden, that guitar have improved my playin enourmously due to its quality and “suitability” for fingerstyle.

I understand that money is an issue in many situations, but I believe there are affordable alternatives to the finest instruments. One should never (IMO) use an instrument that is not in tune (meaning bad intonation).

Well that´s the way I think :slight_smile:

/Peter

5

I kind of agree with you on the last point but… The whistles were out of tune and in such a way it was as good as impossible to retune it/them. I had done some work on them, partially “destroyed” at least one of them by sanding the fipple blade.

The panpipes I gave to my brother, they was not so bad but not up to my standard of a good instrument. Actually I was thinking on giving away the whistles but lately I have been thinking this way;

If something is not “good enough” for me, what do I signal by giving it to someone else?

My comment about “giving stuff to others” was a general comment rather than a criticism of you. I’m sorry if it wasn’t clear.

6

Oh, it´s ok I didn´t take it as criticism but thought I should clarify anyhow.
Might seem weird to some people to throw away stuff like that :slight_smile:

I actually have saved one Generation F, which is ok intonated, and that one I´m planing to give away to a friends daughter 5 years old :slight_smile: My friend is a musician and what could be better than a small whistle for a childs first real instrument :slight_smile:

/Peter



[ This Message was edited by: Pan on 2002-09-10 18:50 ]

7

Getting rid of suff can be as adictive as acquiring stuff – but a whole lot better for the soul (and the bank-balance!).

fv

8

On 2002-09-10 05:45, Caoimhin wrote:
Never though I would reach a time in life where I’ll be selling stuff to pay for something else…

I thought that was the reason most people post whistles for sale here…to pay for new whistles!

9

Note-- it is a well known fact that brass is a very dangerous metal in Feng Shui . You must get rid of your Copeland Low D brass whistle at once!! E-mail me, and I will give you the address to send it to… :slight_smile:

10

And if brass is dangerous, then sterling silver is postitively courting disaster in a karmic sense :slight_smile: Anyone with a sterling silver Copeland may email me for instructions on how to send their whistle to the special feng shui whistle containment cannister I have constructed in my living room… :slight_smile:

11

On 2002-09-10 04:12, Pan wrote:
I did not only get rid of the instruments while cleaning the house, I also dumped old clothes and other stuff that hade a certain value but never got used. You know stuff you have in the closet for years without using it, thinking “well I´ll use it someday”. Well if that someday ever comes, I´ll go out and shop something new. Feng Shui feels very good, sound and healthy IMO > :slight_smile:

Growing up in the north of England, we called what you did ‘Spring Cleaning’, even though it could be done any time of the year. Basically, a good clear-out of old junk that was kept ‘just in case…’ I didn’t know, though that it was now classified as Feng Shui.

Surely, to qualify as having performed an oriental healing therapy you’d have to turn the clothes that you left in the wardrobe to the south, and hang the bent Clarke’s from a string over the back door, to act as wind chimes!

:slight_smile: Steve

12

[quote]
hang the bent Clarke’s from a string over the back door, to act as wind chimes!

[quote]

Hey! We could start a new wind chime business by collecting junked whistles!

“The Wind-Chime Shop”

It could still trigger WhOA (W=Windchime).

13

Moaahah haha!

You are funny guys :wink:

So… would wooden whistles be better than brass and silver then, according to Feng Shui?

Or do I simply have to quit whistling…
hey… I know.. of course the whistle must be made of jade or bomboo.. right??? :slight_smile:

/Peter