I can only play a few tunes as I am new to the whistle.
But a couple of weeks ago, I played outdoors for the first time. My family and I were driving on vacation up to northern Colorado. Our first night was spent camping in northern Arizona at the Navajo National Monument near Kayenta. Once we’d eaten and put the baby to bed in the tent, I ventured to pull out one of my high D whistles and practiced. Until that point, I had only played indoors and to myself.
I was struck at how quiet the whistle sounded in the great outdoors! More surprising was that none of our tent inhabiting neighbors attempted to strangle me.
few days later, we found ourselves camping at 9,500 ft in the Colorado Rockies. Breath control was a little more tricky at this altitude, but it didn’t seem too bad. Anyway, a guy from the next campsite over walked across and asked if I could play some Scottish tunes as he had scottish heritage. He didn’t mind that I couldn’t play any. Well, he called his young daughter and friend over and had me play a couple of tunes. I played the Leitrim Fancy and Boys Of Ballisodare. He was impressed with my playing (I must have hidden the fluffed notes quite well). As luck would have it, his campfire then needed tending as I had exhausted my memorized and practiced tunes. I could have played Si Bhearg Si Mhor and The Butterfly from memory, but they are very rough at present.
Anyway, I felt quite pleased with myself and my playing. It was fun.
Getting past your first public performance is a terrible, terrible thing. You’re now doomed to a long life spent playing everywhere you can as often as you can, getting stress and pleasure in equal measure and generally having a rollicking good time. Although my one and only instrument is now the harmonica, the very first time I played anything in public I “played” Star of the County Down on a whistle. When I’d finished people clapped and cheered! That was fatal. Now look at me! Doomed and lovin’ every minute of it!
Reminds me of my first performance…It was almost a year ago, I had just started playing whistle. I had just bought a C whistle at the Cleveland Irish Festival and was playing “Down by the Sally Gardens”(the only song I knew) for my dad. When I finished, two people nearby clapped. That was the greatest form of encouragement ever.
On a side note, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to post this story ever since it happened…
Anyway, congrats on your first outdoor performance, and keep up the good work.
Way to go. I remember the first time I heard a whistle. I just had to play one after that. Imagine what would happen if all those closet whistlers got out there too and whistled.
You may have inspired someone else to learn the whistle.
Well done, Charlie. As Steve Shaw and others have suggested, keep on playing and rolling in that stress/pleasure pool. I have played out for over 20 years but last week, I went to play Be Thou My Vision in a local Pittsburgh church and just before the first note, I realized that about 2,000 ears were listening and you could have heard a pin drop. Sheer terror followed but I know that one pretty well and got through it. Moral of the story. Steve is right. Equal parts of fear and absolute pleasure. And the coolest part is when (not if) you hit one of those “off colored” notes and someone points it out to you, you can proudly hand them the whistle and say “Show me how it should be done”. Just know that a fellow whistler will never say that to you and you’ll do just fine.
