Jo C, There might be some dance opportunities out there even in Wales. You might take a look at the following for leads to whats available.
English Folk Dance & Song Society
- Folk](http://www.folkwales.org.uk/listings.html%3EFolk) Wales
- Welsh](http://www.welshfolkdance.org.uk/%3EWelsh) Folk Dance Society.
I’d also second the suggestion to approach your whistle as if it were a fine voice singing a heartfelt tune.
Find a ballad, air, or other song that says something that connects to you, that touches your heart or spirit, whistling it will come to life with the connection. The connection doesn’t need to be soft, romantic, or lamenting in fact you may have those types of slow air tunes down.
How about trying a song of determination, revolution,
the anger over injustice,
the frustration over stupidity of the little things that foul things up,
or a commitment to change.
Learn a fight song,
learn a flirt song,
learn a song of binding,
learn a song of release,
learn a song for the victory at end of the struggle,
learn a song that drips of sarcasm,
learn a song the warns others politely
and then not so politely,
learn a tune to let your best mate know you’ve on their side and got their back covered,
learn a song to let your best mate know his back-side’s uncovered,
learn the “I don’t believe I did it again” song,
and at the end learn the exhausted song.
If you give these songs the whistles voice, songs that allready have life in them, then you’re whistling lively.
Just as you know some melodies by heart, you also need to know your instrument by heart. While you are learning your whistle, let your whistle learn you. Let it express what you think, feel, and see around you. Spend some time, not playing tunes; but rather, simply play what is on your heart:
Play joy, sorrow, longing, and mystery. Play impish, snippish, mischievous, prankish. Play hope, dread, confusion, and consternation. Play rage, regret, worry, and wonder. Play the sunrise, moonrise, and the first cup of coffee in the morning. Play the babes first step, the bridal dance, and the last step to grave. Play the seaside, the canyon, the rapids, and the falls. Play the thunderstorm, the mist, the first sunny day of spring, the gentle breeze of the last leaf falling.
Like a good marriage, the relationship between the musician and his instrument takes time to develop. Eventually the instrument finishes the musician’s sentences befor the muscian can put the thought into words.
Now if I could just do this as well as I could talk about it, I’d be the musician that I aspire to.
Well, I tossed in a bit more that my 2 cents by a farthing or two or three or four; but above all …
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-05-06 14:39 ]
