A tiny bit of music theory wouldn’t hurt either. E.g., an understanding of the major scale (do, re, mi, …) as it relates to different keys would allay the confusion about what happens when one plays a non-D whistle.
I like that analogy Limu very much, and I’ll be using it myself.
Limu, I think you have put forth the explanation of why it is and should be acceptable for a musician to be able to read music notation, as well as play by ear, very well! Bravos to you!! 
~Larry
Stoner makes a good point, as does Ridseard, IMO.
Jim wrote:
I don’t know what’s more remarkable, that
the fellow said that or that my friend believed him.
And Ridseard wrote:
A tiny bit of music theory wouldn’t hurt either.
Some time ago I read an interview with Kenny Baker, a self taught fiddler. Although he couldn’t read music and obviously had no need to, he also very clearly had a pretty thorough understanding of his instrument which, as a blue grass musician, he played in some pretty exotic keys, making use of lots of accidentals.
My own experience, as a music reader, is that I tend to use written music as a crutch at times. Normally when I play from music I also ornament freely and just use the written notes as reminders. But I also have to admit that I can get lazy and just play what’s written. However, that’s not so different from many traditional musicians. For every great creative trad artist, there are many more who play strictly from rote, the same way every time.
Lately, I find that more and more tunes pop into my head and I just play them. I think that comes from years of playing and I prefer that to what I’ve also done for years: write tunes I learn from recordings in music notebooks, but the problem is that if I don’t write them down I often forget them, and memory is unreliable. It’s useful to have a reminder; just not to be a slave to it.
Nodding head energetically. I totally agree with the sentiments expressed. I’ve used Limuhead’s analagy myself, though not in as much detail, nor as articulately. I once learned an easy jig from an abc off the internet. I listened and read to get it memorized. After I played it awhile, I heard a recording of it by someone good. I had essentially phrased it the same way. The tune lent itself to that phrasing and I’ve listened to enough Irish music for enough time (since the '70’s) to have a clue which way it might go. I’d still say if I had to give up one or the other, the hearing or the print, I’d give up the print. But, I surely wouldn’t discourage anyone from using printed sources.
When I transcribe tunes from recordings, I write them down. Then, I use the written notes to memorize. Then, I go back to the recording and try to play along (eventually). I do this because it’s the easiest and quickest way for me to learn a new tune.
While I’m on the soapbox…Listening to a lot of different artists and a lot of different tunes and a lot of different interpretations will make a huge difference to your playing. And your playing will make you hear more details and patterns you didn’t grok before, which will, in turn, help your playing. (It helps to be fanatical.)
Tony
Tony
Limu, I’m totally with you on your excellent post. However, it occurs to me that the old man and his question was a situation involving more than idle curiosity, especially since we have some context about the musician to whom it was directed.
Knowing that many Irish have a reputation for choosing their words carefully (which can lead the unsuspecting into a muck), taking into account the “read music/not read music” underpinnings of the tradition’s lore, and the pride of the musician in question (which pride a seasoned elder isn’t likely to miss), I saw this question as a comment directed at the musician’s vanity.
Hence my “Ouch” as previously posted.
(edited for a bit more clarity)
Just to clarify a bit more:
Raindog’s anecdote makes note of the fact that the musician was taken down a peg by that question; a formally educated and notation-literate musician can well be gifted. I don’t see an either-or situation in the question per se; it’s about context, again. As a matter of fact, if I wanted to “have the piss out of someone”, that question is exactly the sort of oblique jab that I would use, and I both read notation and play by ear.
On the other hand, the paranoid’s tendency to read between the lines that which was never there may well be my lot. 
It reminds me of a cranky, disagreeable git who once said to me, “I’m not paranoid; I’m just in possession of all the facts.”