Having just joined the message board, I thought I’d introduce myself…
I am 24, and have played classical flute since I was 10, and I have dabbled with the acoustic guitar (blues, folk) for about 8 years now. A couple of years ago a friend brought me a whistle from Ireland, and I started to casually fool around with Irish trad music. This March (after seeing Chris Norman and a particulary inspiring Fr. Charlie Coen/Cherish the Ladies concert), I decided it was high time to really start learning to play this music. I’ve found a session in my area, and I just received a Dixon delrin flute, which I’m happy with.
I just visited Patrick Olwell a few days ago, and as I’m sure everybody already knows, his flutes are fantastic. I got to play a bunch of his, plus some antique instruments. All very interesting, especially since simple-system flutes are so different in character from the Boehm flutes I’m used to.
Anyway, thanks for all the advice you all post on this board…that’s what helped me decide on the Dixon.
Hi Micah,
It’s good to have you here. You certainly have a head start with your musical training. There have been some great discussions on the board about whether classical training(especially reading music) is helpful in the long run. I say of course it is, but then I’ve got a classical background as well. How are you progressing? Are there players at the session that you can look to for guidance? It sounds like you have everything you need to immerse yourself in the feel and practice of Celtic traditional music. Meeting Patrick Olwell doesn’t hurt, either!
What are some of your favorite tunes, bands, CDs right now?
Ah, yes, the classical background debate. I don’t see how it can hurt, provided that one realizes that playing a jig is not playing a 16 bar classical piece. I aim for a different (traditional) sound, phrasing, etc, when I play Irish music…it’s actually rather liberating to play tunes from memory and use techniques that are so different from classical flute playing.
Favorites? Oh, some of the ubiquitous stuff: Altan, Dervish, Cherish… I really dig Flook, Kornog (love Breton music), Chris Norman, Natalie MacMaster, Mike and Mary Rafferty…
Norman, Natalie MacMaster, Mike and Mary Rafferty…
Just as an aside, I got to meet Natalie MacMaster a couple of months ago. She was doing a concert here in Scottsdale, Arizona and asked for a couple of championship dancers from our school to perform on stage with her. One of them happened to be my girlfriend (She went to Worlds last year), and I got to go backstage before the show and talk to her, and watch her get the dance set up and everything. A lot of fun, and she is a REALLY nice person! She was WAY tired after the performance, and still took time to talk to people that had waited to see her, and sign some autographs before going to dinner.
And, her music and stage show is incredible too! She had a REALLY good pipes/whistle player, and some other really good artists from the Breton area. A really fun show!
Aodhan