Funny you should mention Bloomy…To be honest I never much thought about the meaning of nor used “penultimate,” but my professor recently used the word jduring a Spanish immersion class, as in the “penultimate syllable” whilst discussing pronunciation and stress (of vowels as opposed to nervousness or edginess). I suppose, if I’d ever thought of it, I too probably thought it meant numero uno as well. Live and learn…
Philo
I’ve wondered about this before. Why is it that everyone is so insistent that flat fingers are the only way to go, yet I’ve seen great whistlers play with crooked fingers and even out of the side of their mouths’ 
Did Mary learn to play this way, or did she only change after she reached the point of Whistle Queen? Curious, thanks.
I don’t know from flat fingers or upon which compass point of the lips to place the instrument, but I’ll hazard a guess that left-hand-on-top happens because it’s easier to transition to (or even FROM) a transverse flute, which is not very easily played lefty.
M
Various snips:
Please inform your friend that her hands are backward and her bottom pinky is not steadying the whistle.
Smoot[/quote]
but I’ll hazard a guess that left-hand-on-top happens because it’s easier to transition to (or even FROM) a transverse flute, which is not very easily played lefty.
M[/quote]
Good spot Smoot - in fact Mary plays left handed.
M - lefty on both flute an whistle.
All the best,
Tom
Let me tell you all that you guys are killing me! You’re all so damn funny!
Thanks for the laughs!!!
…Dale on the cover…mmmmm…now that is a thought!
I’m packing and heading for Glasgow tonight!!! Good luck everyone!
Joanie Madden
Forget the cover. I want to know how many tracks he’ll be playing on.
I turned down THREE invitations to play on it. The first time was when Joanie and Mary refused to work with me on doing the whistle trio version of Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild.” The second was because of a conflict in my schedule–I had already committed to do a recording date with Snoop. Then, finally, I just decided that I wouldn’t be able to “hold back” my playing to avoid embarrassing these two “great” players.
I just knew someone would contradict my rash statement. 
Let me guess, though–it’s a simple system flute you play lefty and not a concert (Boehm) flute–although that’s been done, too!
I think Mary’s example proves that handedness can’t get in the way of talent. My guitar-playing friend plays lefty–he just flips the normally strung guitar over to the other side. He said it was the only way it made sense to him.
M
I was, gloat gloat gloat. Hee-hee, gloat.
Irish Arts Week is great fun. The most important thing to bring when you go: a portable, collapsible folding chair.
The week ends in a 1-day trad festival, for those people who can’t make the whole week, or for spectators who just want to hear the music rather than take lessons. I’ve never been there on that last night, but I hear it was less fun because there wasn’t as much coordination regarding evening sessions.
Caj
TyroneShoelaces wrote:
wish i could have been there. [envious]
I was, gloat gloat gloat. Hee-hee, gloat.
So was I 
.
Take care, then!
Le gra,
Jim
The whistle is a folk instrument; aren’t you supposed to come up with your own idiosyncratic way of playing it?
Rod
For flute she told me she plays a Lambe flute (she is a big fan of his flutes). Eugene made her a left handed one. I have not seen it, so I can’t tell you if it is a keyed one or not.
All the best,
Tom
Depends on your point of view I guess. Saturday night is usually my favorite night. You get to round up some new and old friends and have your own session without fear that you are missing something. It is a much more relaxed evening (it would have to be because everyone is pretty well exhausted by then). I’ve been spending more time at the listening sesisons in recent years (A-list players by invitation only) and got to hear and tape some mighty music. Saturday I got in a lot more playing time.
All the best,
Tom
Was lucky enough to catch CTL in Portland OR at a quickly put-together venue in Dec.
Was even luckier to get front row, center seats, thanks to our nible stepdancing daughter.
Joanie, PLEASE put Portland OR on your tour map! You have a lot of fans here.
seconded
I was wandering around in an antique mall near home and found a lost and lonely Generation D, brass with red mouthpiece, just like Mary’s in the picture at the beginning of this thread. I took it safely home, along with a plastic fife.
I left behind the strange bamboo whistle with the airway 1/4 turn away from the finger holes (no doubt for better hearing with the left ear) and an overpriced plastic Yamaha rcrd*r.
For all I know, the Gen D was overpriced too (at $10), but I was so startled to see it there I took it home. It sounds pretty good, too!
M