Hey everyone. Im living in Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida, relatively new to the whistlin community, and looking for other whistlers/fiddlers/harpists to cranjam with and learn from.
Anyone know someone who knows someone out in this neck of the swamp?
Thanks!
Hello and welcome to Florida.
There are at least a couple of us on the message board from FL. I’m from Melbourne over on the East coast (although that may change to Orlando soon due to new employment). I think Loren is closer to your neck of the woods. I believe he’s in the Tampa area.
The bad news is I don’t think you’re going to find much in the way of whistle or even Irish music in general. At least not any that’s organized or regular. I recall hearing about a pub in St. Pete Beach that has regular music but I’m not sure.
Admittedly, I don’t know that much about the rest of the state but Brevard County has none to speak of.
Hopefully someone else will chime in with better news. Don’t be discouraged. Maybe you’ll be the one to start something.
Again welcome,
Bruce
Yes, there is a regular session about an hour drive from Sarasota, in St. Petersburg (St. Pete Beach actually) at Annie Moore’s. The session generally takes place the last Sunday of each month, starts around 8pm, although I believe they’ve been having a Ceili earlier in the day.
This is a mostly regular session, and although for a period of time last year the sessions didn’t always happen every month, it seems to be pretty consistent these days - I’ll try to dig up some contact info for you.
Other than that, there isn’t much around happening in the Tampa Bay area. There used to be a Session at Four Green Fields in Tampa, but that’s been dead for about a year now, so it’s one session a month.
I’d love to get a slow session going, and have tried in the past, but so far there hasn’t been enough interest. I’ve spoken with one of the session leaders about it in the past (he’s a very experienced Flute and whistle player - grew up playing in Boston), and I get the impression he could be convinced to lead a good slow session, if we could get enough people interested and co-ordinate with his schedule.
I’ll get back to you on the session contact info, there’s a monthly mailing list that provides the exact session time and date.
Loren
“The truth knocks on the door, and you say, ‘Go away, I’m looking for the truth,’ and so it goes away. Puzzling.”
–Robert M. Pirsig, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”
[ This Message was edited by: Loren on 2002-04-20 11:42 ]
Loren,
My father-in-law lives in St. Pete and my new employer’s HQ is in Lakeland so I may be getting to that side of the state a little more often. I can’t promise any regularity but I’d be interested in being kept informed if you get anything going with the slow session. I’ve been a disciple of Dale and stuck at the struggling beginner stage for about three years now (my own fault, lack of practice)and would love to hook up with something that would give me a boot in the tail.
By the way, I’m originally from Philly too. Man, I miss a good cheesesteak.
Bruce and Loren:
Thanks so much for your help and info! Please keep me posted…I’m eager to hook up with some good whistlers. Admittedly, I’m fairly new, but I’m a former French Horn player who’s lived with and absorbed a steady diet of Chieftans recordings for over a decade, and while I have a long long long way to go, I’m also surprised how quickly I’m getting the hang of it (but maybe thats because, compared to the French Horn, anything might seem easy).
I do appreciate any info you can send me…Bruce is right..I havent found anything in the Sarasota Bradenton area (though Ive heard we have a cute local Renn Faire I’ll have tocheck out this year…I grew up with the Renn Faire in SF, which in the late 70’s was fabulous).
Sorry, one last off topic…on the subject of cheesesteaks…can a good one be found anywhere in this town? If so, I havent found one yet.
Thanks again guys
Kevin
Mmmmm, Cheesesteaks…
I’ve already contacted Bruce off list and I’m still trying to locate the e-mail addy for the contact person I mentioned. BTW, The session at Annie Moore’s is on the 4th Sunday of every month, not the last Sunday as I previously mentioned - sorry for the misinformation.
Perhaps if we can get enough folks together who live within and hour or so of one another, we might be able to organize a little monthly or bi-monthly gathering/session of sorts. Let’s all keep in touch and hope some other area folks see this.
Loren
Jez, this Board is GREAT!
Thanks Loren, count me in…and I’ll do my best to keep up.
Loren, if I may make a suggestion…
I’m new to the Board, so noone knows me from Adam. I’d be happy to post a new listing on the Board with a better title, like “New Session in Tampa?” or somethign like that, butmaybe coming from you it will get a wider response? What do you think?
Kev
A real musician?!! You’re already out of my league Kevin. I am so NOT a musician. I love music and Irish music in particular and I took up the whistle because I was bound and determined to overcome my life-long lack of musical ability. I haven’t given up yet so I guess that’s something. When someone asks if I play I give them the same response that I give when asked if I play golf. Well…I carry clubs and I go to golf courses and chase my ball around but I don’t know if I’d call it playing golf. But I have fun doing it!
As for cheesesteaks…There’s something about the rolls. I don’t know if it’s the water or the altitude but they’re just not right down here. And everyone insists on putting mayo on them, what is that? We had a place in the mall here in Melbourne that got it right. They were from Philly and had the rolls sent down. Unfortunately, they closed. Alas.
Bruce
Hey Kevin,
I don’t know man, putting that whole “New Session in Tampa” thing out there in public is too much pressure for me! Actually, your idea is a good one, it’s just that we had a similar thread about a month ago, with less response than this one! It seems like there’s only one other person on the list from our area, and I think she’s down your way, perhaps she’ll see this thread before too long.
In the mean time, I’ll keep asking around here, and see what I can find out at the next session.
I found that contact info, but I an e-mail link for you, do me a favor: Drop me a line and I’ll reply with the guy’s e-mail addy plus some addtional thoughts on trying to get something going in our area, cool?
Loren
On 2002-04-20 19:21, BruceK wrote:
A real musician?!! You’re already out of my league Kevin. I am so NOT a musician. I love music and Irish music in particular and I took up the whistle because I was bound and determined to overcome my life-long lack of musical ability. I haven’t given up yet so I guess that’s something.
Bruce:
Whoa, Bruce, I wouldnt go so far as to say I a am REAL musician…its been a good number of years since Ive played the Horn, but thank God I still remember how to read music. Actually, I like Dale’s approach: If you’re making noise, and if you like and the audience likes it, well, youre a real musician, and I’d say that goes for you and me both.
Let me know if you’re ever over this way. The one good thing about the fact that there arent any real Irish pubs in this town is that noone will know any better if our whistling sucks.
Kev
Bruce,
We must have been writing our last messages at the same time, didn’t see yours till now.
Yeah, the Mayo thing really annoys me! And you’re right of course, there is something different about the bread. I think it has to do with the cut and thinkness of the steak too. My mom’s theory is that the Cheese Steaks taste different in Philly because they never clean the grills there 
Damn shame that place near you that got it right closed!
Man, this is all making me very hungry…Mmmm, Cheesteaks for breakfast…
Loren
On 2002-04-20 19:21, BruceK wrote:
We had a place in the mall here in Melbourne that got it right. They were from Philly and had the rolls sent down. Unfortunately, they closed. Alas.
Alas indeed! Although I’ve never had an authentic cheesesteak, I cant find one thats even as good as the ones I found in LA, which probably also werent totally authentic but were still pretty good.
Still I search…
Kevin,
Looks like you might be in luck, I just heard from a friend here that there’s a Slow Session in Bradenton on the second Sunday of every month. From what he tells me they play slow for about the 1st hour and then pick up the pace after that. It’s probably too long a haul for me to attend but should be plenty close for you. I got your e-mail and will try to contact you with details later today.
Loren
Hi there Kevin and Lauren, boy am I glad I checked the board on a whim tonite, I’m usually too busy to play on the net. It is so good to hear from other whistle players in the area, it can get lonely for an Irish music lover 'round here! I moved to Sarasota from Minneapolis (a very good city for Irish culture but not for weather!) a few months ago and the only two sessions I’ve found have been mentioned, Annie Moore’s - I’ve only been once, it was small but very friendly, open, and enjoyable. I like the Bradenton session on the 2nd Sunday, it’s at McSwiggen’s Pub, it starts very slow at around 4pm and picks up as the eve goes on. The people are very friendly and of all different levels. The owners are really good about wanting anything Irish to go on there so it’s very supportive if not all that lively. If either of you plan to go to a session, let me know so I can look for ya. sunshinesdaughter@yahoo.com
Jill
Hey Sunshine!!!
This Board is too cool! Thanks for the info about the local session…I had no idea. Its nice to know Im not the only whistler in town.
I’ll try to be at the next session. I may be out of town for that one, but if I’m not I’ll let you know.
Very nice to meet you, albeit digitally.
Kevin
Nice to meet you digitally too, Kevin! Funny, I just realized I will be out of town May 12th so I will miss the May McSwiggen’s session too. But I’ve now missed two in a row so I will have to be sure and get to the June one.
Jill
Hi Jill.
It’s nice to know that there’s yet another Florida whistler. Although you guys are all on the wrong side of the state:-)
Congratulations. We’ve managed to bump this thread up to two pages. I guess we’re a small but vocal group.
Bruce
Jill:
Sorry to hear you wont be there in May. Would you be so kind as to email me directions to McSwiggins…Im not sure where it is. Is it near 41 or 301? My email address should be listed in my profile.
Thanks. Im looking forward to meeting you in June.
Kev
P.S. Hey Bruce, this is the side of the state that the hurricanes pass right on by, so im not so sure that Jill and I are on the “wrong” side.
Sure Kevin, you keep right on believing that. Next you’ll be trying to tell me that LA didn’t have earthquakes
Bruce
Bruce:
Sure, LA has earthquakes, but I’ll take earthquakes over hurricanes any day of the week.
You see, earthquakes are Low Maintenance natural disasters. LA residents have at best a .00025% chance of sustaining meaningful property damage from an earthquake, and even less of a chance of suffering any form of bodily harm. Miami gets hammered much more frequently.
Also, earthquakes come without warning, which means you dont spend a whole week hearing about it on the news and having your employees working themselves into a frenzy and going home to nail boards over their windows and fill sandbags and annoying stuff like that. Earthquakes just hit, they’re usually no big deal, and then you straighten the windows on the wall, put your garden gnome back up on his feet and go back to work (or whatever you were doing at the time).
Actually, thats one thing thas weird about living in Florida now…it seems downright unnatural for the earth not to be moving every now and then. Doesnt seem right.
Thats just one man’s humble opinion.
Kev