It is again time to report to us your Battle Plan for the whistle during the winter months. Southern Hemiphere people can present their Summer Project Reports but there will be a drop of one letter grade for any mention of surf babes, tanning, or finding oneself on the set of the Lord of the Rings.
What tunes will you be learning?
What other specific goals do you have?
Are you auditioning for any Holiday Projects?
How will you, your family, and your pets deal with being trapped inside with your whistle?
Have you conveniently located your Holiday wish list for your family and friends?
How many whistles do you plan on giving away this season?
What has been your most recent accomplishment?
Were any people or animals severly injured during this accomplishment?
The lurkers outdid themselves during the last quarterly report thread.
Well as I’ve been playing for less than a year I’m still a newbie si I’ll have a bash.
Dunno, but I need to get a few more English tunes under my fingers. Most of the stuff I’ve learnt so far is Irish and I’m getting involved with the local Morris Troupe.
Work on my ornamentation. It’s too sloppy at the moment
Nope. I’ll just carry on at the local sessions I go to.
Mrs. H is out all day. I work from home a lot of the time so I get plenty of practice during the day. The cat hides under the bed. The neighbours get upset now and agian. They know all the tunes but none of the titles.
Most definitely. Chieftain D, English tune books and Flook Cds.
Do what!!!
Reaching 50 tunes.
Not that I’m aware of but the neighbours may be having a word with me soon.
Yup, I’ll nibble.
I’m new, so hello folks. Been reading and lurking for some time, learned lots, so thanks everyone.
What tunes will you be learning?
Besides my current list, which is Autumn Child, Blind Mary, Down by Sally Gardens, Lament of the Books, Si Beag, Si Mhor, King of the Fairies and Fairy Child, all coming along but not yet to performance standard, I intend to add La Polverita Fiera, The South Wind, Demasiado Corazon, Lone Star Rising, Mise Eire, I buried my wife and danced on her grave, Tobins Favourite, Banish Misfortune and Fly by Night. This lot should last me a few summers.
What other specific goals do you have?
Improve tone and timing,
Are you auditioning for any Holiday Projects?
Yes, auditioning with self to be a busker
How will you, your family, and your pets deal with being trapped inside with your whistle?
They can always leave, the cat usually does.
Have you conveniently located your Holiday wish list for your family and friends?
Don’t have any friends, I wonder why?
How many whistles do you plan on giving away this season?
Three. LBW to daughter, Gen F and G to the grandkids to punish the obnoxious son in law.
What has been your most recent accomplishment?
Not to die. Have been severely unwell.
Were any people or animals severely injured during this accomplishment?
Yes.
I learn tunes very slowly, as I have no sessions in the area. I divide my efforts between Irish jigs, airs, and worship for my audience of One, the Lord Jesus. I am working on: Rocky Road to Dublin (love it!), O’Keefe’s Slide, and an air from the Comhaltas site that I can’t find the name of because my postage stamp sized MP3 player won’t give it to me!
My specific goal is to get more serious about practice and improving timing, which usually happens in winter because most of the summer I diddle around outside playing tunes by the river.
I’m not auditioning; I did play a bit before people at a spiritual retreat weekend, and actually DIDN’T mess it up!
My family doesn’t mind because I can play in the basement which is reasonable distant, and my Burke A doesn’t pierce walls like the Burke D does. My cat, however, hates me with an undying hatred whenever I play (and I think she holds grudges, too).
5.I can’t ask for a whisle this year because my wife just bought me this laptop, which I am painfully aware was almost the exact price of one of Misha’s celebrated low D whistles.
I recently gave an O’Brien D to a poor beginning whistler who was stuck with a brand of cheapie that me and all my family loathed.
6.My most recent accomplishmeent was playing at the retreat and not being stoned.
And, Mutepointe, don’t mess with Lord of the Rings music!!
What tunes will you be learning? I found an 1894 edition of ‘Moore’s Irish Melodies with Music’ in a charity shop and intend to plough through that this winter. Very small print though, and unpredictable keys. I expected more D & G.
What other specific goals do you have? Juggling (not literally) flute, whistles & accordion. Oh, and piano. I’ve joined an accordion orchestra and would like to find an opportunity to play whistle alongside other musicians. With their permission, preferably.
Are you auditioning for any Holiday Projects? Will be performing with said accordion orchestra in December!
How will you, your family, and your pets deal with being trapped inside with your whistle? The daughters go out to work, even on Christmas day. The dogs pass out quietly. The gerbils try to tunnel out, but they do that anyhow. The snakes have no actual ears. Mr Husband compliments me on my beautiful playing. He is a wise man.
Have you conveniently located your Holiday wish list for your family and friends? I’ve already had my Christmas pressie from Mr Husband: my beautiful Williams flute.
How many whistles do you plan on giving away this season? That would be a good way to end the gift exchange with the in-laws for good…
What has been your most recent accomplishment? Giving up piano lessons so as to have more time to play what I want to.
Were any people or animals severly injured during this accomplishment? Only emotionally.
I’ve only been “playing” for about a month, so things are in a state of flux and likely to change!
What tunes will you be learning?
I’m working my way slowly through some of the tunes in Keith Lewis’ “The Pibgorn Tunebook”, both because I fancy making a pibgorn and also because they’re limited to one octave, so not too difficult.
What other specific goals do you have?
Try to make a “D” whistle that’s quiet enough to play at any time without upsetting the neighbours. I’ve nearly succeeded with a “high” G with an 8mm bore, but it’s cramped, the “high” A I made is unfortunately too small for my hands!
Are you auditioning for any Holiday Projects?
No
How will you, your family, and your pets deal with being trapped inside with your whistle?
I live alone … the neighbour’s cat visits occaisionally, she can leave when she wants
Have you conveniently located your Holiday wish list for your family and friends?
Yes
How many whistles do you plan on giving away this season?
Possibly the “high” A I made … if anyone wants it !
What has been your most recent accomplishment?
Mastering getting a series of notes (as opposed to just one or two) out of a six-hole flute … again home-made, in “low” G … maybe I’ll double-track myself with both G instruments once I’m good enough to play the same tune in the same tempo on both instruments!
Were any people or animals severly injured during this accomplishment?
The neighbour’s cat doesn’t visit as often as she used to
Been a member for more or less a year but still consider myself a newbie.
1 I have become infatuated with Flutio’s recording of Amrhan na Lebhair (sp?)/Fermoy Lasses on the low d. I’m learning it on Jerry’s new A. That’s my first and most important project of the “off season”.
2 Successfully play through an entire session without embarrassing myself. Might be ambitious!
3 See #2. Auditioning no. Surviving is more like it.
4 I live in San Francisco. Winter doesn’t change much.
5 Indeed. Have officially requested a digital recording device (Zoom H2, H4 or the like).
6 Great question. I’ve purchased a couple of whistles from Guido over the past few months. I plan to make a few from his plans and give them to a local schoolteacher who wants to use them with her fifth graders. Probably make a couple of dozen. Either D’s or Bb.
7 Easy answer. Finally figured how to circle breath. It makes a HUGE difference to a hacker like me.
8 My Dog loves me more. My Cat is indifferent (big surprise). The jury is still out on the wife.
