ErikT, it looks like your rant is no longer on the server. IMO its too bad because I like to read a good rant from an intelligent person 
Hey, maybe I’ll write my own …
For some people it seems that Irish music is the “end all and be all of whistle music”. Maybe for these folks Irish music this is true but for me it isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I like Irish music too but I like other kinds of music as well. As a result I would like to see broader discussions about other types of whistle music. (Note - I hope somebody doesn’t misinterpret my remarks as criticism or desparagement of Irish music, culture, or people).
Not too long ago on this message board there was a posting from someone (I don’t recall his name) who purchased some handmade whistles from a street vendor in Romania. I find it hard to believe that local Romanians who purchase them do so for the (sole) purpose of playing Irish music. To me, logic dictates that there must be at least some Romanian music that can be played on them.
Blaine, many early American fife tunes can be played on a whistle. Bill Och’s book has a few of them. Little kids love them because many of them are lively, marching tunes. Many early american folk tunes can also be played on a whistle. I do not know of any recordings though, sorry. There is a Indie record label at http://www.redhouserecords.com/ that has lots of american folk, blues, roots music. I do not know if any feature whistles prominently (but I’ve never looked). You could also see http://www.mabels.com/anthology.html for a neat anthology of american folk music. Another source is http://www.susato.com where you can find native american flute/recorder music.
I think part of the problem is that the commercial music industry only promotes a set of separate but individually homogenous music forms which are marketed to the masses - boy bands, girl bands, rap, rock, pop, reggae, country/western, techno, etc. I think of it as “the fast food of music” - hamburgers, subs, pizza, etc - each is an individual and distinct group but each is relativley homogenous within itself (and IMO mostly mass-produced crap). Unfortunately, it is now next-to-impossible to get a major label to produce music that is “different” than an existing (and highly profitable) form. One of the few artists who have done it in recent years is Loreena McKennitt - and she did it with her own money and without the help of a major label.
The result of this mess is that we sadly witness the loss of so many wonderful music traditions on an unprecedented global scale.
Anyway, I listen to (and play rather poorly) the musical traditions that I like and I hope others do the same.
To thine ownself be true.
Gary
