The first whistle player I heard, sometime around 1960, and a huge musical influence in my life has died at the age of 92. Sam Hinton played just about every instrument you can imagine, had an unbelievable repertoire of songs and tunes, and played thousands of concerts at folk festivals and for school children in the San Diego area over a period of decades.
I wore out a copy of his LP “Whoever Shall Have some Good Peanuts” before I was ten, and came to idolize the man I later met and befriended. He was a scientist and oceanographer by trade, an artist and calligrapher, wrote a weekly newspaper column “The Ocean World” on sea life for over 20 years, and encouraged many, many young people to play music for themselves.
Sam often gave workshops at folk festivals demonstrating how to construct a “ha’penny whistle,” which was constructed from a piece of garden hose and a short piece of dowel, with holes and windway sliced with a knife. Everyone went home with a whistle, and an understanding that you can make beautiful music without spending a nickel on your instrument. I have one of Sam’s ha’penny whistles in a place of honor above my desk, between my great grandfather’s 8-key piccolo and the first tinwhistle I made for myself back in 1980. He gave it to me in exchange for a whistle I made for him, and I believe got the better end of that deal!
I once spent a very entertaining half-hour just watching Sam create string figures with his hands while waiting for a concert to begin. He knew dozens of patterns, and moved through them effortlessly, telling stories to accompany the shapes he created.
Rest in peace, Sam; you lived a good life. Thank you for all of the gifts you shared with millions of young people. You will be missed.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/16/he-shared-his-passion-singing-and-science