After finding this amazing place with all you wonderful whistling people, I find myself very curious how everyone first became interested in whistles and what their first whistle was.
For me, my husband’s family went carolling and one of his cousins brought along this amazing little whistle thingee and played accompaniment. I thought, forget this singing nonsense (my voice happens to stink), I want one of those spritely little instruments! The cousin told me to try a Clarke D, which I did, and I’ve been hooked on whistles ever since (okay it was just last year, but still…).
When I was about 14, my family finally got cable TV. One of the channels was CBC, and one of the weekly shows was The Irish Rovers, which I promptly fell in love with. A few months after I started watching the show, I was in a music store and saw a little “flute” just like Will Millar’s. It was a Generation Eb, and I still have it.
I’ll be the first one to admit it… I got turned on to the whistle by Star Trek The Next Generation. I loved that episode; my father did too. We’ve both been playing for about 3 years now.
My first whistle was a Clarke orig in D, unpainted. That was quickly followed by Shaws in Eb and A. I recently got a Walton’s in C (I’ve been slow to warm up to the plastic fipples for some reason, but this whistle is great), and will soon be the proud owner of a Mack Hoover brass D.
I also play the guitar (9 yrs) and the Trombone (7 yrs). I reach more often for my whistles though…
I started because I was playing flute and harmonica with a trad band and thought it would be good to add whistle to the list.
So I bought a couple whistles.
But I never played them. We switched to a more bluegrass/mountain style and I played harmonica and started the hammered dulcimer.
Then a year ago I went to a renfaire and just before that decided to get back to the whistle. Now I’m fairly hooked.
I haven’t played harmonica in months because they got run over on interstate 80 in Nebraska. Besides, I can buy several Clarke’s for the price of a Lee Oskar harmonica.
I started playing because we were doing a song that just said “Use a whistle!” I have noticed that while playing my whistle, I don’t need to worry about my small children’s grubby hands or drool getting on the instrument and wrecking the finish like I do with guitar. I don’t really even mind when my youngest grabs the whistle out of my mouth and then bangs it with the one I let her play with. Whistles are portable, easy enough to play, and so inexpensive that I don’t need to baby them.
I haven’t played harmonica in months because they got run over on interstate 80 in Nebraska. Besides, I can buy several Clarke’s for the price of a Lee Oskar harmonica.
On 2003-02-26 23:47, Conley wrote:
After finding this amazing place with all you wonderful whistling people, I find myself very curious how everyone first became interested in whistles and what their first whistle was.
shrug couldn’t afford bagpipes. First whistle? Either an Oak D or a Gen D, can’t recall which came first.
My whistling got started with the attack on the WTC.
I kinda taught myself silver flute a hundred years ago and stopped soon after.
Then in 2001 I started to teach myself Native flute. I could play a couple songs.
I had a Clarke pennywhistle lying around. Never really liked it much. All I ever bothered to play on it was Amazing Grace.
Then on Sept. 11th, as I watched American history change forever, I picked up the whistle and played the best Amazing Grace ever to the poor souls lost that day.
I haven’t stopped since.
From that tragedy I found a new love and a new way to heal.
I’ve loved music all my life, sang in church choirs, barbershopped, and played sousaphone when I could. Tried 5 string banjo but gave up years ago. I’ve “retired” a couple of times and had already figured out that as I got ready to go on Social Security I needed a love object and interest to keep me occupied (besides my wife and her honeydo list). I have a Celtic linage and love the music. I like the Pipes and Harps but they’re not my thing. I found this site last year, bought my first (but not only) whistle, retired again the first of this month and began to learn. I love it and am on the way to recruiting my son-in-law and seven year old grandson. I’ve now started to map out the “Whistle” events to attend this year. See you there.
On 2003-02-26 23:47, Conley wrote:
After finding this amazing place with all you wonderful whistling people, I find myself very curious how everyone first became interested in whistles and what their first whistle was.
Why? Probably Chiff and Fipple - I ended up on the site after a google search a year or so ago and I browsed a bit. Then had an “Aha!” moment when I realized that the the instrument in the background of a lot of Clancy Brothers tracks was whistle rather than flute. This motivated me enough to get my first whistle (a Clarke original - the only whistle the closest music store stocked).
I played with the Clarke a bit, but never really clicked until an extended business trip to Ireland a few months ago. I picked up the Walton’s Whistle/CD package and a couple of Feadogs while there, and found myself obsessed. Current count is 11 whistles owned, plus a couple more I gave to my younger daughter. And despite a lot of work pressure, I usually play at least an hour a day.
i was in a park in quebec city a few years ago with my girlfriend (our first date) when some musicians came by singing and jamming - one hippie dude was playing some irish tunes on the recorder but it didn’t sound right. i did a search the next day on irish trad instruments and found C & F then at my lunch break ran out and bought a clarke - i realized that that was the sound that gentleman should have had in the park. i haven’t stop playing since, but i never saw that man from the park again.
For Christmas a few years ago, my daughter (then 6) asked for a “wooden flute”. I bought her a wood whistle in a mystery key, my in-laws sent a Clarke. I started playing the Clarke and found it great fun, it made me decide I wanted to learn to play flute (Bohm).
I had played the alto, chromatic whistle in F for a while, and started Bohm flute lessons with a real teacher. For quite a while, I used the whistle to figure out some melodies or rythms while I was really struggling with flute embouchure. Now that I only sometimes struggle with it, I’m playing whistle less, but I still enjoy it a lot.
I was poking aroung in a gift shop in Stone Mountain, Georgia about 10+ years ago. They had a display of plastic “Dixie” whistles priced at about $1.50.
I bought one just for the heck of it and brought it home. I spent the rest of the weekend playing with it and the next several years playing popular tunes by ear and off key.
Finally, my wife bought me a Clarke original and a song book.
[ This Message was edited by: paulsdad on 2003-02-27 17:34 ]
Downloaded a song that had whistle in it. Said to myself… “Wow, I want to do that”.
Looooooooooooonnnnnnnggg… story about finding out what the instrument was, etc. found plans on the internet, made a whistle, and here I am. Still playing!
Hi there!
My story: I have a good friend whom I got to know when I started dancing (finnish traditional dance). He’s a very skilled accordion player. And once I started to hang out with him I too got very interested in all traditional music, and he suggested that I started playing some instrument (sounds weird), but I ended up with a good old Generation brass D. Now im hooked (of course). And we are now playing in the same band. //Henke
