I went to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation with a friend yesterday, for a meeting with the DOJ and the ACLU and Native Americans who live in Bennett County. Those angry elderly women were amazing, gave it to those DOj lawyers but good. Halfway through the very intense morning of listening to horror stories about a Bull Durham sheriff, I decided it was time to wander off with the dogs and kids. I’d been gone so long, I only brought two whistles with me. Of course, the kids just glomed onto the whistles. Now the little kids just love the noise, the bigger kids want to make music. Even Megs are too expensive for just toys.
I gave one whistle to a wonderful little girl, gave up my new Walton Mellow D, and felt like a Wachichu giver for not having enough whistles. This little girl was playing “Three Blind Mice” within five minutes. I told her to play that one for the pow-wow judges when their relatives win the dance contests. We both got a good giggle.
So, any suggestions from anybody about finding something really really really cheap that I can buy by the gross that resembles a whistle for these little guys? They don’t knowto respect whistles as a musical instrument, but I want to include them, too!
Oh, yeah, I met the women from the ND ACLU, and she said I had a good case, but they had other more important things to do, like the racial profiling project going on here. She said she would help me find resources in Rapid City.
Oh, yeah, just one more, I played “Amazing Grace” on the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre on the Susado. There were some people in a pine bough arbor way down the hill who said it sounded really nice. Something about whistling in the Badlands…
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-06-12 22:38 ]
For the pure noise lovers, how about kazoos?
How many older kids are we talking here? We could start a Meg fund 
Hey, Beth! I’m just kind of feeling my way through this. Kazoos are fun, and I was watching closely those little fingers trying to toodle and not reaching the holes. The idea of a huge crew of little boys armed with High G whistles still haunts me. Maybe Slide whistles? I think one of those gag plastic whistles wiht finger holes might do the trick…if I can find them! A Meg fund would be great! I love sending whistles out overseas and playing with the kids, and at one point I swear I had 20-25 8 year old boys hanging off me! We were swapping spit like maniacs…everybody trading off whistles to see how shrill they can blow them. I love the looks on their faces when they realize they can actually make music on them!
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-06-12 23:37 ]
Check out US Toy and Magic. It’s a motherlode of cheap plastic crap. Here’s the home page; search on either “whistle” or “flute” – http://www.ustoy.com/novelty/
“Whistle” returns six pages of various whistles, most of which are probably unsuitable and would be considered to be an abomination by any parents of small children, but there is a slide whistle in there on about page 2 or 3.
And a search on “flute” gets you Item 2015, which is labelled a flute, but is 12 inches long and looks a lot like a penny whistle. Or in this case, at 4 bucks a dozen, a 33.33 penny whistle.
There’s a picture about half way down this page – http://www.ustoy.com/novelty/dept.asp?page=7&find_spec=&showCat=&dept_id=142&parent_id=0&mscssid=
[ This Message was edited by: gonzo914 on 2002-06-13 00:36 ]
As a parent, all I can say is, anything but a slide whistle! Those are like fingernails on a chalkboard!
If I were you, I’d do what I suggested to WyoBadger and write to a few whistle makers (Clarke, Generation, etc.)…find out if you could get whistles donated or supplied at a discount. If you’re working through a charity (or if you wanted to see about setting up a charity), they might be willing to consider that.
Redwolf
I bought a 3-pack of these (i’d bet money it was the exact brand) at a ‘dollar store’ a while back and literally could get no sound other than a hissing out of all of them. I’d suggest against giving them to kids…instruments that don’t play (like the little plastic guitars I got as a kid sometimes as a door prize at a party) are a terrible disappointment.
Greg
On 2002-06-13 00:31, gonzo914 wrote:
And a search on “flute” gets you Item 2015, which is labelled a flute, but is 12 inches long and looks a lot like a penny whistle. Or in this case, at 4 bucks a dozen, a 33.33 penny whistle.
I agree. I remember getting all kinds of cheap plastic instruments as a kid…whistles and harmonicas, even once an ocarina! None of which would make much of a sound (and if I could coax something out of them, it wasn’t more than an unmusical squawk). My daughter has a toy whistle she got in a “goodie bag” at a birthday party, and it doesn’t make a sound…I think the way it’s made, the airstream doesn’t connect properly with the blade (just passes over or under without splitting).
I like the idea of a “Meg fund” too, or of approaching companies for donations. I do think it’s a great idea, somewhat akin to the “RIF (Reading is Fundamental)” program that passes out free books to needy kids. Granted, just like those books, some of the whistles will never be played, or will end up shredded before they’re of much use, but if even a few kids end up loving making music, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
I keep wondering what might be doable through church resources. I even have a name for the ministry…“Canticum Novum”
Redwolf
I keep wondering what might be doable through church resources. I even have a name for the ministry…“Canticum Novum” >
Redwolf
I think it’s great for whistlers to share the blessing of music, maybe we can do it as a Chiff and Fipple thing, ask Dale! I rather like beating swords into to plowshares and whistles. Disappointing nosemakers are not good, but I am feeling my way between those kids that want to make music with whistles and those that want noise. The little guys want NOISE, and the crazier it makes the parents, the better, but those plastic thingies don’t last long.
I love doing this, giving the whistles away, Prissana in Thailand got her whistle yesterday, and the whistle was about five bucks and the postage was four bucks and a few cents. That’s one happy kid! Nuts about the Corrs and has no idea one like Andrea’s is coming! I know there’s always money for me to get whistles, but I have limits, and am on the verge of so damn broke I’m headed for the food bank. I think maybe it might be good to be a bit more organized about this, as my giving has been rather scattershot, but on some level, I know I can’t keep it up in the karmically constipated place, where there’s nothing left to give and the rest of it is about accumulating maza ska!
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-06-13 12:05 ]
I keep wondering what might be doable through church resources. I even have a name for the ministry…“Canticum Novum” >
Redwolf
Oh, damn, another double post, sorry!
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-06-13 12:00 ]
You know, there seems to be enough of us interested in this idea…perhaps we ought to discuss further how it might be done (possibly off-list, so as not to overwhelm Dale’s bandwidth). I bet there are enough of us here with experience in outreach or in nonprofits to come up with some sort of organized plan…or at least to start putting feelers out to determine if something like this is doable. I like the idea of, as you say, making this a “Chiff & Fipple thing,” if Dale’s interested, as this is where the idea got started (and THE place where whistlers gather). I have a little experience running a nonprofit (very little, but what I have is there to use), but I bet there are people here with more experience and talent at it than I have (and it certainly seems like there’s enough enthusiasm to at least get started).
Anybody else interested in working on this?
Redwolf
\
Cantate Domino Canticum Novum
[ This Message was edited by: Redwolf on 2002-06-13 11:48 ]
I’ve done a few 501(c)3 start up projects. You see the need and do it! I always end up getting canned as Executive Director within a year, which is wonderful, because it means the organization is growing and doesn’t need me. Priss is pretty isolated as a new whistle player there in Bankok, and I’m not that good explaining things to her abut basic playing! We know the whistle project with the kid in Alaaska was a success…and we’re all over the world! You get so much back! I’ve got this great kid in my life from Thailand, and it’s ONLY a whistle! If we don’t do this, we’re NUTS! I know there are whistle companies out there that would work with us! We can always platform off antoher 501(C)3.
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-06-13 12:01 ]
Let’s do it, then. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I worked as executive director of EarthSave International for about a year, and have a background as an advertising copywriter (and also some experience in AIDS/HIV ministry)…if there’s any way I could use those skills for this kind of cause, I’d be thrilled to do so.
Redwolf (aka Audrey Nickel)
nickel@cruzers.com
I’d be happy to place an order with one of our regular shopowners here for a few Megs, IF I know they aren’t going to be thrown to a bunch of 3 year olds who will stomp on them. Maybe put a minimum age limit of 5 or 6 years old on those who get them. And you can screen the kids for those who are semi-serious about learning something easy like Three Blind Mice or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or Drowsy Maggie (just seeing if you’re paying attention). I could place the order and have it shipped directly to you, Anna, or to whoever would do the distribution.
On 2002-06-13 12:10, blackhawk wrote:
I’d be happy to place an order with one of our regular shopowners here for a few Megs, IF I know they aren’t going to be thrown to a bunch of 3 year olds who will stomp on them. Maybe put a minimum age limit of 5 or 6 years old on those who get them. And you can screen the kids for those who are semi-serious about learning something easy like Three Blind Mice or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or Drowsy Maggie (just seeing if you’re paying attention). I could place the order and have it shipped directly to you, Anna, or to whoever would do the distribution.
I’m just learning to distinguish between the kid who’ll let the dogs get at them and want to make noise, and the kids who want to make music. The little kids would do fine with cheap kazoos…heck, I gave one whistle to an adult professional musician around here who begged for one, and when I asked how it was going, the answer was “The dog got it!” Five year olds can’t get their fingers over the holes of a whistle and ten year olds can, like about forth graders…the little guys love cheap noise makers as long as they make obnoxious noise. You know about how kids love burps, snorts and farts…
Noisemakers are a shoo-in by the gross! Sorry abut the bad pun..NOT!)
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-06-13 12:36 ]
What I’m thinking (and this may or may not be off base) is that we could form a sort of clearing house that would make whistles (and perhaps simple, visually-oriented fingering charts) available to individuals or teams that are going into areas where there are children who might benefit (including, but not necessarily limited to, overseas teams such as WyoBadger’s teen ministry to Haiti, as well as groups that work with kids domestically, such as the kids on the reservation that started this thread, inner-city schools, etc). We could offer guidelines, but leave it up to the individual or team as to how and to whom they should be distributed. We might want to stipulate that at least one member of any team either play the whistle or be willing to learn the basics so he/she could teach others. Basically, we’d do the legwork of getting whistles (or money to purchase same) donated, designing that simple fingering chart and deciding which groups or individuals who express an interest are likely to use the donation in a manner consistent with the organization’s mission. Then if, say, WyoBadger (or someone similar) were to plan another trip to Haiti (or anyplace else), he/she could approach the organization about obtaining some whistles for distribution, rather than having to reinvent the wheel by trying to get them donated (or raise money for them) on his/her own.
Does that sound like a reasonable idea?
Redwolf
In my daughter’s school, they start teaching recorder in first grade. A soprano recorder is bigger around than most soprano tin whistles, but the kids do quickly learn to cover the holes to get a clean tone. Granted, they like to make a lot of noise with them too, and those cheap plastic recorders take a lot of abuse, but even at such a young age, the kids learn to enjoy playing tunes on them, and quickly begin to experiment with other tunes (even when the only notes they know how to play are BAG).
You’ve got to figure that, no matter how careful you are, some of these instruments are going to end up as dog toys (heck, I’m an adult, and serious about music, and my dog’s destroyed at least one of my whistles that I carelessly left within his reach), but if even a few kids pick them up and keep playing them, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
Redwolf
Redwolf you should approach the whistle shop, lark in the morning, etc and see if they’d be interested in a corporate sponsorship or something.
On 2002-06-13 13:31, avanutria wrote:
Redwolf you should approach the whistle shop, lark in the morning, etc and see if they’d be interested in a corporate sponsorship or something.
And there’s other retailers, too, and manufacturing companies…like Clarke, etc…