We’ve taken to harassing the fiddle player (my son) in the middle of playing. For some reason, he’s a magnet for it. We poke and pinch him while he’s playing, block his bowing arm, pretend to mess with his tuning pegs… It’s a good thing we don’t play standing up, or he’d one day find his pants around his ankles in the middle of a set. He’s getting to become a real Spartan about it — can play through almost anything, although my other son usually tries to push it to the limit, inflicting pain until the fiddler finally has to stop and yell “f-ck-ff!” before resuming the tune.
During a gig over the holidays, we reached over to a Christmas tree, removed ornaments and began to hang them on the fiddler in the middle of a tune. He was starting to look pretty sharp, but his triplets are becoming too crisp — he threw off the ornaments, and they all shattered at his feet. He didn’t miss a beat.
I’d say he’s getting darned good at it, and I highly recommend it as a way to teach concentration.
What do you think?
We had a go at that with a friend of ours from France. We were having a New Year's Eve/Day party in a friend's kitchen. All of a sudden I noticed an accumulation of sweet and fast food wrappers on the table. Being too lazy to put them in the bin, it was decided that Eddy's bodhrán would be the perfect receptacle. Once I started chucking them in, everyone decided to try it out and there was a momentary blizzard of missiles directed at the hapless Eddy. Poor guy looked a bit confused but he played on regardless - fair play.
Cuchulain - Be careful. Your son might *appear* unmoved, but he could be bottling it all up. You could be faced with a lawsuit for harassment in a few years time. Worse still, he might forever associate playing the fiddle with being poked and pinched and be put off it for life.
It sounds like you're all jealous of his talent. And you're trying to take credit for it.
Conan - I approve of throwing things at bodhran players.
I don't need that type of harrassment done *deliberately*. 2wice last week in a session I got nudged while playing the flute, by other session members going to the bar, the bog, whatever. On one occsion the flute got nudged away from me gob but I managed to get it back quickly and lost only a few notes but kept the timing of the tune. Maybe they were trying to tell me something.....
That wee boy may grow up to compete in CCE competitions, and get along fine till one day he suddenly starts pelting an audience with smoke-bombs, rattlesnakes and sacks of rotting offal. A police psychiatrist will be called in to uncover the secrets of his troubled past...
Key Maniac, there really is no other instrument with as tenuous a relationship with its player as a flute, is there?
I guess I'm hijacking my own thread, but Key Maniac reminded me of a time that an antique dealer showed me an old Civil War fife that had allegedly actually belonged to a soldier who used it in the 1860s. It was afixed with a fipple that jutted out at a 90 degree angle from the mouthpiece, because, as the antique dealer explained, it's near impossible to keep a cross-blown flute to your mouth when you're marching up and down hill and dale.
Nah, Cathrynb, it's all in fun -- he gives as good as he gets, too, I might add. Mostly it's between him and his brother -- that sibling rivalry thing, I suppose.
Reminds me of watching John and Phil Cunningham play together back in the 80s. They tried every trick to put one another off during performances (never mind the stuff they got up to in sessions, which are, of course, not performances). They always managed to keep playing, but the audience sometimes struggled not to fall out of their seats with laughter.
Reminds me of that scene from the Simpsons where Homer ends up mowing his lawn in his wife's dress, for fairly complicated reasons to do with a bet, while all the neighbours look on. Lisa: "Why do I get the feeling that some day I'll be exlaining all this to my psychiatrist?"
Cuchulain - my SO has one of those "fifes with a fipple", and she brought it with her from the US, but I don't believe the story for one minute - any self-respecting military bandsman would laugh in your face at the suggestion that they couldn't play perfectly whilst marching up hill and down dale. I think they're just a novelty item, and tales spun by antique dealers are no better than tales spun by old salts.
But, to get back to the title of this discussion, how does this fit with the current events in "Big Brother"? Answers on a postcard, please, to.....
Reminds me of a Liz Carroll concert last year (I think it was, time flies). John Doyle had to cancel right before the concert, so she improvized quite a bit.
For one tune she'd brought a bag of huge potatoes, which she tossed into the audience with the instruction to let them drop at certain points in the tune "The potato on the Door". (Story behind that tune: When sharing a place with a couple of roommates in her student days, they came up with the prank of placing potatoes on the door, which would fall down with a loud bang when somebody opened the door.)
While she was playing that tune, somebody in the audience got the wicked idea to toss the potato at *her* instead of on the floor. This idea caught on quickly, and Liz spent the rest of the tune dodging flying potatoes... of course, without ever dropping a note or playing a bum note!
We thought it would be a good method to increase one's concentration skills.
I think inflicting pain is going a bit far It's more helpful to learn to play through sudden shouting, dropped glasses and trays of dishes, microphone feedback, and being jostled. I've also had beer spilled down my back and been stepped on by dancers. The other thing that requires intense concentration is when someone is clapping or dancing hardshoe off-time.
If you really want to prepare him for the pub experience, also teach him to elbow punters who insist on standing too close with his bowing arm without losing time. Flute players should learn how to bring the flute up with a well-aimed backwards jab of the right elbow. Other players should get used to seeing the expression of the obnoxiously amorous, drunken punter when he is whacked "accidentally" by a fed-up Irish flute player.
hmmm, cuchulain54... - the whistle player in question was my dad (Stan Inisheer on here) so I'd rather not think about it too much! One other tactic that was used by a certain Cambridge fiddler was to go up and start kissing top of his head - that worked a treat too. I think it was fear in that instance though!
We have a big furry cat who gets very vocal and needy when I play the fiddle. If I play standing up, he follows me around the house yowling; if I play sitting down, I have to watch for him to climb into my lap and nudge my bow hand. Great training for playing through distraction.
Terry
My dog likes to sing when I play piano...by which I mean, you can't shut him up unless you want to feel like a terrible person...he's not as fond of my fiddle though, I'm much more easily distracted on that. I also know a little girl with three younger sisters who plays the piano, and her teacher actually advised her to have a couple of them come bang on the keyboard and yell at her while she played...and she can play through just about anything!
i play at this bar, and the bar maids and cocktail waitresses often flash me to make me lose concentration. it works every time! (hard to play a whistle when you're drooling)
My Grandma used to rap her piano students on the knuckles every time they made a mistake (this was a lo-ong time ago). My Aunt still flinches slightly when she goofs up on the piano! (My Mom was smarter, and took up singing and the violin)....
My cello teacher before WW2 played sax in a dance band. A player's first mistake in performance would cost him a fine of 1 guinea (1 guinea = £1.05 = say £50 in today's money). The second mistake - he'd be out on his ear.
That was a very good and disciplined dance band.
The word nipples putting off whistle players is funny. I think there are just some words that work like that. Back when my legs were in better shape I used to have fun with the words 'stockings' and 'suspenders'. Males can't help but dropping their eyes to your hemline and looking hopeful!
when i was growing up my father beat me severely when i played anything wrong on the uillean pipes. and he locked me in a closet too relentlessly forcing me to practise. Oh, wait, that was paddy keanan.
I got kicked out of violin lessons at school because I didn't practise. I wanted to but my mum wouldn't let me because of the noise! When she bought me my first tin whistle I wasn't going to let that happen so I used to lock myself and my whistle in the bathroom where she couldn't get at me!
I have a very un-disciplined dance band. They spend all night watching the audience looking for something to laugh at. and asides to make For instance, if anyone with a beard happens to dance by, the drummer will start howling and the band ends up in tears.
harassment as a way to teach discipline
harassment as a way to teach discipline
We’ve taken to harassing the fiddle player (my son) in the middle of playing. For some reason, he’s a magnet for it. We poke and pinch him while he’s playing, block his bowing arm, pretend to mess with his tuning pegs… It’s a good thing we don’t play standing up, or he’d one day find his pants around his ankles in the middle of a set. He’s getting to become a real Spartan about it — can play through almost anything, although my other son usually tries to push it to the limit, inflicting pain until the fiddler finally has to stop and yell “f-ck-ff!” before resuming the tune.
During a gig over the holidays, we reached over to a Christmas tree, removed ornaments and began to hang them on the fiddler in the middle of a tune. He was starting to look pretty sharp, but his triplets are becoming too crisp — he threw off the ornaments, and they all shattered at his feet. He didn’t miss a beat.
I’d say he’s getting darned good at it, and I highly recommend it as a way to teach concentration.
What do you think?
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by cuchulain54
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
We had a go at that with a friend of ours from France. We were having a New Year's Eve/Day party in a friend's kitchen. All of a sudden I noticed an accumulation of sweet and fast food wrappers on the table. Being too lazy to put them in the bin, it was decided that Eddy's bodhrán would be the perfect receptacle. Once I started chucking them in, everyone decided to try it out and there was a momentary blizzard of missiles directed at the hapless Eddy. Poor guy looked a bit confused but he played on regardless - fair play.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Conán McDonnell
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
As long as it's done in a good natured way with no pain to the player or damage to the instrument it sounds like good fun to me.
Have FUN
Mary
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Antikhntr
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Oooh, table trash! We hadn't thought of that one yet. Thanks, Conan.
Any other ideas?
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by cuchulain54
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Cuchulain - Be careful. Your son might *appear* unmoved, but he could be bottling it all up. You could be faced with a lawsuit for harassment in a few years time. Worse still, he might forever associate playing the fiddle with being poked and pinched and be put off it for life.
It sounds like you're all jealous of his talent. And you're trying to take credit for it.
Conan - I approve of throwing things at bodhran players.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by ragaman
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
And piano accordion players.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by ragaman
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Thanks! Your approbation means the world to me .
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Conán McDonnell
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
We used to say things like "nipples" to one of the whistle players at my old session - he lost concentration instantly!
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by SineadE
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
I think it's a great way to put in some advanced practice. Makes it easier for when people in a certain state start appearing in the pub sessions.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Aughrim
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
I don't need that type of harrassment done *deliberately*. 2wice last week in a session I got nudged while playing the flute, by other session members going to the bar, the bog, whatever. On one occsion the flute got nudged away from me gob but I managed to get it back quickly and lost only a few notes but kept the timing of the tune. Maybe they were trying to tell me something.....
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
That wee boy may grow up to compete in CCE competitions, and get along fine till one day he suddenly starts pelting an audience with smoke-bombs, rattlesnakes and sacks of rotting offal. A police psychiatrist will be called in to uncover the secrets of his troubled past...
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by nicholas
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Key Maniac, there really is no other instrument with as tenuous a relationship with its player as a flute, is there?
I guess I'm hijacking my own thread, but Key Maniac reminded me of a time that an antique dealer showed me an old Civil War fife that had allegedly actually belonged to a soldier who used it in the 1860s. It was afixed with a fipple that jutted out at a 90 degree angle from the mouthpiece, because, as the antique dealer explained, it's near impossible to keep a cross-blown flute to your mouth when you're marching up and down hill and dale.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by cuchulain54
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
SineadE, whistle players also get put off their game with the word "nipples" -- it's because they all have oral fixations.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by cuchulain54
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Cuchulain54, it sounds to me like enough is enough.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by cathrynb
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Nah, Cathrynb, it's all in fun -- he gives as good as he gets, too, I might add. Mostly it's between him and his brother -- that sibling rivalry thing, I suppose.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by cuchulain54
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Reminds me of watching John and Phil Cunningham play together back in the 80s. They tried every trick to put one another off during performances (never mind the stuff they got up to in sessions, which are, of course, not performances). They always managed to keep playing, but the audience sometimes struggled not to fall out of their seats with laughter.
Should be good training.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by kris
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Reminds me of that scene from the Simpsons where Homer ends up mowing his lawn in his wife's dress, for fairly complicated reasons to do with a bet, while all the neighbours look on. Lisa: "Why do I get the feeling that some day I'll be exlaining all this to my psychiatrist?"
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Mark Harmer
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Sucking lemons infront of a flautist works well too. As long as you can run fast 'cos those things hurt when they bop you on the head!
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by bowburner
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Cuchulain - my SO has one of those "fifes with a fipple", and she brought it with her from the US, but I don't believe the story for one minute - any self-respecting military bandsman would laugh in your face at the suggestion that they couldn't play perfectly whilst marching up hill and down dale. I think they're just a novelty item, and tales spun by antique dealers are no better than tales spun by old salts.
But, to get back to the title of this discussion, how does this fit with the current events in "Big Brother"? Answers on a postcard, please, to.....
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Reminds me of a Liz Carroll concert last year (I think it was, time flies). John Doyle had to cancel right before the concert, so she improvized quite a bit.
For one tune she'd brought a bag of huge potatoes, which she tossed into the audience with the instruction to let them drop at certain points in the tune "The potato on the Door". (Story behind that tune: When sharing a place with a couple of roommates in her student days, they came up with the prank of placing potatoes on the door, which would fall down with a loud bang when somebody opened the door.)
While she was playing that tune, somebody in the audience got the wicked idea to toss the potato at *her* instead of on the floor. This idea caught on quickly, and Liz spent the rest of the tune dodging flying potatoes... of course, without ever dropping a note or playing a bum note!
We thought it would be a good method to increase one's concentration skills.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by heike
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
I think inflicting pain is going a bit far It's more helpful to learn to play through sudden shouting, dropped glasses and trays of dishes, microphone feedback, and being jostled. I've also had beer spilled down my back and been stepped on by dancers. The other thing that requires intense concentration is when someone is clapping or dancing hardshoe off-time.
If you really want to prepare him for the pub experience, also teach him to elbow punters who insist on standing too close with his bowing arm without losing time. Flute players should learn how to bring the flute up with a well-aimed backwards jab of the right elbow.
Other players should get used to seeing the expression of the obnoxiously amorous, drunken punter when he is whacked "accidentally" by a fed-up Irish flute player.
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by ElaineT
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
hmmm, cuchulain54... - the whistle player in question was my dad (Stan Inisheer on here) so I'd rather not think about it too much! One other tactic that was used by a certain Cambridge fiddler was to go up and start kissing top of his head - that worked a treat too. I think it was fear in that instance though!
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by SineadE
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
We have a big furry cat who gets very vocal and needy when I play the fiddle. If I play standing up, he follows me around the house yowling; if I play sitting down, I have to watch for him to climb into my lap and nudge my bow hand. Great training for playing through distraction.
Terry
# Posted on January 17th 2007 by twildman
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
My dog likes to sing when I play piano...by which I mean, you can't shut him up unless you want to feel like a terrible person...he's not as fond of my fiddle though, I'm much more easily distracted on that. I also know a little girl with three younger sisters who plays the piano, and her teacher actually advised her to have a couple of them come bang on the keyboard and yell at her while she played...and she can play through just about anything!
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by possumawesome
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
i play at this bar, and the bar maids and cocktail waitresses often flash me to make me lose concentration. it works every time! (hard to play a whistle when you're drooling)
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by rob_handel
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
rob - can you play the wolf whistle?
My Grandma used to rap her piano students on the knuckles every time they made a mistake (this was a lo-ong time ago). My Aunt still flinches slightly when she goofs up on the piano! (My Mom was smarter, and took up singing and the violin)....
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by morning star
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
My cello teacher before WW2 played sax in a dance band. A player's first mistake in performance would cost him a fine of 1 guinea (1 guinea = £1.05 = say £50 in today's money). The second mistake - he'd be out on his ear.
That was a very good and disciplined dance band.
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by lazyhound
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
The word nipples putting off whistle players is funny. I think there are just some words that work like that. Back when my legs were in better shape I used to have fun with the words 'stockings' and 'suspenders'. Males can't help but dropping their eyes to your hemline and looking hopeful!
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by TheCurvyFiddle
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
when i was growing up my father beat me severely when i played anything wrong on the uillean pipes. and he locked me in a closet too relentlessly forcing me to practise. Oh, wait, that was paddy keanan.
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by Brendan
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
I got kicked out of violin lessons at school because I didn't practise. I wanted to but my mum wouldn't let me because of the noise! When she bought me my first tin whistle I wasn't going to let that happen so I used to lock myself and my whistle in the bathroom where she couldn't get at me!
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by SineadE
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
I have a very un-disciplined dance band. They spend all night watching the audience looking for something to laugh at. and asides to make For instance, if anyone with a beard happens to dance by, the drummer will start howling and the band ends up in tears.
# Posted on January 18th 2007 by geoffwright
Re: harassment as a way to teach discipline
Sounds demonic haha but none the less effective!
# Posted on March 6th 2007 by Mahoney