I was the little boy who pointed out that the emperor was naked.
Macclesfield, NW England. Late forties, slightly overweight, married for 28 years - all of them happy. 1 married daughter, 1 son at Uni, 1 sheepdogs, 2 cats, 3 snakes, 2 lizards.
I play whistle, flute, mandolin and banjolin - but only one at a time (used to play northumbrian pipes - but that was a long time ago). Occasional forays into the harmonica, because I can play it while I'm driving. I can work out a tune from the dots - but only slowly, almost always I learn by ear. I sometimes make my own whistles, and I do occasional repairs and mods on other instruments - mostly mandolins.
I very rarely listen to recorded music (most often to learn from), and the last live act I saw was Kathryn Tickell about 15 years back, in Leek. That's when we saw her tattoo.
I believe that music is something we should do with each other, not something we do to each other.
I came across something like this, and I like it:
"The best praise is when someone says 'what a lovely tune' not when someone says what a good player you are".
Been around a bit, here and there, seen this and that - some of it not nice.
I like truth and fidelity in people.
Probably the thing I dislike most is blinkered intolerance, and unreasoned hate. Hypocrisy features high on my list of dislikes too.
Other things that take up my time: church involvements, my dog, ornithological observations, playing for The Splendid Shilling Country Dance Band, wandering along at night staring open mouthed at the stars, collecting unusual plants, growing cactus from seed, reading (and occasionally writing) poetry, solving the crossword puzzle in the Guardian, visiting theSession.org.
http://www.splendidshilling.co.uk
Tunes in showaddydadito's tunebook: 0
| Classical or Traditional? - that old chestnut | February 3rd 2006 |
| The Big Unanswered Question in Irish Traditional Music | December 22nd 2005 |
| You are not a musician! | November 28th 2005 |
| Haunted - Possessed - by a new tune | November 24th 2005 |
| A pleasing Modern Mondegreen | November 23rd 2005 |
| Discussions | Re: Whoopee Cushion | May 2nd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: How do you value your instrument? | March 31st 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: How do you value your instrument? | March 31st 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Imagine these at a session... | March 27th 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Whistles in Eb | March 20th 2008 |