Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Dick, you shouldn't have mentioned pets - that's asking for "nonsense"!!!
My better half set dances & does some sean nos step dancing, as well as scraping away on the fiddle in the closet. Our 6 year old daughter has taken up the fiddle as well as piano, and has also done the Plain, Caledonian and Cashel sets - I jest not.
Here's the "nonsense" bit...... The wee one recently went through a phase of liking creey-crawlies & snails, so on our last trip to Ireland, three snails came over with us from Scotland to the Willy week and to Drumshanbo, as well as a number of places in between. Now, I'm not sure how many tunes they learnt on their travels, but I know that they sent their postcards back by snail-mail.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Well Zina, did you expect anything serious, deep and meaningful from a guitarist? Come on, in evolutionary terms, were just one above Bodhran players, and there just (only just) above snails. We can only aspire to the dizzy heights of being competent melody players. One of these days...... I'll be able to play Twinkle-Twinkle in the bloody fiddle!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My husband plays guitar but hates Irish music. Both his parents are Irish and he was born and raised in Glasgow. He grew up with the stuff and wants nothing to do with it as an adult. Apart from that, he and I get on very well
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
When we met, Min Gates had only been a music consumer, had never played at all. It was one of the few things we didn't share, as I've played since my single-digit ages. She got used to the music world and being around players while I managed recording studios and engineered recordings.
When we lived in the Washington, D.C. area, shortly after we got together, she got 'infected' with Irish traditional music, and with the help of Zan McLeod and others in the scene there, we learned a lot more about it.
Min, now deeply in love with ITM, began playing bodhran & bones after we returned to Indiana and when we had already been married a for while. I was still working as a recordist, for which I had put aside any serious playing of any sort of music, tho I still had instruments around and played at home for fun.
For a long time there weren't any guitarists in our local session, where Min was a regular player and the gang kept asking me when I was going to join in and play, and so I did.
Then I got so deep in ITM that I got into bouzouki playing, too.
In the late '90's we were traveling to sessions all around the midwest, and met fiddler TJ Hull. Min and I had so much fun playing with him that we started taking some gigs. Then we were asked to play a lot more often, and then we were asked for our CD, so we made one.
Min and I traveled to Ireland several times, always in the off-seasons, always out in the country and playing in sessions.
Now Min does a lot of the band booking and routing, along with her business doing graphics and photo restoration, and so she makes great graphics (posters and e-posters to be emailed) for our band and others and special events. Together we cooperate really well and we do pretty well with the playing, the band and the business of it all.
It's been absolutely wonderful to travel and play with Min, I'm always impressed with her playing, and we make a pretty ok 'rhythm section' together. It's tremendously fun and we get along great with it. Actually, we get along a little less well staying home ... <GGG>
We don't have any pets, so that we can travel without having to care for them. But ..... I'd love to have an African Grey parrot that would sing and recite ancient Sliabh Luachra poetry. <GGG>
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Now that I think of it, I know a bunch of couples who play ITM together, in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio!
(There's one who have split up, but not because of the music, and they both play, still.) I wonder how many... let's see...
Spouses are separated by /
1- pipes-flute/fiddle
2- fiddle/gtr-zouk
3- harp/mtn dulcimer
4- guitar-bass/box
5- flute/fiddle
6- fiddle-concertina/mandolin, octave mandolin
7- fiddle/fiddle
8- fiddle/box
9- harp/guitar (their kids play fiddles, too)
10 - concertina/zouk
11- flute/fiddle
12- fiddle/fiddle
13- gtr-banjo-mando/dbl bass (ok, she plays more Oldtime
than Irish...)
Wow, that's a bunch! There may be more, even... I'm told that Pat Egan is dating a very talented fiddler in Baltimore... <GG>
I think the band Siucra includes a married couple.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I have to refer to my thread re *Irish Sessions* to answer this one. My partner loves traditional and folk music as much as me and plays the whistle. She also plays a wee bit of fiddle. However, she doesn't quite have the same enthusiasm as myself and is much more limited in her repertoire. So, regardless if the session is Irish or Scottish, she gets frustrated if she has to "sit out" too many of the tunes. Some nights, I might be having a rare old time but she can get bored and grumpy because she can't join in. In other situations, she'll know most of the tunes but I'm usually fed up with them. Thankfully, there are other occasions when a happy medium is reached.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I mainly play pipes, and occasionally get coerced into dusting off the fiddle. My wife plays piano accordion and we have great fun with the tunes - mostly Irish, but the occasional Northumbrian pipe tune as well.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Aaaaw!
Had any offers since you posted that slainte?
'Dusting off the Fiddle' - isn't there a tune by that name?
Must admit, I got told off recently for cleaning my fiddle with mild chemical & was told that I should only ever dust it off!
Lucky you, Guernsey P. So you can session any time you like. Pity about the pets with the one track minds, I'd say though that if they are that fond of food you could use that greed to train them to play something.
e.g. our dogs tail is a pretty good metronome & I'd say if we stood it beside a vertical bodhran it could beat out a pretty good rhythm for ages - probably a lot better than some human Bod. players I have heard in my time!
Now, that man from Scottish TV (stv)!
That is some list you gave us, seems like ITMs flock together over there!
Is that for safety reasons or cause nobody else would be able to put up with your obsession!
I love the idea of teaching an African Grey how to recite or even sing.
All large members of the parrot family are just brilliant.
Many years ago I worked in the Bird Garden of Edinburgh Zoo & we had a small Roseate Cockatoo which was handed in after it's owner, a little old lady, had died. Now, if you were very quiet & rested your head on the wire, next to where she was hanging, it would whisper - "Hello" - very softly & did indeed sound like a little old lady.
Now in the next aviary was a different kettle of fish. This was where we kept Cocky, a large Sulphur Crested Cockatoo & he had belonged to a sailor for many years & boy could it shout. It used to scream foul language at the top of it's racaus voice F**K O** - BA***RD etc etc.
Now wouldn't 'Cocky' be a great bird to take to a session!
Just think what you could teach it to say:
"Slash all Bodhrans"
"Sink all Piano Accordions"
"Hatch - with a brick - all Shakey Eggs!
I'm sure you will have some ideas of your own!!
Born & raised in Glasgow you say Cath? Well he's bound to have behavoural problems then, isn't he!
- & no thanks, Cath's husband, I do not want a Glasgow welcome! My head is fine, the shape it is right now!!
Sorry Ron P, looks like you ended up getting the blame for that episode in the Hay Loft!
O.K. so it was your love child he had!!!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Partner plays electric guitar and has been with his rock band for 20 years. He doesn't care for ITM at all. This doesn't really matter except when we both clean the house and choose rather different background music.
The only one 'entitled' to celtic music would be our Gordon setter as he is of Scottish descent (his dad was bred in Finland though). The dog is rather indefferent to any kind of music which we are glad about.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My cat likes me playing the fiddle but clears off if I start on gob iron (translation: harmonica). I read somewhere that cats are supposed to like harmonicas - probably just my playing. My wife likes the sound of the fiddle but hates mandolin - says she finds it irritating: how mean is that! She used to play recorder so I'm trying to get her to take up the whistle.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
kuec, have you tried getting your partner to listen to some of Arty McGlynn's stuff on electric guitar? That might help to convert him!
I wonder if all members of the Gordon Clan are indifferent to music, yes & the dogs too!
It was probably a Dog that wrote about Cats liking Harmonicas!!
Likes the Fiddle but hates the Mandolin eh?
Are you, perhaps, playing the Mandolin with the bow?
Good luck with her conversion from recorder to whistle.
You should get her one of those lovely White Chocolate looking Susato Whistles. They look a lot like thin recorders which might ease the move for her.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My bloke plays the uilleann pipes. Which is good because fiddle and pipes is my favourite instrument combination!
My collie has a thing about music: he howls along when I play the fiddle, but only when we're the only two in the house - if the rest of the family's here sure he never makes a sound to it. Weird! I once had an accordion with a leaky bellows, and he used to source the air coming out and snap at it. He also spends hot days curled up under my piano stool, which is always a shock when you don't realise he's there and sit down. A black and white thing shoots out at the speed of light!
I also used to have a horse who enjoyed trad - I had CDs on in the yard whilst grooming etc, and he'd stand and nod his head, quite often in time! We also used to do dressage to music using trad tunes, which made us a welcome break at competitions where everyone else uses boring classical stuff!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
We used to hold full band practises - complete with drum kit, in our lounge. Our lurcher used to just come in and sleep on the sofa or among the cables - and I thought dogs were supposed to have sensitive hearing!!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Fiddle & Uilleann Pipes - Mmmmmmmmmmmm mine too!
I love the image of the collie snapping - in fact snapping at anything that comes out of an Accordion!
My wife's horse sometimes looks in our window, often when we are making sweet music together, *nudge, wink* & it can be a bit disconcerting when this huge head suddenly appears at the window!!
Suppose he thinks we're just 'horsing around' - sorry!
Must try the music in the yard trick though, when she's lunging him. Although I think some good old fashioned Rock might work even better!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My boyfriend plays button box (much better musician than me)and our Puppy doesnt quite know what to make of the music. Sometimes she tries to nip my bow hand when I'm playing. Otherwise she hides behind the couch with her paw over her head. Ive been told!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
just new to the session. Hi everyone! Does listening to music while you fish count for the pet? Or would it be considered musical sport? Of course I could never bring my pet to les operetta as they aren't allowed in. Pity Toodaloo
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
As stated in other threads, despite being an accordion player (and wrestling noise out of a few other instruments as well), I have managed to hold on to a lovely wife. She plays fiddle, although she has not been playing as much lately. And she has a lovely voice, which I wish she would use more.
No musical ability from my dog, although she does play the critic some times, leaving the room whenever the whistle gets up into the high As and Bs.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Slight digression here...
I know of a piper, originally from South Uist, who one time when he went back to the island in the summer, was playing some tunes in the garden. All of his nephews and nieces disappeared to the other end of the garden, bar one. My friend thought there might be some musical talent in this lad, in that he seemed to be appreciating the tunes. That autumn, the wee lad had grommets put in his ears - next summer, he was playing with the other kids, well away from the pipes.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
The cat doesn't seem to mind but the husband claims that my practicing once made him throw up. His idea of music is listening to a CD of something by Mahler.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My husband and I both play pipes and whistles. I mostly play backup guitar and sing. My husband is too jealous and competitive to make playing with him pleasant.
My kids are picking up fiddle, pipes, and bass and the married ones play drums. That can be fun.
My Finch loves to sing along with my whistle. He loves Mo Paistin Fionn the best.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I used to have a cockatiel called Mr. Poot who loved to sit on my shoulder whilst I was playing my fiddle. This was all very well until the time when I was playing an air with my eyes closed and he, unseen by me, was reaching out and taking beakfulls out of the rim of the fiddle. The b@st@rd!
I now play airs with my eyes open just in case any large parrots are about (you get lots around Reading due to the Gulf Stream effect).
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
He's a common Zebra Finch. He has a lovely cran.
I think he is courting my whistle since his friend the Spice Finch died in an unfortunate nesting accident. He, of course, is trying to prove his manhood through his mating call like most musicians I know. 'My whistle is bigger than yours' kind of thing ya know.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Geoff.
I have worked with Macaws in the past & boy do they have powerful beaks. I'd hate to see what one of those guys could do to a fiddle.
You see, ye all!
Yet another excellent reason for playing with your eyes open! You just never know when a parrot might be in the area!
Tricky thing that old Gulf Stream too.
Conan. Isn't that the stream where you found your Bream, 'Julian'?
In captivity the Common 'Grey' Zebra Finch is a rare breed nowadays, at least in the UK. The show men have totally diluted them with countless variations of Pieds, Fawns etc etc & is now impossible to get a pure grey one which won't throw strangers!
& Hey, who doesn't cower when the big pipes come out!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Yeah, that's an interesting variation on this: whose partners play, and did you meet through the music?
I met my bloke at the Willie Clancy week, and I know another couple who met there as well.
Ptarmigan - for some reason, mine never seemed bothered about it during lunging, but I swear his paces kept time when we were doing the dressage with it! I had one that was the opposite - took off and snapped the lunge line when I left the radio on and a loud rock song came on, so be careful with it there!
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
We did NOT meet through ITM. If I had already been an accordion player when I met my wife, I am afraid she might have declined the proposal!
By the way, speaking of significant others, what do you call a beautiful woman on the arm of a banjo player?
A tattoo.
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
ONE of my cats gets up and leaves the room as soon as I pick up the box - don't even have to play a note! The others are alright with it, though. One will even sit on my knee while I play.
The significant "other" plays flute, whistle, ceili drums, bodrahn....
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My dog seems to howl less when I play Irish tunes as opposed to American fiddle. He hates the mandolin so much he will sneak behind me and stick his nose under my right elbow causing the pick to fly out of my hand. Great. An editorial music comment from a dog.....
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
i had a pair of fawn zebra finches when i was a kid, along with a string of roller canaries and a green budgerigar _none of which uttered an irish tune as far as i can remember
but my dad was always lilting tunes around the house and i'm sure the canary enjoyed this as much as i did
as for nicola, we met in a local irish pub where she was working and i was running a session in the public bar (a quick 23 yrs ago); she loved the acoustic sound of the instruments namely concertina, banjo, fiddle and guitar, followed by the uillean pipes and wooden flute later on _both sharing the pipes as our favourite instrument of all time
she dosn't play, but did win a prize at school once for progress on the violin
and for a wayward observation _ i work in the field of reptile and amphibian conservation, and to hear a chorus of breeding Natterjacks (or even the churring of Nightjar) at a dry Hampshire heath on a warm night, you can hear irish tunes running through it (or at least i can); a truly ''natural music'' of the present and past . . .
the protected Natterjack Toad is also native to Ireland (only down in the Co. Kerry)
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
lisaniska,
That is a really cool observation--I kept it in mind when walking the dog today and listened carefully to the cicadas and bullfrogs and katydids. Wonder if American insects and amphibians sing different tunes?
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
'For truly, art resides in nature. He who knows how to wrest it out, that man has it.'
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), German painter, genius
this is my favourite 'quote' of all time (by miles), found in a children's book 'The Living Countryside _Through Artists Eyes' (1973), translated from the german
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My husband plays ITM with me and the cats run in from wherever they are and plonk themselves down by the piano to listen. They meow (appreciatively?) after each tune, but are quite discerning: Voice, mandolin and piano are all right but they run off when I pick up the concertina. They also hate fiddles and whistles.
Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Young Al set me thinking with a comment in a recent thread, so here goes. How many folk here have an ITM playing partner, husband, wife or pet even?
That's it - short & sweet!
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Me -- Pete plays banjo and zouk, and his nickname here is "reverend".
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Just to explain about the 'pet'.
We used to have a wee Scottie who would howl when I played my Concertina!
Can anyone top that?
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Dick, you shouldn't have mentioned pets - that's asking for "nonsense"!!!
My better half set dances & does some sean nos step dancing, as well as scraping away on the fiddle in the closet. Our 6 year old daughter has taken up the fiddle as well as piano, and has also done the Plain, Caledonian and Cashel sets - I jest not.
Here's the "nonsense" bit...... The wee one recently went through a phase of liking creey-crawlies & snails, so on our last trip to Ireland, three snails came over with us from Scotland to the Willy week and to Drumshanbo, as well as a number of places in between. Now, I'm not sure how many tunes they learnt on their travels, but I know that they sent their postcards back by snail-mail.
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Ron P
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
What! A serious chap like me encourage nonsense?
Ah! Drumshambo.
I spent a weekend there, many moons ago, sleeping in a Hay Loft behind the session pub with Packie Duignan.
Lot of snow has fallen of the dyke since then!
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
You slept with Packie Duignan? My goodness. ;)
You've unexpected non-depths to ye, Ron. hehehe
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Well Zina, did you expect anything serious, deep and meaningful from a guitarist? Come on, in evolutionary terms, were just one above Bodhran players, and there just (only just) above snails. We can only aspire to the dizzy heights of being competent melody players. One of these days...... I'll be able to play Twinkle-Twinkle in the bloody fiddle!
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Ron P
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Another spelling mistake "there" should've been they're. Missed apostrophe in we're..... My typing seems to get worse the more I do it.
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Ron P
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My husband plays guitar but hates Irish music. Both his parents are Irish and he was born and raised in Glasgow. He grew up with the stuff and wants nothing to do with it as an adult. Apart from that, he and I get on very well
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Cath
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
When we met, Min Gates had only been a music consumer, had never played at all. It was one of the few things we didn't share, as I've played since my single-digit ages. She got used to the music world and being around players while I managed recording studios and engineered recordings.
When we lived in the Washington, D.C. area, shortly after we got together, she got 'infected' with Irish traditional music, and with the help of Zan McLeod and others in the scene there, we learned a lot more about it.
Min, now deeply in love with ITM, began playing bodhran & bones after we returned to Indiana and when we had already been married a for while. I was still working as a recordist, for which I had put aside any serious playing of any sort of music, tho I still had instruments around and played at home for fun.
For a long time there weren't any guitarists in our local session, where Min was a regular player and the gang kept asking me when I was going to join in and play, and so I did.
Then I got so deep in ITM that I got into bouzouki playing, too.
In the late '90's we were traveling to sessions all around the midwest, and met fiddler TJ Hull. Min and I had so much fun playing with him that we started taking some gigs. Then we were asked to play a lot more often, and then we were asked for our CD, so we made one.
Min and I traveled to Ireland several times, always in the off-seasons, always out in the country and playing in sessions.
Now Min does a lot of the band booking and routing, along with her business doing graphics and photo restoration, and so she makes great graphics (posters and e-posters to be emailed) for our band and others and special events. Together we cooperate really well and we do pretty well with the playing, the band and the business of it all.
It's been absolutely wonderful to travel and play with Min, I'm always impressed with her playing, and we make a pretty ok 'rhythm section' together. It's tremendously fun and we get along great with it. Actually, we get along a little less well staying home ... <GGG>
We don't have any pets, so that we can travel without having to care for them. But ..... I'd love to have an African Grey parrot that would sing and recite ancient Sliabh Luachra poetry. <GGG>
stv
http://cdbaby.com/Cuchies
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by stv culchie
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Now that I think of it, I know a bunch of couples who play ITM together, in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio!
(There's one who have split up, but not because of the music, and they both play, still.) I wonder how many... let's see...
Spouses are separated by /
1- pipes-flute/fiddle
2- fiddle/gtr-zouk
3- harp/mtn dulcimer
4- guitar-bass/box
5- flute/fiddle
6- fiddle-concertina/mandolin, octave mandolin
7- fiddle/fiddle
8- fiddle/box
9- harp/guitar (their kids play fiddles, too)
10 - concertina/zouk
11- flute/fiddle
12- fiddle/fiddle
13- gtr-banjo-mando/dbl bass (ok, she plays more Oldtime
than Irish...)
Wow, that's a bunch! There may be more, even... I'm told that Pat Egan is dating a very talented fiddler in Baltimore... <GG>
I think the band Siucra includes a married couple.
stv
http://cdbaby.com/Culchies
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by stv culchie
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Nope, Pat Egan's girl plays the flute. And Siucra has Matt & Shannon Heaton.
# Posted on August 16th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Yes.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Oh, sorry, the pets are indifferent, more responsive to food, etc..
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I have to refer to my thread re *Irish Sessions* to answer this one. My partner loves traditional and folk music as much as me and plays the whistle. She also plays a wee bit of fiddle. However, she doesn't quite have the same enthusiasm as myself and is much more limited in her repertoire. So, regardless if the session is Irish or Scottish, she gets frustrated if she has to "sit out" too many of the tunes. Some nights, I might be having a rare old time but she can get bored and grumpy because she can't join in. In other situations, she'll know most of the tunes but I'm usually fed up with them. Thankfully, there are other occasions when a happy medium is reached.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Johannes J
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I mainly play pipes, and occasionally get coerced into dusting off the fiddle. My wife plays piano accordion and we have great fun with the tunes - mostly Irish, but the occasional Northumbrian pipe tune as well.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Bill Reeder
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
thanks stv culchie for the update on Min, I hadn't heard anything about her since the Goon Show.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by mcknowall
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I just need a girlfriend. It doesn't matter whether she plays Irish music or not.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by slainte
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Aaaaw!
Had any offers since you posted that slainte?
'Dusting off the Fiddle' - isn't there a tune by that name?
Must admit, I got told off recently for cleaning my fiddle with mild chemical & was told that I should only ever dust it off!
Lucky you, Guernsey P. So you can session any time you like. Pity about the pets with the one track minds, I'd say though that if they are that fond of food you could use that greed to train them to play something.
e.g. our dogs tail is a pretty good metronome & I'd say if we stood it beside a vertical bodhran it could beat out a pretty good rhythm for ages - probably a lot better than some human Bod. players I have heard in my time!
Now, that man from Scottish TV (stv)!
That is some list you gave us, seems like ITMs flock together over there!
Is that for safety reasons or cause nobody else would be able to put up with your obsession!
I love the idea of teaching an African Grey how to recite or even sing.
All large members of the parrot family are just brilliant.
Many years ago I worked in the Bird Garden of Edinburgh Zoo & we had a small Roseate Cockatoo which was handed in after it's owner, a little old lady, had died. Now, if you were very quiet & rested your head on the wire, next to where she was hanging, it would whisper - "Hello" - very softly & did indeed sound like a little old lady.
Now in the next aviary was a different kettle of fish. This was where we kept Cocky, a large Sulphur Crested Cockatoo & he had belonged to a sailor for many years & boy could it shout. It used to scream foul language at the top of it's racaus voice F**K O** - BA***RD etc etc.
Now wouldn't 'Cocky' be a great bird to take to a session!
Just think what you could teach it to say:
"Slash all Bodhrans"
"Sink all Piano Accordions"
"Hatch - with a brick - all Shakey Eggs!
I'm sure you will have some ideas of your own!!
Born & raised in Glasgow you say Cath? Well he's bound to have behavoural problems then, isn't he!
- & no thanks, Cath's husband, I do not want a Glasgow welcome! My head is fine, the shape it is right now!!
Sorry Ron P, looks like you ended up getting the blame for that episode in the Hay Loft!
O.K. so it was your love child he had!!!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Partner plays electric guitar and has been with his rock band for 20 years. He doesn't care for ITM at all. This doesn't really matter except when we both clean the house and choose rather different background music.
The only one 'entitled' to celtic music would be our Gordon setter as he is of Scottish descent (his dad was bred in Finland though). The dog is rather indefferent to any kind of music which we are glad about.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by kuec
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My cat likes me playing the fiddle but clears off if I start on gob iron (translation: harmonica). I read somewhere that cats are supposed to like harmonicas - probably just my playing. My wife likes the sound of the fiddle but hates mandolin - says she finds it irritating: how mean is that! She used to play recorder so I'm trying to get her to take up the whistle.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by RichardB
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
kuec, have you tried getting your partner to listen to some of Arty McGlynn's stuff on electric guitar? That might help to convert him!
I wonder if all members of the Gordon Clan are indifferent to music, yes & the dogs too!
It was probably a Dog that wrote about Cats liking Harmonicas!!
Likes the Fiddle but hates the Mandolin eh?
Are you, perhaps, playing the Mandolin with the bow?
Good luck with her conversion from recorder to whistle.
You should get her one of those lovely White Chocolate looking Susato Whistles. They look a lot like thin recorders which might ease the move for her.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My bloke plays the uilleann pipes. Which is good because fiddle and pipes is my favourite instrument combination!
My collie has a thing about music: he howls along when I play the fiddle, but only when we're the only two in the house - if the rest of the family's here sure he never makes a sound to it. Weird! I once had an accordion with a leaky bellows, and he used to source the air coming out and snap at it. He also spends hot days curled up under my piano stool, which is always a shock when you don't realise he's there and sit down. A black and white thing shoots out at the speed of light!
I also used to have a horse who enjoyed trad - I had CDs on in the yard whilst grooming etc, and he'd stand and nod his head, quite often in time! We also used to do dressage to music using trad tunes, which made us a welcome break at competitions where everyone else uses boring classical stuff!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Tize
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
We used to hold full band practises - complete with drum kit, in our lounge. Our lurcher used to just come in and sleep on the sofa or among the cables - and I thought dogs were supposed to have sensitive hearing!!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Tarrantella
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Fiddle & Uilleann Pipes - Mmmmmmmmmmmm mine too!
I love the image of the collie snapping - in fact snapping at anything that comes out of an Accordion!
My wife's horse sometimes looks in our window, often when we are making sweet music together, *nudge, wink* & it can be a bit disconcerting when this huge head suddenly appears at the window!!
Suppose he thinks we're just 'horsing around' - sorry!
Must try the music in the yard trick though, when she's lunging him. Although I think some good old fashioned Rock might work even better!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My boyfriend plays button box (much better musician than me)and our Puppy doesnt quite know what to make of the music. Sometimes she tries to nip my bow hand when I'm playing. Otherwise she hides behind the couch with her paw over her head. Ive been told!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by bb
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
just new to the session. Hi everyone! Does listening to music while you fish count for the pet? Or would it be considered musical sport? Of course I could never bring my pet to les operetta as they aren't allowed in. Pity
Toodaloo
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by ciansdad
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I once met a small bream who was a great guitarist.
I think his first name was Julian...
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
As stated in other threads, despite being an accordion player (and wrestling noise out of a few other instruments as well), I have managed to hold on to a lovely wife. She plays fiddle, although she has not been playing as much lately. And she has a lovely voice, which I wish she would use more.
No musical ability from my dog, although she does play the critic some times, leaving the room whenever the whistle gets up into the high As and Bs.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Slight digression here...
I know of a piper, originally from South Uist, who one time when he went back to the island in the summer, was playing some tunes in the garden. All of his nephews and nieces disappeared to the other end of the garden, bar one. My friend thought there might be some musical talent in this lad, in that he seemed to be appreciating the tunes. That autumn, the wee lad had grommets put in his ears - next summer, he was playing with the other kids, well away from the pipes.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Ron P
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
The cat doesn't seem to mind but the husband claims that my practicing once made him throw up. His idea of music is listening to a CD of something by Mahler.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by MC2
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My husband and I both play pipes and whistles. I mostly play backup guitar and sing. My husband is too jealous and competitive to make playing with him pleasant.
My kids are picking up fiddle, pipes, and bass and the married ones play drums. That can be fun.
My Finch loves to sing along with my whistle. He loves Mo Paistin Fionn the best.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by baglady
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
What kind of Finch is it?
This could be important!!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
I used to have a cockatiel called Mr. Poot who loved to sit on my shoulder whilst I was playing my fiddle. This was all very well until the time when I was playing an air with my eyes closed and he, unseen by me, was reaching out and taking beakfulls out of the rim of the fiddle. The b@st@rd!
I now play airs with my eyes open just in case any large parrots are about (you get lots around Reading due to the Gulf Stream effect).
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
He's a common Zebra Finch. He has a lovely cran.
I think he is courting my whistle since his friend the Spice Finch died in an unfortunate nesting accident. He, of course, is trying to prove his manhood through his mating call like most musicians I know. 'My whistle is bigger than yours' kind of thing ya know.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by baglady
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
He cowers in the corner when the great pipes come out.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by baglady
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Geoff.
I have worked with Macaws in the past & boy do they have powerful beaks. I'd hate to see what one of those guys could do to a fiddle.
You see, ye all!
Yet another excellent reason for playing with your eyes open! You just never know when a parrot might be in the area!
Tricky thing that old Gulf Stream too.
Conan. Isn't that the stream where you found your Bream, 'Julian'?
In captivity the Common 'Grey' Zebra Finch is a rare breed nowadays, at least in the UK. The show men have totally diluted them with countless variations of Pieds, Fawns etc etc & is now impossible to get a pure grey one which won't throw strangers!
& Hey, who doesn't cower when the big pipes come out!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My pet? No. My partner plays Irish music as well. We actually met because of the music.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Crysania
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Yeah, that's an interesting variation on this: whose partners play, and did you meet through the music?
I met my bloke at the Willie Clancy week, and I know another couple who met there as well.
Ptarmigan - for some reason, mine never seemed bothered about it during lunging, but I swear his paces kept time when we were doing the dressage with it! I had one that was the opposite - took off and snapped the lunge line when I left the radio on and a loud rock song came on, so be careful with it there!
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Tize
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
Tize!
Is it your bloke who never seemed bothered about it during lunging?
Did you make him wear a top hat during dressage?
And does he know about the one who was the opposite?
He seems like quite a guy.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
We did NOT meet through ITM. If I had already been an accordion player when I met my wife, I am afraid she might have declined the proposal!
By the way, speaking of significant others, what do you call a beautiful woman on the arm of a banjo player?
A tattoo.
# Posted on August 17th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
no , but I have a mongrel cross that doubles as a set of u pipes...
# Posted on August 18th 2005 by rythymbucket
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
ONE of my cats gets up and leaves the room as soon as I pick up the box - don't even have to play a note! The others are alright with it, though. One will even sit on my knee while I play.
The significant "other" plays flute, whistle, ceili drums, bodrahn....
# Posted on August 19th 2005 by Ceolagusrince
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
"By the way, speaking of significant others, what do you call a beautiful woman on the arm of a banjo player?
A tattoo."
Hey! As the significant other of a banjo player, I have to take offense to that!
*grins*
(Though I did actually tell that joke before I was with said banjo player...oops!)
# Posted on August 19th 2005 by Crysania
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My dog seems to howl less when I play Irish tunes as opposed to American fiddle. He hates the mandolin so much he will sneak behind me and stick his nose under my right elbow causing the pick to fly out of my hand. Great. An editorial music comment from a dog.....
# Posted on August 19th 2005 by dmarie
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
i had a pair of fawn zebra finches when i was a kid, along with a string of roller canaries and a green budgerigar _none of which uttered an irish tune as far as i can remember
but my dad was always lilting tunes around the house and i'm sure the canary enjoyed this as much as i did
as for nicola, we met in a local irish pub where she was working and i was running a session in the public bar (a quick 23 yrs ago); she loved the acoustic sound of the instruments namely concertina, banjo, fiddle and guitar, followed by the uillean pipes and wooden flute later on _both sharing the pipes as our favourite instrument of all time
she dosn't play, but did win a prize at school once for progress on the violin
and for a wayward observation _ i work in the field of reptile and amphibian conservation, and to hear a chorus of breeding Natterjacks (or even the churring of Nightjar) at a dry Hampshire heath on a warm night, you can hear irish tunes running through it (or at least i can); a truly ''natural music'' of the present and past . . .
the protected Natterjack Toad is also native to Ireland (only down in the Co. Kerry)
# Posted on August 21st 2005 by lisaniska
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
lisaniska,
That is a really cool observation--I kept it in mind when walking the dog today and listened carefully to the cicadas and bullfrogs and katydids. Wonder if American insects and amphibians sing different tunes?
# Posted on August 21st 2005 by dmarie
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
'For truly, art resides in nature. He who knows how to wrest it out, that man has it.'
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), German painter, genius
this is my favourite 'quote' of all time (by miles), found in a children's book 'The Living Countryside _Through Artists Eyes' (1973), translated from the german
picked up at a jumble sale in 1993 for 20p
# Posted on August 21st 2005 by lisaniska
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
My husband plays ITM with me and the cats run in from wherever they are and plonk themselves down by the piano to listen. They meow (appreciatively?) after each tune, but are quite discerning: Voice, mandolin and piano are all right but they run off when I pick up the concertina. They also hate fiddles and whistles.
# Posted on August 21st 2005 by flying tigerpig
Re: Does your partner, or pet, also play Irish Music?
This must be a general cat thing...my cat also runs away when I pick up the concertina...And will try to bat a whistle out of my hand...
# Posted on August 27th 2005 by gr_geek