Musical Christmas, how about yours

cutterpup · Post by **cutterpup** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:00 am

Hi all just thought I'd start the thread. I had decided this would be a musical Christmas when I planned my gift giving. I gave my daughter's boyfriend the Guiness Black whistle (he's a collector of the sacred G) and a book on accordians (hey he found one when cleaning out an attic and wants to learn to play {shudder})

. I gave my sis-in-law a roll-up keyboard so she can practice her piano when on the road and gave her husband a practice goose with a 3/4 size bag. He has always said he wanted to learn the great pipes, after blowing up the goose he was saying that he thinks the Uilleann Pipes might be a better choice for him.

My nephew also received a Guiness whistle from his parents. I gave my son's best friend (and one of my adopted "kids")one of my tenor recorders that he had been playing and asked about buying in exchange for finger picking lessons on the MD which he plays beautifully.
I got a practice chanter reed for my vintage practice chanter I had aquired. I also received the high G whistle I saw and a book I had looked at in a music store with my husband "The Whistler's Pocket Companion."

The best though was going out to the living room Christmas morning and seeing my recorder stand set up with the full consort (minus the bass which I don't have) on the stand and wrapped in Christmas paper. My daughter had knitted recorder covers for them so they can stay warm and clean when set up for rehearsals and performances

kaitlyn · Post by **kaitlyn** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:05 am

I just started playing the whistle in November and my husband gave me a Burke adjustable high D for Christmas. I am one very happy camper!!

Hope everyone's holiday was as merry as mine!

TheKingPrawn · Post by **TheKingPrawn** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:29 am

Santa was kind enough to get my daughter and me matching Dixon 1 pieces so we can play together (hopefully one of us will learn to play the darned thing!) I also got a new multi-effects proccessor for my electric guitar. With the ever delayed gift money from my mother I may get a Tipple.

patrickh · Post by **patrickh** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:53 am

I gave my daughter a Djembe (she likes drums) and my son a mic and mic stand. He is the lead vocalist in a punk band (you really can't say he is the lead singer because he doesn't sing, he screams).

TheSpoonMan · Post by **TheSpoonMan** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:37 am

I got a low D harmonica for Christmas, and a Clarke Original C for Christmas. Both awesome, though the low D's reeds are a bit wonky (or maybe I'm jsut too used to the high C).

Also I got my smallpipes and practice chanter on Christmas. Not a present, but we had them shipped to my grandparents' in Indiana since we're not always home every hour of the day (and you don't want a package laying out on the front step in my neighborhood). I'm progressing pretty well on the practice chanter and the green book, and I can play the pipes with the drones plugged for like ten minutes, up to the point where my elbow, lips, and fingers all go numb.

It's like "okay here comes a D-throw, remember to hit that low G ri- aw crap running out of airBLOWBLOWBLOWBLO- DARNIT fudged the low G, here comes a C doubling, isn't it fascinating how C is actually a CshaBLOWBLOWBLOWWAITNOOUTOFAIRBREATHEBREATHEBREA- NO PIPES ARE GOING FLAT BLOWBLOWBLOWICANTFEELMYLEGS", except all in a fraction of a second. But I'll get it.

flutey1 · Post by **flutey1** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:41 pm

I got a low D harmonica from my mom... I think that means now I'm supposed to learn to play that too

in the past I've always played instruments that somehow all remotely resemble flutes, so it'll be interesting to say the least. and I'm learning fiddle. hmm, I think my free time all just ran away

cheers,
Sara

Buckeye67 · Post by **Buckeye67** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:46 pm

I got an early Christmas present at the end of November of a Harper A/Low G set, which is just awesome. Then I got meself a Christmas present of the Harper D and C (non-tunables) that Jessie had up for sale.

My niece seemed to be interested in the whistle, so I got her a Dixon Trad and L.E.'s tutorial DVD from Homespun Tapes.

All in all it was a pretty good holiday.

jonharl · Post by **jonharl** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 5:22 pm

I got a Low D Hohner XB40 harmonica.

King Friday · Post by **King Friday** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 5:37 pm

I gave my friend a Little Black D and got a pool cue bag from my mom to hold my low whistles in.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:44 pm

My 3 year old grandaughter got the instruments this year-
a set of various horns, whistle type tooters with little keys(since her fingers aren't long enough yet to play mine, though she tries), a harmonica,tambourine and her favorite, a drum small enough for her to carry- she uses a set of my tenor drum sticks.

She was happy and so was I, although I can't say anyone else in the house appreciated our music making Christmas morning.

pjuuldk · Post by **pjuuldk** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:04 am

A couple of weeks before christmas I got an unexpected early christmasgift, just enough to bye a Tipple, 3 piece low D, specled bore with a wedge. Now I'm hoping that it will arrive in this week between christmas and newyear.

Christmas day at my parents christmasparty my parents was sharing out some of the profit from the sale of my childhood home (a rather large check on a dry spot). Now I've emailed Colin Goldie, whanting to bye an Overton low D, waiting for him to respond.

"I'm so excited
and I just can't hide it"

Peter

Faelan · Post by **Faelan** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:18 am

I got my very first whistle for christmas, a Clarke Original D. I ordered myself a tutor book and the Guinness Whistle (I love me some Guinness), for Christmas.

Also, as a gag, I got my brother a jaw harp and finger cymbols.

bill · Post by **bill** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:07 pm

I didn't get any new instruments but I did get to do some high whistleing at a couple of christmas eve services. I used my gen. brass D with some echo going. It was pretty cool.

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:13 pm

Like bill, I received no new instruments for gifts, but used two of those I am fortunate to own at a Christmas Eve service. I used an Overton low D as a background improv for a vocal soloist, and backed the choir with an O'Riordan Bb. That selection had a number of chromatics, and the patterns for half-holing were a real challenge.

I am so acccustomed to using my whistles in an Irish/American folk band, that having the opportunity to play other styles of music is a real treat.

Best to all.
Byll

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:21 pm

We, the wandering Jews, celebrate Christmas every year with our friends. They have 2 sons and a daughter, 14, 16, and 19 just home from college as is my daughter. We have known them all since they were born. Anyway, the 16 year old boy got an electric cello (he plays cello) that was so cool I couldn't get over it. It looked like some kind of crossbow weapon with assorted Klingon battle gear attachments. I listened to him play through the phones and boy does it resonate (and he plays well); he can plug it into his computer and donwload himself etc. Then he went to a drawer and pulled out the tin whistles I gave him about 10 years ago - a Gen D (had to twist the head around to align with the tone holes) and a LBW. I played some tunes on the Gen and his girlfriend (I can't believe he has a girlfriend - time really flies) loved it! Electric meets simp...It was a great musical occasion.

Philo