A Mawkish Proposal

jqpublick · Post by **jqpublick** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:11 am

Hi all;

So I've been attending a weekly session here in loverly Winnipeg for about a year now and there's this young kid, about 11ish who's got a set of pipes that ...uh... you know.... COUGH(suck)COUGH... anyway, they're loaners and way too big for him and I seriously doubt that I could get them running for too long. The bass drone extension just falls off sometime. (I know I know, a bit of thread, a bit of wrapping.)

So what I'm wondering is this; Does anyone out there have an old practice set just kicking around? (I'll pause here for your laughter to subside.) Okay, it's a silly question, but I thought I should ask. They're there every week they can make, the whole family (mom, dad, two sons) plays different instruments, and to me he seems to be casting about for something that's his own to play, and has lit on the pipes. The family's got relations in Ireland (don't know where but by inference not far from Seamus O'Kane) and they've been informed over and over that if they want instruments, a phone call and some cash and it'll be picked up by the aforementioned relations. (I mention this by way of hoping that those of you in Ireland that are thinking "Winnipeg? Gambling for sticks?" might have your humanitarian impulses unchecked by the Distance and Trouble involved in sending something overseas.)

I'm asking because they've asked me if I know of any practice sets available for a "reasonable" amount (no I don't know what that means either) and so far I can't come up with anything. Last I checked, there's no practice sets on the Uilleann Obsession site and nothing on NPU's site either. The family has checked the web and all that they've found so far is above and beyond both what they can afford and are willing to pay for an 11 year old's attention span (both long term and short term).

Having said all this, I (ahem) actually have a practice set that is on loan to my sister (she's in Ottawa, it's about five day's driving away) and as she says she's using it because she's not ready for her half set yet (which she's already got... lawyers, huh?) so I can't really lend mine to this aforementioned but thus far notably unnamed 11ish kid. He's unnamed because I haven't told them I'm asking around here yet.

So if you do happen to have a practice set that's just lying about and you feel like letting it go, please feel free to pm me.

Or, if you prefer to wither me with scorn and sarcasm for being so optimistic, then I can only say "Let the games begin."

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter;

Mark

snoogie · Post by **snoogie** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 4:34 am

Sorry Mark, mine's already loaned to a 14 yr old. -g

John S · Post by **John S** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:10 am

How disappointing I was hoping for something in Mawkish dialect of Fundarian.

John S

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:14 am

Might be a project for a generous pipemaker.

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:32 am

For many years, I wanted to have a winning lotto ticket. Then someone told me 'if that was the case, you need to start buying them'.

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:49 pm

Is a Daye set too heretical? They are pretty dependable for not too much cash.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:59 pm

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:16 pm

Hi, Mark, how's it going up in Poohville?

You said this young spark is 11-ish. That's more than old enough to start a paper route or lawn care business to raise some dosh. Sometimes it takes the kid to show some effort to get the familial purse strings to loosen up. Its often not enough just to show ability on the instrument. Parents (pricks that they are) need to see a sign of personal commitment beyond having a bit of a go at an instrument before they will invest.

If you have any influence over your young friend you might start pushing him in the direction of saving up for his own practise set. In the meantime, you can keep your eyes open for any bit of a deal that may come along.

djm

jqpublick · Post by **jqpublick** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:28 am

djm wrote:Hi, Mark, how's it going up in Poohville?

You said this young spark is 11-ish. That's more than old enough to start a paper route or lawn care business to raise some dosh. Sometimes it takes the kid to show some effort to get the familial purse strings to loosen up. Its often not enough just to show ability on the instrument. Parents (pricks that they are) need to see a sign of personal commitment beyond having a bit of a go at an instrument before they will invest.

If you have any influence over your young friend you might start pushing him in the direction of saving up for his own practise set. In the meantime, you can keep your eyes open for any bit of a deal that may come along.

djm

Poohville's just fine, currently frantically sweeping up a winter's worth of sand off the sidewalks and streets. For those of you who've only heard of winter, it's so people can still drive - more or less - when the streets are pure ice and hard-packed snow. I ride a bike for transport and the riding's currently a unique combination of enough sand at the edges of the streets that riding's a touch tricky and a wind that, puppy-like, is bounding about gleefully tearing at everything it can get ahold of, which is mostly sand. This includes (I should mention) lots and lots of sand, which impairs one's vision and stings just a tad. (Actually it's kind of fun and it's better than pelting snow.) The dust that cars kick up is not too much fun though. It'll be over in a week or so when the city finishes cleaning up, and then things will be good. But I digress.

Spring's early after an unusually mild winter and everyone's wearing summer clothes with a bit of a smug vengance, so life is good. Tomorrow I'm going to my favorite park and sitting at this spot I know and playing a bit. The crows get really confused when I'm down there, I think I piss them off, kinda like tankers interfering with blue whale conversations. Were I a tanker, that is. Actually I'm closer to something that starts three letters later. But I digress.

The kid lives on a farm so he works already and is saving up to contribute to the purchase. He's been playing pennywhistle for about three years now and he's interested enough that I actually asked online if anyone knows about something this family could use. I wouldn't have brought this up here if I didn't think he was really ready, and understood what he was getting into. You might not believe this given my serious and melancholy demeanour but I was once a bit of a scamp myself. He's not like I was, he isn't on medication, and people don't stiffen up and pick up their drinks when he comes into the room. But I digress.

We also live in a bit of a vacuum for pipemakers, the nearest is eight hours and an international border away, I'm pretty much the only piper that I know of that plays regularily and they're coming to me for a bit of help. (There are other Upipers in town, but one's always on tour and the others don't come out to the sessions as far as I know.)

I have been keeping an eye out for a bit of a deal and I've drawn a blank thus far, which is part of why I took the plunge and brought it up here on this very forum. The 'rents are able to see that he's struggling and they understand and comisserate. Therefore, I asked here.

Thanks for the replies,

Mark

murrough o'kane · Post by **murrough o'kane** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 4:11 pm

jqpublick wrote:Okay, it's a silly question, but I thought I should ask. They're there every week they can make, the whole family (mom, dad, two sons) plays different instruments, and to me he seems to be casting about for something that's his own to play, and has lit on the pipes. The family's got relations in Ireland (don't know where but by inference not far from Seamus O'Kane) and they've been informed over and over that if they want instruments, a phone call and some cash and it'll be picked up by the aforementioned relations.

Hello Mark,

If their relations come from near to my homeplace, that would be County Derry up in the north of Ireland, if that's of any help to you.

Hope they get the young fella sorted out with pipes.

Good luck.

Murrough

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 5:36 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-UILLEANN-PI ... dZViewItem

Not having a clue whether this was mentioned in another thread in humor or seriousness, might this do the trick?

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 6:13 pm

Available to US only.

djm

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 6:31 pm

djm wrote:Available to US only.

djm

Hmmmm

tommykleen · Post by **tommykleen** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:04 pm

jqpublick wrote:Hi all;

....here in loverly Winnipeg

How about making the 8-hour drive south to The Great Northern Irish Pipers Club Tionol? May 20th/21st in St. Paul, MN (US).

See www.gnipc.org for details

Pluggingly,

T

glinjack · Post by **glinjack** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 9:01 pm

Why dont you loan the price of a practice set to the 11-ish, he will pay off the loan when he becomes a great piper.

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