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Al Bellenchia's avatar

Grok! (Not the A.I. kind)

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Glad you clarified that, Al!

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Al Bellenchia's avatar

A.I. sure is becoming a PIA acronym for moi, as well as a pox on humanity.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Yeah, I've never liked typefaces that omit the horizontal bars from the capital i. Why intentionally make reading harder?

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Peter Saint-Andre's avatar

Nakai produces such a full tone, with gorgeous vibrato. And those songs are so haunting. He's far from the only flutist active in the American Indian community, so I'll be exploring more for sure. (I even bought myself a fipple flute - specifically, a tin whistle - so that I can explore this kind of music on my own, at least to some extent.)

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

My short exploration turned up several intriguing musicians to explore; I'm sure some will find their way here at some point.

If you've the time and inclination, please share details of your tin whistle! What's it made of; what key is it in; etc.?

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Peter Saint-Andre's avatar

To get started, I've ordered a Shush PRO whistle in D, made across the pond in Sheffield, England (the product description is at https://shushinstruments.com/product/shush-pro-high-d-whistle/ if you're curious). The material is brass with a satin finish. I chose the Shush because, as you might imagine from the name, it's quieter than a typical tin whistle. Eventually I'd like to play the low whistle or American Indian flute, but our dear mutual friend who plays tin whistle and low whistle (among many other instruments!) suggested that I start with the tin whistle to learn the fingerings on a fipple flute where the holes aren't so far apart. I'll let you know how it goes!

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Looks like it'll be a lovely instrument to learn on. I hope you enjoy it!

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Mark Nash's avatar

Wow, this is lovely, will definitely be exploring the album!

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

I'm glad you like it, Mark!

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