When Did You Start Playing?

[felix]

I think that the age of playing depends about where you live, if you live in a country where the concertina is a traditional and usually played instrument, i. e. County Clare, in Ireland, or in another countries.

In Spain, nowadays concertina isn't a common instrument, and in galician music a lot of players of another instruments, button accordion, hurdy-gurdy, wooden flute, fiddle, began first playing galician bagpipes, because it is the most common instrument for our traditional music.

I began playing bagpipes when I was 18 years old and then when I was 25 or 26 years old , I bought my first concertina for playing galician music too, but I didn't know people who played it. And now in Galicia there are only two or three persons that play the concertina.

 

Here in Galicia, and in Spain, after the Civil War, Franco's dictatorship stablished what types of music and instruments were typical in which countrys (provinces), and promoted mainly them, moreover it was forbidden all types of reunions (including feasts) of more than three persons, only could be done with city council permissions, and traditional musicians had to be registered in the town council, and they had to pay for playing.

Because of these rules the traditional (spontaneous and live) music almost dissappeared because living in small villages made very difficult to have all the weeks the permissions (in Galicia there are the same number of villages than in the rest of Spain, in Galicia usually the same municipal disctrict has more than ten or twenty small villages, of 100, usually much less inhabitants -10 or 20-, far from the town council in many cases).

 

With the democracy, the interest in traditional music returned again and people became to explore other instruments that were forgotten, because of the politic of one country - one instrument.

 

I played uilleann pipes before than the concertina, and I saw concertinas when I travelled to Ireland (twice), but I was mainly a piper those days... it was several years later, when I wanted to play another different instrument than pipes (I saw many times in Spain cheap hohner concertinas in instrument shops but I never thought about buying one!) when I got hooked by the concertina, and now, I love and play the pipes, but for playing alone I prefer the concertina, and in second place the button accordion.

 

Felix Castro - Ourense - Galicia - Spain.

[davidcorner]

How time flies!

It was the best part of thirty years ago that I was staying with someone who played concertina. He had a Wheatstone tenor treble. I had a go and found that with a little practise I could get a tune out of it.

 

At the same time, the Edinburgh Folk Club started, and I began to go regularly to it.

One of the club residents was Tom Ward, and an early guest was Alistair Anderson, so that inspired me to get my own instrument, and start playing.

I met a few other players, but really taught myself, and played the tunes that were common in Scotland, usually played on fiddle or accordion. I especially enjoyed the style and type of tune played by the Arbroath Foundry Bar Band, whom I first heard at an early Keith Festival, and still meet up with at current festivals.

 

It struck me on Sunday night that the set of tunes I played at Biggar Accordion & Fiddle Club was a set I put together in the 1970s.

(Lament for the Rev. Archie Beaton, Stirling Castle, Rachel Rae)

How time flies!!

[Rhomylly]

I had a "false start" in 1992/1993 on some cheapie Chinese thing that HMT committed highway robbery with by charging me $350 for it, but only stuck with it for about 2-3 months.

 

So I consider 2003 as the year when I started playing -- at 40.

 

I was raised by 2 musicians, including a morris musician. Although my dad is quite the three-hole-pipe expert, he can't figure out free reeds to save his live -- ha! My parents never pushed the music, fortunately. And since my dad was a band director, he could basically bring home any instrument I wanted to try -- at no cost -- for the two or three weeks that my interest lasted.

 

There was also a piano in the house. I suppose I'll inherit that monstrosity someday -- a converted (in the 1950's) baby grand player piano with a bad leg. I loathed the thing as a child, mostly because it was my job to dust it on a weekly basis.

[Larry Stout]

I got my first concertina in February 2003, a bit before I turned 55. It is only recently that I've gotten so I feel comfortable playing the concertina in public. I've played a fiddle for 50 years at this point and also play mandolin, viola d'amore, and lute (very badly!).

[Animaterra]

Aw, Mark, how sweet!

 

On the subject of your musical children, you should know perfectly well in a household of such accomplished musical parents, that the only way to get your kids to become musicians is to categorically forbid them to learn an instrument or sing!

 

....nope, didn't work with mine, either. Oh, well.

[Mark Evans]

Allison, true, so true. My mom was an art teacher (I refused to paint until 40 and now paint everything in sight...even banjos ), Dad was a fighter pilot but what he did with my brother and me was carpentry. He didn't let us do anything, really but we gave him tools. Both of us have been carpenters and my brother is now an electrician (and a dynamite painter).

 

Maybe later, when they think Dominique and I aren't looking they will use those voices. I live in that hope.

Edited December 14, 2005 by Mark Evans

[Ken_Coles]

Concertina players ARE older than other musicians because the salubrious effect concertina playing has on one's health and longevity.

 

I'm surprised no one has pointed this out already!

[bill_mchale]

Aw, Mark, how sweet!

 

On the subject of your musical children, you should know perfectly well in a household of such accomplished musical parents, that the only way to get your kids to become musicians is to categorically forbid them to learn an instrument or sing!

 

....nope, didn't work with mine, either. Oh, well.

 

You know that is funny, because several of the better musicians in the Baltimore Irish Trad Scene came from families where the parents played. In some cases the parents were just duffers like the rest of us, but in a couple cases at least one of the parents was very accomplished. Billy McComiskey's son Sean is well on his way to matching his Dad's talent and his other two sons do play a bit (The youngest is only 10.. but is starting to come along quickly on the Button Accordion too).

 

--

Bill

[Jay Lamsa]

I played piano as a kid, then rarely played for years. Did some chorus stuff, then got into traditional music and began dabbling with the penny whistle. I started playing the concertina in 2001 (when I was 46) after seeing Cindy Magson play. I didn't know EC from anglo from duet, but I knew I liked the sound. So I went to the Button Box and got a 1950's vintage EC Wheastone 1E. I next got an 1880's Lachenal Excelsior, and I just got a Morse Albion. The Morse is now my only concertina.

 

I have a couple questions - how many of you have found THE instrument? By that I mean not just one that you play, but has really become special, the concertina that you could not be induced to sell? Also, reading the forum over the past couple of years, it seems like a lot of people have more than one concertina - what are your reasons?

[David Barnert]

I have a couple questions - how many of you have found THE instrument? By that I mean not just one that you play, but has really become special, the concertina that you could not be induced to sell? Also, reading the forum over the past couple of years, it seems like a lot of people have more than one concertina - what are your reasons?

I have two concertinas, both 46-key Hayden duets. One is a Bastari and ther other is a Dickinson/Wheatstone. I keep the Bastari around in case I have to send the Wheatstone in to the shop.

 

I am tempted to consider the Wheatstone as "THE instrument," but I will sell it as soon as Dickinson delivers the 55-key Hayden I ordered in 1989 .

 

[edited for typo]

Edited December 17, 2005 by David Barnert

[Mark Evans]

Also, reading the forum over the past couple of years, it seems like a lot of people have more than one concertina - what are your reasons?

 

 

Because they can!

 

Were I able to justify the expense, I would too. My 64 not Aeola was my instrument, heavey beast that it was and I sold it .

 

I now own a Morse Albion, and love it and will never part with it for after a 17 year absence of an EC in my life Dominique purchased the beautiful little box for my 50th birthday. #209 can never be replaced. If I win the lottery, look out Tina for you'll have to share the cupboard with company, lots of company !