Carrying on the tradition of passing on tunes by whistling.
About Anita
Anita has taught fiddle-lessons from the age of 16. Since then, she has completed the TTCT and the B.Ed Primary school teaching degree and has made school and music-teaching her career. In 2009, she graduated with first class honours in the MA Irish Traditional music performance at the University of Limerick. She continues to teach and perform fiddle, whistling and piano-accompaniment.
Anita's most memorable experiences include her first week at the Willie Clancy Summer school in Miltown Malbay in 1984, where she was taught by Bobby Casey and John Kelly; winning her first solo All-Ireland title on the Fiddle at Oireachtas na Samhna 1991 in Dingle; playing fiddle and harp as part of the Ceol Chiarraí Tour group which toured Singapore, Australia and North America; winning the senior fiddle fast and slow airs competitions on the same day at Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan in 1994, and her participation as part of a Munster Comhaltas group at the opening of the Eurovision Song Contest in Milstreet, Co.Cork.
In more recent years, she has become better known as a whistler, having won the All-Ireland Whistling title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann no fewer than five times. In 2019, she recorded a 5-track E.P. which includes 3 tracks of whistling, some singing and a taste of fiddle-playing.
Whistling - Feadaíl
The art of Whistling - Feadaíl
Paddy Berry, Traditional Singer and song collecter
Mouth whistling (Feadaíl) is a primitive pastime and has been a natural method of making music for millennia. It is novel, instant and ever ready to create sound and unlike most musical instruments it doesn't have to be humoured, tuned or prepared in any way. It is our constant companion and sometimes used subconsciously either at work or play. It can also be assumed that one who whistles is in good humour and that in turn can lighten up people around you. It is good to whistle.
Whistling alternatively can also be used as a art form as a solo item in concerts or session. Various forms of whistling have evolved throughout the world and have found their way into many successful modern albums. The technique of whistling used abroad is invariably done by an outward blow of air through the mouth and lips. The method use by Irish Traditional music practitioners is much different in many ways, these technicalities include whistling both inwards and outwards continuously as well as exercising a movement and vibration of the tongue for ornamentation and the creation of rolls and triplets so favoured by the Irish. The shaping of the lips for tone and volume is also an integral element.