People used to whistle. In old black and white films from the 30's and 40's people were seen whistling. I am trying to remember how it was used in film back then and I seem to recall it was an activity given to delinquents on corners, as a precursor to flirting; a way of being noticed, and when danger was imminent. But there was a time when everyday people whistled and hummed while they worked.
I am incapable of whistling and I attribute this to having had braces as a child. I can purse my lips and blow out air but what comes out sounds like a pathetic wheeze as though my whistle is permanently dry.
To wet your whistle. Up until this moment I thought the phrase meant to lubricate the mouth by licking ones lips to prepare for whistling. In fact it means to have a drink which I guess means to wet the part of your body where a whistle emanates from. When you watch whistlers whistle they are often seen licking their lips to re-lubricate for the next sound to emerge from their mouths.
I wonder how we went from being annoyed by hummers and whistlers to preferring a radio station playing in the background? Is a hummer or whistler a person we may not like and therefore the sounds they utter become annoying and a radio is non-personal? I don't know.
When someone whistles well it is a joy to hear. It's cheerful, uplifting and of course reminiscent of nature. When I hear people hum as they work or putter it gives me comfort. It is the sound of someone enjoying their task and making a soundtrack to go along with it. I hear someone in their own little world enjoying themselves and that in turn makes me happy.
Geert Chatrou, a world champion whistler, annoyed everyone near and far with his whistling. Until he entered a competition and won. Here is is seen on a TedTalks Program whistling, having fun and talking about his life as a whistler. As corny as that sounds it is worth a listen because there is something to be said about enjoying an activity that seems to annoy others, or perhaps it's simply that no one understands why you do it, and being able to suddenly quit your day job and make your living from what you love. It takes courage to persist when there is no obvious support for your dreams.
The second video, of another world champion, Christopher Ullman, explains the details of what composes a champion whistler, which includes the funny detail of no kissing prior to a competition as kissing makes lips mushy and therefore unsuitable for whistling.
There seem to be a load of whistlers in East Asia and many of the competitions take place there. But if you read the comments section under whistling videos on YouTube you will see that the average person thinks whistlers are weird.
As a singer I hear whistling as something marvelous. To be able to mimic nature or get all the necessary notes in to Dinicu's, Hora Staccato, is a monumental feat! Then there are those that can mimic birds call another fantastic achievement.
I guess yodelers, jugglers, and bird callers are ridiculed with the same regularity but I see something precious about their craft. A craft that seems to have gone by the wayside with popularity. Something that is human and emerges from our natural self that is seen as troublesome somehow and not as good as an MP3. It is a craft that keeps us company which we ourselves produce, relying on the self. I think that calls for a re-examination, a closer listen to the next person you hear who whistles, or hums while they work.
I am incapable of whistling and I attribute this to having had braces as a child. I can purse my lips and blow out air but what comes out sounds like a pathetic wheeze as though my whistle is permanently dry.
To wet your whistle. Up until this moment I thought the phrase meant to lubricate the mouth by licking ones lips to prepare for whistling. In fact it means to have a drink which I guess means to wet the part of your body where a whistle emanates from. When you watch whistlers whistle they are often seen licking their lips to re-lubricate for the next sound to emerge from their mouths.
I wonder how we went from being annoyed by hummers and whistlers to preferring a radio station playing in the background? Is a hummer or whistler a person we may not like and therefore the sounds they utter become annoying and a radio is non-personal? I don't know.
When someone whistles well it is a joy to hear. It's cheerful, uplifting and of course reminiscent of nature. When I hear people hum as they work or putter it gives me comfort. It is the sound of someone enjoying their task and making a soundtrack to go along with it. I hear someone in their own little world enjoying themselves and that in turn makes me happy.
There seem to be a load of whistlers in East Asia and many of the competitions take place there. But if you read the comments section under whistling videos on YouTube you will see that the average person thinks whistlers are weird.
As a singer I hear whistling as something marvelous. To be able to mimic nature or get all the necessary notes in to Dinicu's, Hora Staccato, is a monumental feat! Then there are those that can mimic birds call another fantastic achievement.
I guess yodelers, jugglers, and bird callers are ridiculed with the same regularity but I see something precious about their craft. A craft that seems to have gone by the wayside with popularity. Something that is human and emerges from our natural self that is seen as troublesome somehow and not as good as an MP3. It is a craft that keeps us company which we ourselves produce, relying on the self. I think that calls for a re-examination, a closer listen to the next person you hear who whistles, or hums while they work.
Comments