Ordinary whistling has been staged since the days of music hall (vaudeville), but has rarely been used or appreciated for more than novelty. At the same time, there have always been some musicians interested in alternative approaches; and a few have used the medium to convincing effect in the repertoires of multiple instruments and different musical traditions (hear samples). For this reason, we believe that the idea of art-music-oriented-whistling, or 'artwhistling', is potentially useful for anyone interested in art music, even if used as only a secondary, tertiary, or quaternary musical skill; and that it holds significant potential for the learning, performance, teaching, and spread of art music as a whole.

About our Society

The International Artwhistling Philharmonic Society is an independent group of musicians, music students, and part-time musicians from diverse backgrounds. We are good whistlers, beginning whistlers, and people who cannot whistle at all. Our Mission is (1) to explore the applications of human whistling in art music; (2) to work toward standards of whistling performance, education, and repertoire consistent with those of other instrumental traditions; and (3) to monitor and evaluate performed whistling throughout the globe in order to recognise and promote such standards.

 

Definition of Artwhistling™

The International Artwhistling Philharmonic Society thus recognises not only a distinction between casual whistling and performed whistling (Kunstpfeifen), but that different people have always approached performed whistling in different ways. We coined the term artwhistling™ (Pfeifkunst) to describe one such approach; specifically:

Artwhistling™ (Pfeifkunst) is human whistling approached from the perspective and interests of musicians. Artwhistling therefore excludes theatrics, bird emulation, novelty, and non-musical uses of human whistling, but embraces great music from all centuries, the repertoire of all instruments, and the musical potential offered by all whistling techniques. It also aims at musical value, standards of the music community at large, basic musical skills and knowledge (musicianship), and other concepts that all musicians share. Like all musical endeavours, however, artwhistling refers to no particular level of proficiency. It simply suggests pursuing great music in a more accessible way, working towards ideals of 'art' that are consistent with those of other musicians, and growing from these experiences.

 

Our Values The artwhistling movement is founded upon:   Art. We believe in the importance of art as an integral facet of human experience and civilisation. Through standards of excellence evolved over time-honoured tradition, art challenges people to appreciate and reach greater potentials, thereby enriching the lives of both performer and audience. And when we commit ourselves to art, each of us becomes part of a larger tradition and contributes to posterity. Music. Music is part of what it means to be a human being; and the world's collective traditions of timeless music represent one of human civilisation's pinnacle achievements. This is why we believe that everyone can and should have the opportunity to enjoy and experience great music, not only as listeners, but through active participation as well. Education. We believe that education promotes understanding, respect, and human development; and that education should be accessible to everyone. We also believe that art experience and human creativity, including music, are an integral part of a general education. Research. Ours is the first organisation committed to research in human whistling, including acoustic, physiological, and musical aspects. Our society includes scientists, medical professionals, linguists, and music scholars whose combined research and experiments yield the newest discoveries in a remarkably unexplored field. Integrity. Our motto is "A musician's approach to whistling." Toward that end, 'artwhistling' suggests working toward the same things in whistling that students of all instruments work toward. These include musical value as the basic goal, standards of the music community at large, musical skills and knowledge (musicianship), cultivating the instrument’s full potential (technique), and building a repertoire based on great music of all centuries.

 

Welcome to the next great revolution in art music.

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