Stuart Esson, Stewart Esson is a 47 year old scot who plays whistle and occasionally sings down at the Pike Place Market. He also describes himself as a Marxist-Lenninist social activist, and a former carpenter. He says, "I have known the prosperity of self employment and the deprivation of street life." "I'm a Scot, a scept of the Macintosh clan. The Macinatosh clan is from the west-central highlands of Scotland with base around Loch Moy." Esson's musical roots are in the British Isle as well. He plays mostly jigs and reels. "I like the fast paced happy jigs. Tom Billy's, The Langstern Pony, and The Maid on the Green." Esson says that the music he plays is, "...endemic to the celtic tribes who started in Germany and migrated to the British Isles." And adds, "The Irish developed the whistle as a solo instrument as opposed to other countries in the British Isles, which used it as an accompanying instrument." The melody itself is seen as the canvas and the paint, upon the canvas is the ornamentation which traditionally up to the artist at the time of his playing. The more varied the ornamentation, the better the whistler. To make the whistle sound as weird and twisted and strange as possible is really the true Irish style." He says, "My favorite place to play is the Pike Place Market. The ambience of the place is wonderful, however I think everybody thinks everybody else will tip you." Esson has been playing for three years. He is largely self taught but he did get some instruction from Susan Mclain the proprietor of Greensleeves Music Academy and the president of the local business union. He met her playing at a gas station where she was doing the job as a raffle prize.