Skagit Valley Games

Yesterday I went to the Skagit Valley Highland Games.
This is a smaller venue than the Big Enumclaw one at the end of the month, but it's closer and a little more intimate.
I've been going there the last several years, but this is the first time I've been to the games since I've started lessons.
I've got to say, it was almost like going to the games for the first time.
I spent most of the morning wandering around the solo-piper competition, watching to see what the "pros" were doing.  I may have been the only spectator in that section who wasn't competing, or supporting someone who was competing.  In fact, I may have made some of the pipers nervous.  I definitely got the "who the hell is this guy" vibe from a couple of them.  No matter.  I watched some of the grade 2 and grade 1 performers (grade 1 is top level) as they performed hornpipes, jigs and pibrochs.
I actually found myself getting excited that, at least half the time, I could follow what they were doing with their fingers.  That's a far cry from being able to do it myself, but it was exciting for me nevertheless.

Later I watched as a few of the band competitions.  In that setting, it became easier to hear which bands were  truly in sync with each other.  All it takes is one or two pipers to come in a half beat late, or hold a flourish a hair too long to muddy the overall sound a bit.

I did run into Jeff Mudd, Ryan Gallagher and Karla Cockbain.  I also saw Scott our drum instructor.
We started talking about why you don't see Fire or Police pipe bands competing at these games.  Ryan said he asked Scott that very question and was told that, quite frankly, fire and pipe bands aren't good enough. The pipers competing here have been doing it since they were kids.  Firemen and Policemen just don't put in nearly as many hours practicing.

He may be right, but I think it's a goal to shoot for.  If we're going to all this trouble to make a pipe band, shouldn't we strive to be the best?

Ah well.  Easy enough for me to say, but Lord knows talk is cheap.

Oh, I did learn a valuable lesson.  If you leave your practice chanter in the car on a hot day, it will probably ruin the reed.  Found out the hard way on that one.  Fortunately I picked up a replacement reed before I left the games...

"That" song

Yesterday we started working on THE song.  You know which one.  The big one.  The raison d’être for most pipe bands.  The single most recognized song for bagpipes in the world.  I refer, of course, to Amazing Grace.

From a technical standpoint, it’s not really that difficult.  By that I mean there aren’t a lot of complicated flourishes or finger patterns. 

But the fact is, this is the one that has to be perfect.  Each and every time, it must be perfect.  Even more than the fingering, the timing must be impeccable.  All the pipers must be in sync.  For unlike most other songs played on the pipes, this one will invariably carry emotional significance. 

Granted, the average person who hears it won’t know if a grace note or a D-throw are a little off, but for a band it must have that crisp uniformity – that cleanliness of sound that comes from everyone being in exact time with each other.  That (in my opinion) is what helps give this piece it’s gravitas.

Given the purpose of our band, this is the one song I feel we must absolutely get right. 

Onoir Do Na Marbh.

Honor to the Dead.

Recognition

Driving in to work today I was listening to Aaron Shaw of the Wicked Tinkers playing a hornpipe set.  I really liked the Tinkers before, but now that I'm taking lessons I really have a new appreciation of how impressive his playing really is.

Doublings

Well, I've got my new Korg TM-40 Tuner/Metronome, just like Neil's.  But that's the only positive right now.
These doublings are killing me.  We're punching through the A,B,C and G doubling exercises which should be easy.  I mean the left hand fingerings are essentially identical for each of them.  But I can't seem to make it click.  Intellectually I think I understand them, but I can't get my fingers to cooperate.  I know it's just muscle memory, so I'm drilling it more and more.  But the other thing is the rhythm.  I pick up the patter okay in class, but it seems to fly out of my head when I'm at home.   I know I'm supposed to be able to read the rhythm in the notes on the page, but it's still not connecting with a sound in my head.

I've gotten lax on my practice and it shows.  Time to buckle down a little more.

As far as tunes, we're using Barnyards of Delgady as a memorized warm up and are now working on memorized Scots Wha Hae.  I'm actually feeling pretty comfortable with this, it's just those damn doubling exercises.....

Good news!

I just received notification that I've been selected for the Advanced Bagpiper class!

As you may know, we have quite a few beginning pipers.  Each class has about a dozen at a time.  However, I've noticed that there seems to be a core group (in my class anyway) of about 5 or 6 who are almost always at the rehearsal.  The other 6 or 7 seem to come and go on a rotating basis.

We're far enough along now that it's becoming easier to see differing skill levels....or at least who's not practicing as much as others.

At our last lesson there were a couple people who were having enough problems during group play that I couldn't hear whether or not I was hitting the right notes myself.  It ended up being a pretty frustrating rehearsal for me.

So Neil has divided the two hour lesson into two, one hour lessons.  The students who are "exceeding expectations" and progressing "ahead of schedule" will come in for the first hour and the others will come in the second hour.

I'm pleased and flattered that I've been chosen to join the first group.
From the email:
"...This class is intended for those of you who are exceeding expectations and looking to challenge yourself more. My expectations are that you learn at a pace that will challenge you and propel you into getting your bagpipes much earlier than if we stayed with our current schedule. There will be a pretty strict guideline put in place by Neil before you will be able to move on to your pipes. This test will be administered by Neil and the details of this test will be explained to you by Neil at practice. Now that you have been selected to be in this class you will be expected to keep up with the majority of your classmates and communicate when you feel things are progressing too quickly or too slow. Our goal, although a very big goal, is to have you ready to play this St. Patrick's Day 2012 so we have a lot of work ahead of us...."


I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about the challenge.

Doublings and throws

So the last couple of weeks we've been working on F Doubling.  Personally, I do all right (not good, mind you.  Just "all right") until I get to the E.  I seem to be having a mental block making the pattern jump past the F to the G and then high A.  Yesterday in class I thought I had it, but trying today it seems to have slipped back away from me.
Maybe part of the problem is my hands are cold.  Or dry.  Or cold and dry.  Whatever the reason is, I can't seem to get a good seal with my right fingers, which throws the whole sound off.

We did start on D throws yesterday as well.  I think I'm going to be able to pick those up a wee bit better.  Probably because they don't change depending on the entering note.

On the Uniform front, I finally got around to putting together a bit of a primer on Irish style band uniforms for Dave Sweeny.  I also suggested we might want to look at the Canadian Police doublet, as opposed to a variation of the Police Beat Blouse that Boston Pipes & Drums wears.  Personally, I think it looks sharp, and this is our opportunity to set our tone (pardon the pun) for the look of our band.

Finally, we've got our first big fundraiser coming up!  May 18th, 2011.  Several of the local pipe bands will be there, and I'm anxious to see what sort of turn-out we get...

Our first big fundraiser!