Rhythms and Reputations

Hi everybody!

Hope ya'll stayed warm and cozy given the weather. Just as I was all pumped about it being -4 mother nature caught up with us.

Wes and I hit the highway friday afternoon due south for Sioux Falls South Dakota. Come hell or high water we were gonna get there.

Well 8 hours, and several cups of disgusting caramel gas station coffee, we arrived at Famous Dave's Rib Shack ten minutes before they closed! It was a wild and whacky drive.

Really not the worst conditions I've ever seen. It rained most of the way, and just outside Aberdeen, fog, rain, and ice, caused us to slow to a crawl for about an hour.

We arrived though. Woke up early saturday for a great clinic session with the Dakota and District Pipes and Drums. This group never ceases to amaze me. Every time Wes and I get down there they get better. January is a special trip because it is also their Burn's celebration.

Unlike traditional Burn's nights this one is held in a pub. McNally's to be precise. Great atmosphere, great people. After the haggis was all finished the band played to a packed house and didn't let us down. Great show! Then it was our turn, of course with a little brown liquid courage, to step up to the stage and strut our stuff.

Gigs like this are a blast. Wes and I get to forget all the hard work and studied playing we practice with the band and just cut loose. It isn't always pretty, but we really enjoy it! A varied rendition of our new medley, some showy drumming, and a reel set and we received great crowd response.

Got to head out and see a bit of the town after that. Wyatt, one of the band's great up and comers, took me out to a local bar packed full of folks. Of course our kilts got plenty of attention but it was all good!

I woke up Sunday morning to Wes whipping me with a wet towel screaming "GET UP"! I then rolled out of bed packed and proceeded to sleep in the van through a blizzard until we arrived in Fargo.

Blizzard conditions kept up with us all the way home. Cars were lining the ditches, but hey, we're from a prairie pipe band, snow will not stop us!

Finally got back home last night, caught some sleep and woke up to a frozen and shut down Winnipeg.

I know "Winnipeg? Snow? Blizzard? GET OUTTA HERE!" but it's true. Just when you think you've earned a new reputation, mother nature kicks in.

But we're Winnipegers, and as much as our beautiful city has it's reputations so do we. We canceled Juvenile practice tonight due to weather conditions, I've already had phone calls from the grade 2 drum corp wondering if we can have a practice tonight since the kids aren't using the hall.

There's a reputation for you.

Keep the shiny side up folks, drive safe!

Sean

The Concert Push

Howdy Howdy Howdy,

Where have I been?

Good question.......

For those who have met me briefly and haven't experienced me in my full January mode, I've been going crazy!

But it's all for the best.

January is a crazy time for Wes and I and all the bands as we prepare for the first contest of the season and our annual concert.

The first weekend of January, of course, was our first rehearsal weekend of the new year. Fly in players and all. It was a great time.

We followed that up with Monday-Juvenile, Tuesday-Grade 2, Wednesday-PPBAM, Thursday-Grade 3, Friday....what did we do Friday, Saturday-Crusader Clinic, Sunday- Crash....

It's been a great week!

This weekend Wes and I are heading south to Sioux Falls. Not only do we get to hang with Tom, Brian, and the whole gang down there, but we also get to spend the evening at their Robbie Burns celebration.

We may even jam a bit. Should be fun.

I love jamming in the pipe band world. In the average band jamming is quite common, but I have way more fun coming up with interesting ways to express the music on one drum.

Add the pressure of a packed pub in a foreign city and I'm in heaven.

The weekend after that Wes and I are off to Saskatoon to workshop the 96th Highlanders, a fabulous organization we always enjoy working with. Then we fly home get off the plane and drive straight to our concert rehearsal Sunday night.

Then it's a week and Concert time!

The concert tickets are going fast. I'm very very pleased with how things are going. Everyone is chipping in this year and it makes my job as Concert Director much simpler.

We're going into the show in better form than ever. I'm very pleased with both bands. The real question... how do we get everyone on stage.

Best problem I've faced in years!

Talk to you soon, and if not, Happy Burns Day!!!

Sean

Happy New Year

A Happy to ya and all yours!!

... and if you're in Winnipeg Merry Ukrainian Boxing day!!!

or something like that.

Anyways big week this week.

We took last week off with the grade 2 band but had a pretty solid run at things tuesday night. This weekend is another rehearsal weekend, and the last time before the concert that we'll see the fly-in folk.

Our new practice regimen is paying off big time. In prior years we wouldn't see the entire band together until the friday before Maxville... not good. This year we've seen everyone for 3 weekend rehearsals already!! It shows in the playing, and especially the tuning process. With 22 pipers, give or take, 8 sides, 4 tenors, and one Chris Brown, we have to have our collective you know what together.

Grade 3 stormed the gates through the holidays rehearsing on the monday before New Year's. They're hard core! Things are coming but with all large change, there are growing pains.

Two Rivers has been making progress. I'm very very proud of the students and instructors and their hard work. Especially the progress the kids made over the break. Well done!!

This weekend is also the annual "Scout workshop" which I guess is now the "Boys Band workshop" but either way always a blast. This year they have brought in a plethora of outstanding instructors, Ken Eller, Bob Worrall, John Fisher, and Reagan Jones!

Of course there's a party after and we'll all be there!!!

Anyways back to class, the grind continues!

Cheers everyone, happy practicing!

Sean