Brothers in Arms

"Never make a companion equal to a brother." Hesiod.


... I like pipe bands.

I really love drum corps.

I think it's because I have this idea in my head that pipe bands are like families. At least ours are. All of them, one big family. We share big moments, we celebrate together, we mourn together, it's a beautiful thing pipe band.

I love drum corps probably because I never had a brother. I always wanted a younger brother named Mike, and I'm sure if I had known about pipe bands back when I was three I would have insisted he was a drummer like me. However, my dear mother bless her heart gifted me a sister... and a piper.....

According to my Grandmother I referred to Kyla Dawn as Mike for quite some time. Periodically I still do.

I take great satisfaction in watching Kyla tune her pipes, and warm up with the pipe corp in the grade 2 band. It always seems surreal having her there. So don't get me wrong I'm a very, very proud brother, but she's a piper... and a girl.

So, I'm very attached to my guys in the drum corp. All of them. There's an old saying you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family. I feel the same about drum corps, when it's right it's right and you don't have much say in it. So you learn to love each other and put up with each others little quirks and presto, you're family.

In my case I have 6 brothers that stand beside me in the closest thing to battle I hope any of them ever comes up against. I always say when we hit the line "just trust me and I'll get us through to the other side" then I look them all in the eye and they seem to buy in. We're brothers and we trust each other when push comes to shove.

So in this little dream of mine it's pretty easy to spot the obvious familial differences..... Dave and Dylan don't exactly look like Graham and Cam... So it's not like I can run around Maxville claiming my entire corp is the Johnston family drum line.

However, three weeks before the biggest pipe band trip of our lives to date one of my brothers gave me one hell of an early birthday gift.

Looks like when I hit the field for the World's I'll be standing with 4 brothers.. and one brother in law to be.

That's right, my little baby sister in the pipe corp actually said yes to one of the goofballs in the drum corp and we're gonna have us a good ole fashioned SASPB Wedding.

Apparently Ian Walker decided it was good security to make sure I didn't cut him at the World's... jokes on him.. now he's really family :)

Naw... after years of dating, and incredible patience on both their parts I'm proud to say the little couple that could has and they're getting hitched. I could not be more proud of both of them and how far they've come.

Ian has played with me for 4 years now, from the grade 4 band, to the World's, and now the grade 2 band and back across the pond. I'm very proud to have him join our family.

I suppose it's only right that the only type of man I would trust with my little sister would be one of the drummers in my drum corp. One of my brothers.

Hesiod didn't know what he was talking about....



Congratulations you guys.

Love Always,

Sean