Concert Unleashed

Just a quick post today to show off Chris Brown's handy work.

Here's the Concert Poster.

In Search of Perfection

March... Strathspey.... and Reel.....



It's MSR year in Glasgow. I've been obsessed with MSRs for years, mostly because they seem so straight forward, everyone shrugs when you ask them about it, and yet, everyone has something different they look for.


I've learned nothing... kinda.

I know they're the more technical of the contest sets. The March must be brisk and bright, yet not frantic. The Spey must lift like a dancer, yet weigh heavily on the accent pattern. The Reel must swing like Duke Ellington while driving forward with precision...

If you're not in pipe bands, but you're a musician, and you read this, you now know why we party so hard.

I've been listening to St. Lawrence O'Toole's worlds performance, they pretty much nail it. So powerful, yet so musical.

So my goal for the next 3 months is to learn everything I can about MSR's and pass it along to my corp. Then, hope we can input that all into our playing.

I'll keep the blog updated periodically if I learn some new ground shaking truth about idium or something, and just between us, I think I'm going to try and pick the brain of one of the judges who's hammered my corp and our MSR playing in the past. I want to know what we are missing.

Running a corp is alot like an MSR. You have to be brash, yet humble, fearless, yet respectful.

Maybe it's just a balancing act

Sean

Brandon Re-Cap

Happy Monday to everyone,

My apologies for Manitoba weather to those who came in for the games from elsewhere... (thinking of Ken Eller, and Dave Bowman especially)

Despite an election, a military success, a royal wedding, and the announcement of a disturbing trade for the Selkirk Steelers, I have nothing but results to report.

I'm happy to say everyone had a terrific weekend despite the blizzard. Weather was sketchy on saturday but the whole organization made it out to the Brandon Highland Festival for some good old fashioned competition.

I was especially nervous this weekend. Not only had the April plague of exams rendered our drum corp less than my level of up to snuff, but we were taking on two of the best drummers Manitoba has produced.

City of Regina made the trip and we got a look at half of their drum corp. But what a half!!! Blair "Buz" Brown, Ian Aastrom (former l/d in Regina), and Roland Reid (former l/d of my corp). Little intimidating.

Needless to say the corp rose to the occasion, and I'm very pleased with the results. Out of 8 possible placings we won 6. Falling short in the drumming mark in the MSR as well as splitting the piping.

However, on the topic of MSR, I once again feel great pride in our band as a whole, despite our 2nd place in drumming, we won ensemble... Thus the tie is broken by ensemble preference and we come out on top. Saved by the Ensemble again.

What's a pipe corp without a drumcorp?... undynamic... What's a drumcorp with out a pipecorp?... unmelodic... What's a pipe band? A wonderful combination of two sections making up for eachothers short comings.

On another pleasing note we took straight firsts in the medley contest, I'm very pleased with that.

What's next? Further prep. Our concert is coming up in June, we have another contest at the end of May, the grade 3 band is on the road to Minnesota in two weeks, and of course, Scotland is coming up.

Well that's all, I suppose I'd better mention I got engaged Easter weekend, if I don't and Angie reads this I'll be skinned :) we're very excited, and I'm very lucky. As Reid Maxwell once told me, "find one who never asks when you're going to grow out of this pipe band thing"... thanks Reid, sage advice!

Cheers,

Sean

Spring Fever

Man have I been out of it.

Things have been intense, as I recently moved the booming metropolis of Selkirk Manitoba, bought a house, got a new job, and scheduled our concert.

Crazy?... Always.

I'm happy to announce that the St. Andrew's Society Pipe Bands will perform their annual concert this June 16, 2011. At the MTC theatre in downtown Winnipeg. This is the Thursday right before the Selkirk Highland Gathering so the bands will be in fine form.

It's been a busy year already.

After WSF in February we gave the grade 2 band 3 weeks off to reboot. This was necessary as I don't believe we've had more than 2 weeks off since I joined the band in 2002. The band refreshed, recalculated, and rejuvinated. Once we shook the cobwebs out we were sparkling and I think this break was the best possible decision Wes and I, as leaders, could have made.

We've made some uniform changes in grade 2. Pipe bags, some other stuff, it is going to look really sharp once it's all together. I'm very excited about it. There's also been a major change in the front end. It involves some wood, something to do with sound and pitch, and, as of this weekend, obviously effects volume!!! I won't go into to great detail as it may be top secret but the pipes sound fantastic.

There's been a few rumblings from the West. Word on the street is City of Regina is coming to Brandon. That's good news for us as it's always nice to have someone to compete against, and they're a great group to visit with. I know the drum corp is looking forward to hearing Blair "Buz" Brown's corp, and it will surely spark a good rivalry.

That's if Brandon isn't doing an Atlantis impression that weekend.

Sure is wet out here in the prairies. I saw Sean Somers' profile on Facebook making mention he was headed to Qu'Appelle (sp?) valley to sandbag for his folks. I don't know if any of the readers here are out that way but if you are let me know and I'll get you in touch with Sean and see if they still need a hand.

What else has been going on...?hmm....

Oh right, SFU in Winnipeg!!!!! Awesome show, awesome weekend, awesome pipe band. The concert was fantastic, I enjoyed it immensely. It was really cool to see Rolan Reid, Dave Bowman, Lee Bowman, Reid Maxwell, and Doug Stronach all on one stage. Very exciting!

With all this rolling around my mind, I haven't had much time to pay attention to our election. (I swear we just had one)... So I gotta run and call all my MP candidates and see who's supporting beer tent reform in Ontario, and who believes in funding for drum equipment...

Cheers,

Sean

Viva Las Vegas

Well I'm home from Vegas!!!!

I survived. I got a great look at this amazing place, and I am disappointed we couldn't afford to do multiple band trips this year. Of course, if we had been on a pipe band trip we wouldn't have enjoyed Vegas at all.

With all this bouncing in my head I've returned home to find ANAPBA on the move again. Not to Vegas though, to Utah! Of course the meeting has been planned for our first contest of the year so I'm not sure if the PPBAM will be able to attend, Mr. Bertoff is of the impression they aren't. Oh well. At least they're back in action. This way we can align together and hopefully deal with this RSPBA grading issue. Everyone is upset because the RSPBA has regraded some North American bands for Scottish competition. It seems like a drastic move for Scotland so I'm sure there was some reasoning, not just a grudge slap in the face to N/A.

I'll keep my ear to the ground on that one for you..

WSF is this coming saturday. I'd say how excited I am but we're in lock down. Everyone is crunching the music trying to ensure that this early season games is a good showing for us. Grades to watch are 3 and 4 in my book, lots of bands this year, a few dark horses too!!!

We made the decision, at the last weekend practice, to only travel to Scotland this summer. It was a difficult decision as we need all the plays we can get, but we just coudnt afford the extra trip as a group. So World's it is.

Gives me about 6 months....


I gotta go practice, see you at the games this weekend. Saturday, the convention center, all day!!!


Sean

And Not a Camera in Sight

I hate the realization that I forgot my camera...

Thank God for blackberry's.

It happened a lot in Scotland.I had this lovely wee bag me ma picked out for my new video camera. Not as festive as you might think, just black, with the Guinness logo on it. Still attaching said small bag to my person for the jaunt to the Todd seemed a bit Fanny Packish.

Alas some of my fondest memories of the trip remained uncaptured, only to be relived in my mind.

Probably for the best....

This weekend Wes and I are pointed the Chevy due south for Sioux Falls. I've written about the Dakota and District pipe band before, a great organization with a heart of gold. Wes and I pop down round Burn's day to celebrate and work with this wonderful group. However this year, I left my camera at home.

Last years video was my own attempt at a documentary on prairie pipe band life (driving through rain, sleet, frozen fog, and near death) and I genuinely enjoy watching those clips. Alas this year shall be a no go.

I'm sure the drum corps are glad my memory card is full of videos from Scotland and Christmas instead of rehearsals, but I'm vowing to change that this week.

Out comes the camera and I'm going into John Madden mode.

"Now you see here this guy wants get the paradiddle there , BOOM, and this guy needs to crescendo the this there, BOOM" I'm sure the corps will be pleased.

Have a great weekend....

Hey, you know who had incredible rolls.... BRETT FAVRE!!!

Cheers,

Sean

January and Cold

Happy New Year

It's cold here in the Peg, and snowy... I haven't left the apartment today as I'm dealing with a touch of the flu. Not surprising given the past weekends schedule.

We have had a busy week or so since returning from our time off.

Grade 3 and Grade 2 bands had a great weekend workshop with our good friends Jake Watson, and Graham Brown. Both are leaders in the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, and experts at their craft. Needless to say both bands learned a great deal.

I know the grade 2 band enjoyed their time together. The band actually started to sound great. Not balls to the walls like June would be, but solid, tuned, tight, and generally improved from last season. That's always our goal.

The grade 3 band, on the other hand, I think learned the most. This was the first time that section of our association got to spend some time with Mr. Watson, and have a workshop in general. For those who have worked with, or watched Jake work, it takes a few moments to toughen your skin. He tells it like it is. Which is how Wes, and I, like it. He never pulls a punch. I think this was a bit of a change for the grade 3 band. They're used to Wes harping at them, however I think they just chalk that up to him being constantly grumpy : )

What I think they learned, and after speaking with a few of them I've confirmed this, is that there is always work to be done, and that Wes and I aren't nuts... well we may be nuts, but we have a clue as to what we're talking about.

It's difficult when you only hear one person tell you how to this, when to do that, why we do the other, you tune them out a bit after awhile. I know I do. These workshops are great, because though Jake comes in a reiterates a lot of what has been said, he says it in a different way that clicks with some folks.

Then he just fixes everything else.

Either way, both bands sound awesome out the gate this season, I'm very pleased.

We also had the wonderful chance to keep Graham a few extra days. Graham is a fun loving, experience driven type of dude. "what would you like to do today Graham?"... "well if we go for lunch I'd like to hit a mom and pop 'best of' type joint" he seems to like new things and stepping outside his comfort zone. Needless to say he fit right in.

So after hitting a local diner for lunch we went out to Juvenile practice on Monday night, Graham gifted some of his knowledge to our youngest students, I hope someday they'll remember that experience. We also managed to keep Graham in town long enough to have him at Tuesday's band practice where we got to confirm our changes and decisions we'd made on the weekend.

Generally, I like making friends in the pipe band world, I can confidently say Graham has been adopted by the SASPB gang much like John Fisher, and Jake, and I'm very glad to have another high level player I can email when i'm in a jam.

I think it was a fantastic weekend and we all will be pulling for Graham at Winter Storm this weekend coming up.

Stay warm folks,

Cheers,

Sean