Monday, January 18, 2010

Teamwork, Laughs, Unusual Practice Halls and Sore Arms
The band just completed a weekend of practice, and it gave me pause to reflect about the tremendous teamwork that made it all possible. Several members drove significant distances [6 hours, 4 hours] for the weekend, which is not an easy task given that they leave Friday night at the end of a work week, and head home after a long weekend of piping/drumming and staying up too late! At this end, people pitched in to put them up, while others scrambled to find a last-minute practice hall. The lead drummer volunteered to shop for and cook a meal for the entire band, and it was great—steak, potatoes, salad, and dessert. Some folks brought kegs of Tim's coffee for Saturday morning, and one of the band spouses [no, NOT a wife!] put together a fantastic lunch for the band after practice Sunday. There are likely many other examples, but I have to express thanks to all the band members for contributing so heartily to what was a great weekend of practice and fellowship.

At the moment, we are bouncing about a little with various practice locations, and we had two unusual ones this weekend. We used a 1920s church in Regina all day Saturday, and it was an excellent location, but a big but good indoor sound: high church ceiling, wooden floors, great natural light, and close to restaurants! We spent the entire time on pipes, and played about half the day with the full band. Lots of fun, and good progress on all the music. Sunday morning, we practiced at an old one-room school about 5 miles north of Regina. Someone popped in the night before to turn on the heat and get the water running, and it was a great, although unusual location. The school is closed now, and operates a few times a year as a community centre, although the community it served no longer needs it.

It seemed a fitting way to end the weekend. The same kind of team spirit and selflessness that builds and maintains small community schools was evident in the band members and families who contributed to the success of the weekend.

Sore arms? That was a lot of playing...

UP NEXT: The Mid-Winter Celtic Festival