Musicianship Shines Through
Tonight I spent the evening in Moose Jaw with the Scott Benson Band. Scott got asked tom play a couple of sets at a special Christmas Show with Jeffrey Straker and his band, "The Handsome Strangers".

So, we did a sound check at 5:30, had something to eat at Scott's place, and then back for the show. We were first on after the intermission, so we took the opportunity to sneak into the theatre and catch his show. It turns out, Jeffrey was just back from recording in Nashville, and he threw together the band. There was a cellist and violinist, a bass player, drummer, his sister Jill singing back-up vocals, and Jeffrey on piano and vocals. He's an energetic, Elton-Johnish kinda performer, and he put on a great show.

Pretty much everyone except Jeffrey, his sister and the drummer had music to play from, and this was not a highly rehearsed act. And yet, it was really good. The players all stepped up, and delivered what they needed to, on cue, and with flair. It came together, and delivered a whole band picture that you might not have expected knowing the limited preparation as a band. And that got me thinking.

The CRPB is a bit like that at the moment, and what is necessary to pull things together after the holiday, is that we all take our musicianship seriously. Come with instruments and music prepared, and with a willingness to "be in the moment" and deliver what we need, when we need it.

I know that pretty much everyone in the band thinks that way anyway, and so this is not a "you do this" kind of post, but more a "Hmmmm, this has the potential to be good" kind of thought. Looking forward to pulling it together.

And here's a little Jeffrey for you:

Waiting for a Band to Show Up


The past eight weeks or so have been an interesting time in the band, and as the title of this post would indicate, it's been a "down time" in terms of band activity of the public kind. It has been anything but a down time in other respects.

Band members will readily recognize the image of this post. It was made by member Ruaridh many years ago, and it forms the background image to our online music page, where we store music files for the band members. And that's what the past eight weeks has been: a wiping [pretty] clean of the proverbial slate, and a fresh start on a new medley, new MSR, all new drum scores, and some new tunes. Add to this a group of new members in pipes and drums, and we don't really know what we have just yet.

While there is a lot of new music being written, arranged, and tweaked, members are working hard at learning it, and we have been planning for the other elements of getting the band on the road: ensuring we have enough uniforms and equipment, and making budgeting and purchase decisions in a couple of areas.

Meantime, planning is well underway for the Alexander Keith's Mid-Winter Celtic Festival and apart from having a great leading act booked for the Ceilidh, there are many things to organize for the larger event, sponsors to work with, silent auction, and this year we are planning a public performance stage downtown, which will draw added interest and sponsorship for the event, as well as provide a "family friendly" performance stage during Saturday afternoon.

Add to all this that there is a Grade 4 band to manage and a potential Grade 3 band in the works, and you have a very busy time in the schedule.

However, I'm looking forward to getting this all on the floor, and hearing what we've got. Bring in the band!

It's About the Music

These days, I've mostly given up on TV. I have a few shows that I sometimes watch, and often that's online. One of my prime media entertainments is YouTube, and I admit to spending some time listening to performers I like a lot.

The YouTube above is of the group Planxty, and it is the opening set of their 2004 reunion concerts in Ireland. During a trip to Scotland in about 2005, I purchased the 2004 concert CD at Virgin in Glasgow, and I remember popping it in the player as the family drove from Glasgow back to Gargunnock, near Stirling, where we had a rented cottage. This track builds beautifully, and you can tell the audience is with them all the way, and when Liam Og O'Flynn breaks out the pipes, the place goes crazy. And, I don't mind admitting, I actually got all choked up listening to it.

My first Planxty record [long-playing 33rpm] was The Well Below the Valley. I was dating a girl in first-year university, and her sister's boyfriend showed up with it. He explained that his brother was into weird British rock, and ordered lots of records, and was dismayed to find that this was "some bagpipe crap." The boyfriend said, "I know a guy who likes that stuff," and thus I was introduced to Planxty.

It turned out, I loved it, and I chased down all their albums as they came out, and I learned the words, and was so enchanted by the piping that I started into learning the uilleann pipes, which I have played [not well] off and on since 1983.

In 1980 or 81, I was able to hear Planxty live in concert at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. I had a three-day pass to the Edinburgh Folk Festival, and bought tickets also to the evening concert with Planxty. It was magic: 3,000 people jammed into the hall, and the main floor held about 1,000 Irish rugby fans who were there for a match that day at Murrayfield. The band was amazing, the sound of O'Flynn;s pipes filled the hall. I remember the feeling walking back to my friends' place after the show...I was walking on air [substance free].

Shortly after that, the band broke up [again], and there were years of ups and downs, different members in and out, and various formations of Planxty, some which were better and worse than others. Because the band was so amazing in its prime, traditional music fans of the band were always saddened that it didn't continue. There was politics, and band politics, and boozing, and families, and other projects that all got in the way of what the band did.

And that's why the 2003-4 reunions were so great. Here are these four titans of Irish traditional music, and they've all seen and done a lot, and there's a ton of history, and...it all seems to wash away under the power of the music they are making.

And I think that's the power of what we do, even in bands like ours. The music is a force unto itself, and at the end of the day, it's not about the politics, the trophies, the contests or all the other stuff. It's about the music, and the pure enjoyment that people get making it, working on it, and playing it together.

"Thanks" Hardly Covers It

Readers of pipe band news may have seen the pipes|drums story about the band making a change in lead drummers from Ian Aastrom to Blair "Buz" Brown. Ian Aastrom has been the L-D since Fall 2007, when the band had just finished a year off competing [no drum corps] and he had decided to leave the Grade 3 Winnipeg corps he was then leading. Ian had played with the CRPB for our Scotland trips in 2005 and 2006, so he had a pretty good sense of what the band was like at the time.

For our part, we were pretty much "done" as a band. After 2006 we lost a few veteran pipers and drummers. Players departed to the Clan Gregor Pipe Band, Alberta Caledonia, Toronto Police, Rocky Mountain Pipe Band, Winnipeg St Andrews, Fredericton, and just out of bands. Of the 22 people standing in the band photo at North Berwick Games in 2006, 16 had departed by the 2008 season.

So, when Ian offered to be "Lead Drummer," there was very little to lead. We had one tenor drummer, a bass drummer who hadn't played in over 25 years, and one snare player remaining from the 2006 corps. We brought in players from Grade 4/5 bands: the Conservatory and Estevan, and set to work as best we could. The entire band was very rough, but actually quite a bit of fun, and Ian helped make it so. Constantly enthusiastic, always willing to try, change and learn, Ian did a fantastic job working with what he had, and he built a very young and inexperienced group into a decent unit: one that regularly took firsts and won "Best Drum Corps" against regional bands.

Last year, Ian's corps won Best Drum Corps at the Canmore Highland Games [Sept 09] Winnipeg Scottish Festival [Feb 10], and Regina Highland Games [May10].

And now, with the opportunity to have Buz lead the corps, Ian was part of the decision making in that choice, and is looking forward to playing in the corps. So,"thanks" barely covers it. Ian has been an outstanding contributor to the rebuilding of the band, and to whatever modest success we've had. He contributes to the esprit de corps whenever he's around, and has stick handled all kinds of issues on behalf of the group: from drums and music to uniforms to camp sites to steak dinners.

I know that the entire band joins me in extending our thanks to Ian AND Stephanie for their contributions to the band so far, and we look forward to the next chapters!

A Month Later...
The month has come and gone, and so too another trip to Scotland with the CRPB. We had a fantastic trip with the band, and members learned a lot, experienced a lot, and had a great time together. The highlights included the band performance at the Worlds, which although clearly flawed, was our best performance of the current medley, and a building experience, despite the results.

The CRPB was profiled in Scottish news footage, papers and web sites from its performance at the Piping Live! Festival, and we also had a great day at the "Pipes of Peace" Festival with the Celtic Spirit lads, including an evening concert with Scottish Grade 1 band Inveraray and District. The trip wrapped up with the Perth Highland Games, where the band won the Grade 2 band event, and also was "Best Band on Parade," winning the Provost's Cup.

The trip brought a lot of things into perspective, both musically, and in terms of group dynamics. It underlined for me what a superb group of people we have in the band at the moment. It has also given me a definite "to-do" list musically, and that should have a very positive impact on the way the band sounds in the future.

Thanks to all band members and supporters for a great season, and a memorable trip to Scotland. Looking forward to the coming season.

Missing Maxville AND Montreal

Been watching all the Maxville preparations online this week. As the largest and best Highland Games in North America, the Glengarry Highland Gathering attracts top bands from across North America, and sometimes event the UK. The CRPB has been a semi-regular band at Maxville since our first trip, in 1996.

That year, we had a new lead drummer, a young guy from Moose Jaw who had experience with Alberta Caledonia since he was 13. Ryan is a wee bit older now, and with years of experience in Grade 1 and 2, and now he's leading his Rocky Mountain Pipe Band drum corps in its first attempt at the Maxville Games. In the drum corps are ex-CRPB members Dave Roth and Andy Kopciuch, and the pipe-major is another guy who made that first CRPB Maxville trip in 1996—Sean Somers. We had some good years in Maxville and Montreal, placing well in the Grade, to not a few people's surprise.

At the other end of the country, Gord Perry is leading an excellent Fredericton Pipe Band toward Maxville. Gord also gained his first Grade 2 experience at Maxville with the CRPB. For a couple of seasons, we had Gord Perry and Brad Clyde join us from Winnipeg for the big summer contests. Gord has been working hard to build the Fredericton band, and Brad Clyde is still with us.

Maxville is a fantastic contest, and quite spectacular in many ways. The gathering of bands from so far, the judging panel, the Maxville solos, the large entry, the great grounds, the PPBSO's fantastic organization of it all, and the more than 30,000 people who come to take it all in. We'll miss being there to compete, and we'll miss hearing the Grade 1 bands do their thing.

Best of luck to former CRPB members taking the field in various bands, and especially to Rocky Mountain Pipe Band, going for the first time.

While bands are hard at it in Maxville, the CRPB will be having a last weekend practice before we leave for Scotland. We have a pretty full playing schedule, which takes in North Berwick Games, Bridge of Allan, The Piping Festival, Pipes of Peace Festival and Concert, the Worlds, and Perth Games. Watch here for updates.

The Countdown

Mid-July, and the countdown to the big contests has begun. Ex-member Gord Perry, now P-M of the Fredericton Society of St. Andrews Pipe Band has begun his Maxville countdown. Two weeks to work on the contest beard. In 2008, the CRPB did that with moustaches. Tons of fun, although the band photos are still a bit gruesome. I've seen the countdowns to the Worlds, and countdowns to the flights, and bands are all aflutter about the big days ahead. The predictions have been flowing on the chat sites for some time, and everything is building for the annual massive blowout that is the month of August in the pipe band world.

The CRPB has been working diligently to raise its game, despite having a few weeks off a major band weekend, we have accomplished a fair bit in terms of player and instrument readiness. This weekend we got together and practiced over two days. As always: a great time, many laughs, and a lot accomplished musically. Took delivery of the final jackets/vests, marking the completion of a 100% "re-uniform" project that started in 2009.

Band members are looking forward to the experience of playing in Scotland once again, and also to hearing a lot of great music. Not sure how many days till we go, but I do know I'm looking forward to playing. Tis the season.

Oh Canada

Seems fitting on this Canada Day, July 1st, to talk about the tremendous impact that Canadians, and Canadian piping has had on the world stage. Recent posts on one of the Scottish piping blogs, and we understand followed up with a print editorial, are quick to find fault with Canadian pipers and drummers, bands, teachers, and the approach to music of certain Grade 1 bands.

The truth is, the piping and pipe band worlds are extremely fortunate to have had non-Scots pursue this hobby so passionately, and to have them so willingly attack the traditions, standards, and commonly accepted "truths" of what has been seen as traditional piping.

It would be tedious to list all the non-Scots whose devotion to playing the instrument have made such a difference in both solo and band worlds, however, on this Canada Day, here are a few: Jim McMillan [teacher of Terry & Jack Lee, and many others], Archie Cairns, P-M James Watt, William Barrie [a Scot, but lived here longest], John Wilson [also a Scot, and a proud Canadian], Bill Livingstone, Terry Lee, Jack Lee, Jamie Troy, Hal Senyk, Jim McGillivray, Ed Neigh, John Fisher, John Kerr, Luke Allan, Drew Duthart, Alan Bevan, Bruce Gandy, Michael Grey, Gord Tuck, Bob Worrall, Ken Eller, Scott MacAulay, SFU Pipe Band, 78th Fraser Highlanders, City of Victoria, Triumph Street [old and new], Clan MacFarlane, Guelph Pipe Band, McNish Distillery, Port Moody Pipe Band, City of Toronto/General Motors,T&D, Metro Toronto Police, Toronto Police, Peel Police.....

It's an overwhelming task, and any list is going to leave out a lot of people whose contributions have been enormous, and who have made an impact on the world scene. On this Canada Day, I am proud to be part of a piping and pipe band culture that has produced among the very best players, bands and music the world has seen.

So, Happy Canada Day to all you Canadian pipers, drummers, and bands.

Internet Dating, Highland Games and the Weeks Ahead

Way back in the cold days of January 2010, I was browsing through the various piping forums when I chanced upon a note that caught my eye. It was something along the lines of "Grade 1 piper, Northern Ireland, looking for interesting band situation. Willing to travel." For a laugh, I sent an email: "How far are you willing to travel?" And that started a conversation that concluded with one Allen Crozier of Dromore, Northern Ireland, landing on our doorstep the week before Moose Jaw/Regina Games. Allen had the music, and we swapped mp3s, and I mailed him a chanter and reeds, and he got set up like us at home, and it turned out to be a great thing for the band. Apart from being a good player, we've added an excellent gentleman to the band. We had a blast with him, and we're looking forward to him joining us for the Scotland adventure later this summer. As a bonus, son Aaron is going to be our drum major on the trip.

It was also fantastic to see band member Graham Schmidt back from Boston for the Games weekend. Graham's always a contributor, and his extensive behind-the-scenes work on the Games makes it all happen. My only complaint is that we don't see him more.

Despite some miserable weather, the Games went well, and from the band's perspective, we were close to being where we hoped. The medley was the better play for each each day, and the MSRs still need some attention. It was great to have The Rocky Mountain Pipe Band out for the Games. They are a good band, and good people, and it makes the whole thing a lot more fun. The ceilidh ran out of draft beer early, and the last player left our house at 7 am to go play golf at 8. Was a great night.

Upcoming, we have a few performances, perhaps most notable is the CRPB's performance at the annual Regina Multicultural Council's "MOSAIC" Festival on Saturday, June 5. Since the band was formed in 1992, we have never had an invitation to play at the Scottish Pavilion, other than in massed bands. Small-town politics and turf protection always got in the way of things, and 2009 was our first-ever invitation to perform [we couldn't be there] and 2010 will be our first-ever performance. We hope to see you there: 7:40pm, at the Tartan Curling Club, Regina.

Happy Mother's Day Band Weekend

We spent a lot of Saturday and half of today preparing for upcoming contests. Had a crew in from Winnipeg, and had quite a few runs in the chilly spring air on the grass. Refined the sets and medley a little more, worked on some sound issues and unison playing, and made some summer plans. Last night, a few band members were recalling a bus-missing incident following the Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville, and they decided to put words to music, and even some choreography appeared.

Enjoy this cautionary tale from "Jordan Roy and the Rae Street Band," which underlines the point that we should listen to our mothers. And how timely that message was, being completed just as the clock turned on Mother's Day.

Hope that you, and your mothers, had a great day.

Farewells, Concerts and Missing Persons
In 2007, I spent a season with ScottishPower Pipe Band and did more than my share of travelling to make the contests. On one of the weekends, I flew to Scotland on a Wednesday, arriving in time for Thursday night practice, then off to Ireland on Friday for a contest. I remember thinking that it would take some time getting back to Scotland, so I booked a Monday flight home from Glasgow, but it turned out we had an early Sunday morning flight into Glasgow, and I had a day to kill. Rather than hang about in Glasgow, I rented a car for the day, and drove up to some of my favourite places: The Falls of Dochart at Killin, Aberfeldy, the Campsie Hills. You could say I was just "killin" time. Ha. Anyway, it was a wet and overcast day, a few rain showers, and not warm, so I spent a good part of the day driving, soaking up the sights, and listening to the BBC. There was a fantastic program on about the famous Scottish singer, Kenneth McKellar. My Mom had Kenneth McKellar records, so I knew his voice well, and I always associated him with the kind of "stage Scottish" singing that I wasn't fond of. The documentary gave me a whole new insight into his life and music, and of course I was much older, with more perspective. It was a memorable program, and it brought back lots of memories of hearing him. So, I was a bit saddened to hear of his recent death. He was a great performer, and I think his voice is worth hearing.




Another farewell was the forced retirement of BBC's Travelling Folk host Archie Fisher. Archie has been one of the legends of Scottish traditional music, and in his time as the presenter of Travelling Folk has covered a lot of ground. His final show was this weekend, and I will be sorry to see him gone. He brings such a depth of understanding to what he did at TF, and that will be very difficult to replace.



This weekend the CRPB played a concert in Estevan, SK. We were accompanied on the journey by the excellent Scott Benson, and we had a good audience and fun was had all around. The live performance is great in terms of working out some nerves and kinks, and certainly gives us ideas about who rises to perform, and who doesn't. Many thanks to those people who cam e to support the concert in Estevan, and to the PPCLI Pipes & drums and the local dancers. Lastly, thanks to the families of the three amigos from Estevan, who did so much to support the concert and make it a success.

The past few weeks have been an odd time in the band, as one of our members has gone missing. Following a lot of concern, phone calls for weeks on end, and finally a missing person's report, we have some news that is positive. Looking forward to a happy conclusion for all concerned. It outlines for me how much we take on when we are in pipe bands. The people who wear the uniform and travel the same road become a little more than acquaintances, and a little more than friends. It explains why a change of status can cause such a stir in a band.

As Red Green would say, we're here for ya buddy. Keep your stick on the ice.

What I Thought About on a Day Off
This week we cancelled band practice so that members could find a screen and watch the Canada-USA gold medal hockey game, which we now know to be Canada's 14th gold medal at the Winter Olympics, and a record for any nation. A few band members gathered at O'Hanlon's, and others watched from home. One member claimed he was going to watch in his underwear, like a "true Canadian." OK, if you say so.

The Olympic story that caught my attention in the last day or two was that of the skier Petra Majdi, who was injured in a bad fall during a training run, and despite broken ribs and a punctured lung, went on to race two heats, and then the final, where she finished 3rd. She was helped out of a wheelchair onto the medal podium, and then straight back to hospital after.

I love those kinds of stories because they illustrate what might be possible for the highly committed person, and they help us put our own competitive challenges in perspective. This was brought into sharper focus for me as I pondered next steps in improving the pipe band's on-field performances. Pipe bands put stress on people in ways they might not experience in other aspects of their lives, and especially in competition. Blowing pipes, carrying drums, wearing wool, in high temperatures [or low] while focussing enough to deliver tuned and well-expressed music. It's not easy.

It is, however, quite a bit easier than completing three ski races with broken ribs and a punctured lung. So for those of you who find it really stressful and maybe don't play your best under those conditions, start thinking about the alternatives. Would it be better if you didn't play? Would you have more fun doing something else? Or, maybe it's time to really address the issue in a concrete way. Start by reading this, and I think that you'll recognize bits of yourself in there. Who is this about? It's about us all. We all experience this from time to time, and at every level, you HAVE to be a little nervous to really perform your best. However, the key is to learn how to channel that energy into the right things. You learn that by thinking about it, and by practising it a lot, and developing confidence in your ability to play well.

I hope the Olympics were inspiring in terms of the possibilities, and the message that with a lot of hard work and a great attitude, a lot can be accomplished.

Another Great Weekend for the Books
The 18th annual Alexander Keith's Mid-Winter Celtic Festival came and went over the weekend, and it was a great time. It started Friday night with music in O'Hanlon's, and then the afternoon session there 12-4 on Saturday, followed by the sold out and packed-to-the-rafters Ceilidh. A highlight for me was the band's performance of the medley.

With a packed hall and a healthy interest in the bar, food and silent auction it was a great fundraiser too, and special thanks go to Alexander Keith's for their support. They were there all weekend, looking after the performers, making sure lots of Keith's was enjoyed, and helping to make it a great event. Also thanks to Niall O'Hanlon for his support, and to all the perfomers. It was great having Gord Fisch in Regina to play with the Scott Benson Band for the Ceilidh.

Sunday morning at 10 it was back to the scene of the crime, I mean, Ceilidh for a two-hour practice before the out-of-town guys left the scene. We had a very goo practice. Making strides on new music, and starting to put together a better sound than we've had in a few weeks.

Thanks to all the band members for their commitment over the weeks leading up to the MWCF. There is real excitement building as we start to make firm plans for Scotland this summer, and a great fundraising and performance weekend is just what we needed.

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