Fun Videos

Bonnie having fun with a Cape Breton reel on the practice chanter. Reels are tunes in cut common time or 2/2, and played pretty round. The reel has two accents (or pulses) to the bar. Check it out yourself. But, if you aren't tapping your foot, you better check your pulse to see if you're still alive. Follow along with Bonnie, she's very musical.

During a basketball timeout in the 14,000 seat WVU Coliseum, the cheerleaders dance to "That Good Ol' Mountain Dew". The Mountaineers were playing Winthrop and won the game, 70-53. WVU has an alumnus as the head coach in Bob Huggins. West Virginia's mens basketball team is now 7-1.

Scottish bell ringers at the Ligonier Highland Games in Pennsylvania. My first time experiencing this type of music and found it very enjoyable.

William Vaughn Mathews and Friends.

Big Will with his first big stick. He does a nice job of handling it.

Big Will, my grandson, doing what he does best.......playing and having fun.

Bonnie and I at "Swallow at the Hollow", a fantastic barbeque restaurant in Marietta, Georgia. A must visit if you're in the area. The BEST barbeque, period.

The wee laddie in his kilt with Grandpa. Maybe he'll play the pipes someday.

Stone Mountain Highland Games, Georgia

Getting words of wisdom from Winkie Taylor of Marietta, Georgia, my instructor. She has more musical knowledge about the pipes than anyone I know. Everything I know about piobaireachd, I learned from Winkie. Everything I know about competing, I learned from Winkie. Fantastic instructor.

Playing for Pipe Major Sandy Jones. A great place to compete. Perfect weather, the venue is wooded and shady, the stewards are knowledgeable, and all the information you need is at the competition table or result board. I was pleased to place fourth. I have 34 total points for the year in 3 competitions. That puts me at number 39 out of 776 pipers in Grade 4. I'm looking forward to next year and competing at several more Highland Games. Winkie has told me, one of her jobs as my instructor is to empower me with confidence. I feel much more confident with my playing and know what is expected of a competition piper.

Ligonier Highland Games, Pennsylvania

I've got a lot of catching up to do. Here's a start. That's me playing "Struan Robertson's Salute" for piping judge Ed Neigh of Canada, at the Ligonier Games in Pennsylvania. I got third (and a bronze medal) at Ligonier and a fifth at the McHenry Games in Garrett County, Maryland. Both were full piobaireachds.

Patience

I did not compete at Loch Norman due to my back injury. I canceled my room at the Holiday Inn, emailed the pipe competition director, and canceled attendance to the Piobaireachd Enclave. I went to an MD and got Vicodin (pain) and Flexoril (muscle relaxer). I have visited my chiropractor several times and I'm finally getting relief. I'm surprised how playing the pipes put a strain on the back muscles. The highland games at Bridgeport are next weekend, May 5. I had planned to play a full piobaireachd, but I must have patience with my recovery. I don't want to sacrifice a complete healing just to play at the games in Bridgeport. My next possible competition would be the McHenry Games in Garrett County, Maryland. We'll have to wait and see. I'm keeping an optimistic outlook.

Injury.........drat!

I had to cancel my scheduled lesson on April 9. A back injury flared up again. Very agonizing, VERY.

I was able to have a good practice on Thursday. I recorded and critiqued myself on Friday. I played Struan the best I have played. I was very relaxed, didn't over blow or squeeze too hard. Didn't rush the music. Relaxed grip on the chanter for most of the tune. Crunluath is still a work in progress, but slowly improving.

Hiharin is coming along. I think I've had the chanter turned "out" just a little and it was making my birl sound funky. I've got a mark on the stock and chanter (used white out) to line the chanter correctly.

Next Saturday, April 21, is Loch Norman. My first competition. I'm looking forward to Monday's lesson. I need some final tweaking and wisdom from Winkie.

More Tweaks

I have continued to work on the crunluath (and will, for awhile) with emphasis on Winkie's exercises with a metronome. Practice, practice, practice, correctly, correctly, correctly. I'm getting more comfortable playing the crunluath, now I have to refine it.

Still working on the high G with an A gracenote. The gracenote should be a chirp, just as the G gracenote. I'm continuing to work on this.

Taorluath doubling. Last bar of each line, the last 2 notes are a cut A and then a D gracenote on A. Cut the first A, don't round.

I recorded myself several times and reviewed. When I get the adrenaline going, I don't blow steady. I've been working on steady blowing when I'm pumped up. During the tune, I noticed E was the main culprit, just a little unsteady. Also, don't play too fast when the adrenaline is going. I can also start with the crunluath, play the whole tune and end with the urlar with no problem with endurance.

I used a Naill ABW chanter with a McCann reed and it was at 475 on Monday. I spoke with Winkie about using an old Hardie chanter that tuned at 468. She likes the lower tuned pipes, but commented the judges don't. The lower tuned chanter would sound dull to the judges.

Next lesson is on Monday, April 9 at about 8:15 pm. That will be 4 in a row, a record. Loch Norman is April 21.