Journey into the Highlands

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Funeral and Rehearsal
2007-12-16 17:55:00
The funeral performance went well on Thursday. I played Taps pretty well, but I managed to crack one or two notes, yuck! The commander introduced me as the new bugler though, so that was cool. Not that I'm doing it for money, but I made $20, which I thought was way cool! Some of it is going back to the corps though. As for rehearsal, we reviewed tunes. It was much easier than the previous ones.
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Wow, what a day!
2007-12-12 23:31:00
Today was my first day volunteering at the Veterans Medical center. It was great, well most of it. I helped another lady, and we went around to all the vets with stuff for them like shampoo and cards for them to play with and books to read and nice warm blankets that they get to keep. They were so greatful. They liked me so much there that I get to work two days a week! It was kind of hard though. I got attached to one of the sick vets. They were really sick I almost started crying. I love this job though. Oh, and we got to eat lunch as a volunteer. Food is a great pay! The real reason I do this is to give back to our veterans. I love them so much.

Rehearsal
2007-12-07 17:22:00
Wow, rehearsal yesterday was great, but man it was hard. We marched for an hour and a half. I call it dreaded drill day. I didn't do very well. I kept messing up and getting bugle corps commands mixed up with pipe band commands. Then my pipes were really difficult to play for me. I kept saying why I messed up, so the pipe major told me that he doesn't want to hear any excuses and to just fix it, because excuses just waste time. Yeah, not my night at all. But for more positive stuff, I got one of my Christmas presents yesterday! My grandparents got me a brand new luxurious bed! Wow it is amazingly soft. Nothing much besides that around here.Remember Pearl Harbor today.

Patriotic Survey
2007-12-04 04:09:00
1. Does being a citizen of your country make you proud?Yes, with everything I have. When I play Taps, I do it to serve my country, and I have dedicated the rest of my life to America's veterans by working forthe VA.2. Do you stand for the national anthem?Yes, I stand at attention, and I play it.3. Do you know all the words to the national anthem?Well, no, I usually play it.4. Do you wear or display any signs of patriotism, flags, shirt that says your nationality, your national colours?I have a corps jacket that has our logo and Duty, Honor, Country and the American Flag.5. Do you have any patriotic heroes that you like?All those who have and are serving in the Armed Forces.6. Do you celebrate any patriotic holidays?I march in all national holiday parades.7. Would you join the military if you could? (If your country requires it's itizens or some of them to join, think would you if you had a choice?)In a heartbeat!8. If you have children or plan on doing so, do you want them to feel...
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Rehearsal
2007-12-03 17:19:00
Thursday's rehearsal was wonderfully entense! We reviewed drill almost the whole time. It was hard, but awesome! Not much after that though. We just reviewed tunes and technique.

Book Review-The Five People You Meet in Heaven
2007-11-29 23:28:00
Mitch Albom is a wonderful author. This book is about the life of a veteran in the nineteen sixties. He works at an amusement park, and one day dies in a freak accident and meets the five people that changed his life. I won't go any further, you'll have to read it yourself.
More About: People , Book Review , Heaven , Review , Book

Great Day!
2007-11-29 00:32:00
I had my veteran's volunteer meeting today! It was great! I will get free lunch too every time I volunteer! I will work once a week.Rehearsal was pretty good last night. We are learning a new piece, Blackbear.
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Thanksgiving
2007-11-24 18:36:00
Wow, what an interesting Thanksgiving . I went with my friend from my pipe band to her friend's house for dinner. They were really nice. It was not the usual Thanksgiving dinner though. We had deer, duck, wild rice, beets, and pumpkin pie. After that we just talked.Today I'll be attending my first foster parent's meeting. Yep, I become a foster mom soon for cats! I can't wait! Then I start my job at the Veteran's hospital answering phones and calling patients. It should be interesting.
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Wow!
2007-11-21 18:27:00
Well, the past two rehearsals have been normal. Just reviewing old tunes. I have some great news! I got my veteran's volunteer assignment today! I'm gonna be answering phones for the VA hospital! Wow! I go for a meeting Monday morning! I am really nervous. I will work eight to four Mon-Fri. Wow!

Guest Leadership
2007-11-15 05:15:00
Well, Tuesday's rehearsal was pretty average. Nothing much new there. Tonight however, sucked for me. Basically, I want to scream right now! The dinner was the only good part. The rest sucked! We had the guest leaders from Canada come. They are nice and everything, but they taught different ways of fixing our instruments than what our pipe major likes. So stupid crap, my instrument was perfect until they made me sit there for three hours and redo everything for nothing! It was a total waste of freakin time! I mean come on! My pipes were fine in the first place, and those darn leaders made me redo everything! I mean everything too! Drones, reeds, hemp, everything! Then I had to stay extra with my pipe major to fix everything they made me do because it didn't even work! Ahh! I'm never listening to leaders besides my pm when it comes to fixing instruments again! The guest leaders have great rehearsal technique though. I like how they are really disciplined in their band and want to ...
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Veteran's weekend!
2007-11-12 05:43:00
Wow, what a weekend! Today was Veteran's Day. This morning, my pipe band marched in the Fargo Veteran's Day Parade. It was a short parade, but really awesome! There were even rifles being fired to salute the Veteran's while we were marching. Afterwords, they had a ceremony and presented the colors. Then my band got to go to the American Legion and hang out with the vets! We got to eat really good stew and listen to the Red River Valley Veteran's Concert band. They were really good!Tonight was the best part. I performed Taps for the Veteran's ceremony in Kindred. It felt really good to represent my bugle corps, and to serve my country in this way. Everyone said I sounded amazing! The veterans all thanked me and it was wonderful. I was so nervous that I would mess up since it was my first bugle corps assignment, and the first time in uniform. It felt awesome to play Taps. It echoed off the walls and sounded way cool. Then my pipe major and I played a few tunes and it was over. Wo...
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Yay!
2007-11-09 04:46:00
Well, rehearsal was great! It turns out, my band is marching in a Veteran's Day parade, then I have my first bugle corps performance, all in the same day! Wow! Tomorrow my agency is taking me to the grocery store! Well, I know, not much for you guys to read, but I'll update on Veteran's Day.

In my Own Place!
2007-11-07 23:24:00
Wow, what a few weeks. I am finally in my own apartment. I love it! I have everything I could ever want, cable tv, internet, and land line phone. I arived here last Thursday. This weekend was extremely awesome! First we started rehearsal with the symphony at ten in the morning on Saturday for the curking of the tartan. Then we got to eat lunch as a band. Then more rehearsal and finally, the performance. It was great! We marched in, and then we had a big feast. We also got to wear our festive uniform jacket. We ate haggis, pork, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans (Scotland's favorite vegetable), short bread cookies, and neeps. It was delicious, even the vegetables! Then we performed on stage for the Saint Andrew's Society audience. We sounded better than we ever have! After that, we got to listen to how they make kilts. It was pretty interesting.The next morning, we started at seven thirty for the pipers, and eight for the drummers. We performed two services at the church with the...
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Rehearsal!
2007-10-31 03:41:00
Wow, it was great tonight! Lots of energy! We are preparing for our big performance this weekend! Three Saint Andrew's Society performances in a row! The coolest part is going to be performing with the symphony! I also got an assignment for veteran's Day! My bugle corps will be proud! I think we all sounded pretty well tonight. We had most of the drummers there. We reviewed marching on stage and the concert tunes. It's going to be awesome!

Rehearsal
2007-10-24 23:44:00
Well, I'm living in the hotel for another wekk. Then they are finally putting me into an apartment. It sucks, but at least I will have my own home soon. My pipe major is helping me pay for the hotel and then I'm paying him back.Rehearsal was okay last night. I was tired, so it was long for me. The new drummers came though. We all sounded really good together.

Rehearsal
2007-10-21 16:18:00
I forgot to talk about Thursday's rehearsal. It was truly wonderful! I was the only member there, so I got indivudal leadership, which I really needed after not practicing for a week. We reviewed lots of technique and lots of old tunes. I kept giggling and was extremely youthful, and my pipe major kept saying, "I'm Serious!" I didn't mean to, I was just so glad to be there, rather, overjoyed! I love my pipe major. He is so amazing. Oh, at the beginning of rehearsal, he saved me from going to the hospital. I found something that came with my instrument in my case. I picked it up and began touching it, wondering what it was. I asked him, "Hey Dan, what is this?" He was like, "Oh wow! That's a razor blade! It's for cutting string for fixing bagpipes." So I quickly gave it to him. Wow I was lucky I didn't cut my fingers off, because there was paper on the blade, but I had it almost peeled off. Wow, quite an adventure.

Journey into Homelessness Part2
2007-10-20 15:06:00
Well, it's day three. The last few days have been really hard. I slept drum corps style (on the floor) in my friend's hous, and now I am at a hotel. This whole ordeal has made my agency really step up to helping me. They are coming to get me Monday morning and help me find housing. I feel yuck. I have a cold on top of all this. It's been going around the band though, so I guess it was expected to get it. Well, I'm going to figure out what to have for breakfast. I got lots of food from the food bank.
More About: Journey , Mele

The Journey into Homelessness
2007-10-17 07:10:00
I do have to say, it's been quite an interesting time here in ND. The latest development, well, my host dad always comes to hang out with me after dinner. It was so much fun. We'd talk about his time in the navy and pipe band and stuff. Well, a few nights ago, my host mom came down and was really mad. My host dad asked her what was wrong, and she said nothing. My host dad went to talk to her, and it turns out that she is jealous of me. She thinks that my host dad doesn't love her because he spends time with me. Oh well, I knew she didn't like me from the beginning when she called me the "renter." So, here I begin my journey into homelessness. I called all of the local shelters today and was really not looking forward to staying there. They have lots of rules like you have to do chores or you can't stay there, and required programs during the day. I was so desperate that I called my friend tonight and asked her if she would drive me to the shelter in Fargo. She told me I could s...
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Rehearsal
2007-10-12 17:30:00
Rehearsal was yuck yesterday. My pipe major had a cold, and some more members were sick, so they didn't come. My pipe major came though. Man, he is so dedicated! We didn't play the pipes, we just stayed on the chanter. We just reviewed tunes and technique, and tried to learn a tune, but I have so many tunes in my head that it was hard to memorize. Well, let's just say, I've already forgotten it, because it was rather difficult. Nothing much other than that. We're still trying to get Veteran's Day planned for corps.

Rehearsal
2007-10-11 01:03:00
Well, I forgot to update when I came back last night, but nothing interesting happened. Quite boring actually. We just reviewed tunes. My pipe major came over to my host house before rehearsal and helped me get my new drone reeds working in my pipes. They sound really good! I have an African Blackwood practice chanter coming in the mail too, because my pipe major doesn't like the plastic ones, and says wooden chanters are much better to compete with. But nothing much besides that.As for corps news, we're trying to organize Echo Taps for Veteran's Day, but so far only two people signed up to do it.

Rehearsal!
2007-10-05 04:56:00
Wow, today was great! First my pipe major came over to my host house and practiced with me for an hour! We learned part of a new tune and reviewed technique. Then at rehearsal, I was the only member there, so we reviewed more technique and reviewed tunes. The coolest part though was when we had a mock competition! He says I can do really well. I just need to work on tempo for the most part. It was really great though! I think I might be competiting at the piping conference that I'll be attending in January!

Two Tickets to Paradise
2007-10-05 00:33:00
Wow, the question of the month is hard. I would go visit my family, then I would go to Scotland. If you won two free round-trip plane tickets anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring? View other answers
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Rehearsal!
2007-10-03 05:07:00
Wow rehearsal was great! We played the tunes to prepare for the big performance coming up where we get to perform with a symphony! Then, we got to have chocolate together! The best news is, I don't have to go to South Dakota! My band is very glad of that!

A video some fellow corps members made
2007-09-30 17:09:00
Note: This is all visual, but it is still good.Corps Video
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Rehearsal, and wow!
2007-09-28 05:54:00
Rehearsal was pretty good today. First we played lots of old tunes on the practice chanters. Then, I played Scot's Wae Hae on the pipes! I did really well, but my pipe major told me that I need to breethe more from down below (like the diaphram). It was cool though.I haven't posted any bugle corps news lately, but man do I have some exciting stuff today! As you all know, I'm in Bugles Across Americahttp://www.buglesacrossamerica.org We are a corps of buglers in every state that play for vets events. Well, I was talking to the corps director today and he said there is not a state director of North Dakota. A state director is sort of like a section leader in tradissional drum and bugle corps, they keep track of members, make sure people know their music, and help with event scheduling. Well, I said I'd be interested, and he said go for it! I'm so proud to be a leader! And I still get to play for bugle assignments too, and I get to help spread the word about the organization to all...

Rehearsal
2007-09-26 16:16:00
Rehearsal was pretty good yesterday. I got to play first set on the pipes, but could barely make it through. I guess I just need to practice more. Not much after that, just reviewed lots of tunes.

Parade Day
2007-09-23 23:12:00
Wow, it's so hot today. The parade/concert went great today though! I got to ride in a horse drawn carriage and pet the horses before we performed! The horses were farmers. Their jobs are to plow and shuck corn. They were really big too! Then we had a little concert. They're wasn't much of an audience though. The parade was hot, but short. We were in our winter uniforms though, so it was really deadly hot. Well, I'm beat, so I'm going to relax.
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Quiz of the Month!
2007-09-19 23:21:00
You Should Play the DrumsYou are often hyper, restless, and full of a little too much zeal.However, people may be surprised to know that you can focus your energy well.You are driven and engaged enough to be a great drummer... and you have the stamina to practice for hours.In fact, when you can channel your energy productively, it only increases!You are independent and spirited... but also consistent. You can definitely keep the beat.You work well in a group and contribute heartily - without needing to take the lead.Your dominant personality characteristic: your aggressionYour secondary personality characteristic: your precisionWhat Musical Instrument Should You Play?
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Rehearsal
2007-09-19 04:45:00
Rehearsal was okay. My pipe major had to fix my pipes because of the drone reeds not working correctly. We then played different sets of tunes. I'm a little disappointed though, because in my band, if you play a funeral through the band, you have to give all the money to the band. Yuck. Oh well, I guess the only way I'll be professional around here is if I compete.

Rehearsal!
2007-09-14 17:07:00
Wow, it seems that I get so busy that I never have lots of time to update my website, but that's okay, as long as I keep it updated I guess. Anyway, rehearsal was great last night! My pipe major finally got my new pipes working really well! They sound awesome! I'm still having trouble keeping steady pressure with my arm and cordinating that with blowing though. I had such a tough time with drone reeds however. I ordered a different kind than our pipe major was accustomed to working with, so we couldn't get those off the ground. So I have to send them back and use band issued ones for now. I really love my set up though. I have a canmore zippered bag and ashe plugs (I kind of like those because it makes ending a piece easier), and the old ross reeds they stopped producing for some reason. It was quite a productive rehearsal, even though we didn't really play all that much.I also recently received a donation for ghillies for competition! Here is a list of the wonderful sponsors of...