Journey into the Highlands

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Wow, rehearsal and more!
2007-09-12 05:22:00
Wow, what a busy few days! We had our open house yesterday. It was pretty good. Five recruits showed up. We hope they stay. We had snacks and soda and played a few sets for them.Today was really action packed. I went to the school for my test. I did pretty well I think. Then we had rehearsal. I got my new pipe bag, and my corps issued bugle! I really like it! It has one valve! Rehearsal was okay. Hardly anyone came though. We just played the pieces for the St. Andrew's Dinner.

New Pipes and Rehearsal!
2007-09-07 05:36:00
I got my new pipes today! They are just awesome! My pipe major spent a few hours getting them set up, and they sound great! Rehearsal was pretty good. We learned some new tunes! We learned Wings and Loudans Bonnie Woods and Braes. I kept speeding up as usual though.
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Rehearsal
2007-09-05 16:16:00
Rehearsal yesterday was pretty good. We are preparing for our band's open house that's taking place on Monday. It's where beginning pipers come and learn about the training program. They get to hear us play and have cookies and soda. It sounds fun! We get to wear our full uniforms too! We just reviewed some tunes.It's so exciting! My sponsor called yesterday, and I will be getting my new pipes tomorrow! I can't wait! It's like Christmas!Oh, and my electronic practice chanter came too! It's pretty neat! I for sure don't have an excuse not to practice anymore haha!
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Wow! What a day!
2007-09-04 05:29:00
Wow! Today was just awesome! I'll go with the best part first! I got a donation for pipes worth over $2000! The guys is amazingly nice! Wow I'm so excited! All I have to get now is a bag, chanter, and drone reeds! Yay! Then our pipe major was late to rehearsal, so we only had it for an hour. We played our pipes for a bit, then we played chanters. First set as usual. All of us beginning pipers graduated from the training program! We are real pipers now! I'm gonna miss Monday night rehearsals though.

Rehearsal
2007-08-31 05:12:00
During the first part, we played Scot's Wae Hae on the pipes. My chanter r reed seemed really hard to me tonight. Then we played on the practice chanters and reviewed the first set, but mostly High Road to Garoloch, because some of us were speeding it up. It was mostly me, because our pipe major kept telling me not to rush, yuck! Then my pipe major and I ended with playing Scot's Wae Hae on the Pipes. Everyone else was too tired by the end. It was quite a productive rehearsal though.
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Article from Electric Scotland.com and Sent to me by my piping instructor,
2007-08-30 01:34:00
The bagpipe as a musical instrument is common to many nations in Europe andAsia. It was probably a natural, though ingenious development of the simplereed instrument blown directly from the lips. By interposing the mechanicaldevice of a large bag or wind reservoir between the inlet pipe and thechanter or pipe containing the reed and the finger-holes by which the soundwas produced and manipulated, the player would find he added immensely tothe volume of his music and to his own powers of endurance. A still laterand formidable improvement was the addition of the drones. In no country,however, has pipe-music been brought to such perfection and used to sucheffect as in the Highlands of Scotland . The original musical instrument ofthe Gael was not the bagpipe but the clarsach, or portable harp. The songsof Ossian and the later Celtic bards were sung to the accompaniment of thissweet but rather feeble instrument, which, by the way, was also common tomany primitive peoples, such as the Jews...
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Rehearsal
2007-08-29 04:31:00
Wow, rehearsal seemed so long today for some reason. It began with a meeting discussing changes in the bilaws. It was kind of boring business stuff, and I couldn't vote yet, because I'm not a voting member of the band until I've been in for a year. Then we played tunes for the upcoming performance. Nothing much after that.
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Rehearsal!
2007-08-28 05:07:00
Well, rehearsal was pretty good. My pipe major came to get me early, so he took me to burger King and bought me a burger and fries. It was lots of fun talking together. During the rehearsal, we just worked on technique and played Scot's Wae Hae and the Green Hills of Tyrol.Well, school is going to be great! I'll be going to school in SD this semester. It's a school for the blind where I (hopefully) will learn to cook and do stuff on my own and get good enough at traveling around the city to get a guide dog. It doesn't sound like that other school I went too though, because I get my very own apartment! The best part is, my band is really understanding and I can still be a member. I'm going to take Greyhound to come back for the performances. My agency person is coming this week to get things set up, so I should be heading off anytime!
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Rehearsal
2007-08-24 04:44:00
Tonight's rehearsal was sort of long. My pipes were really out of tune, so it felt like our pipe major had to spend hours fixing them. After he got them fixed though, it was okay. We went over Scot's Wae Hae and Amazing Grace again. I learned I was putting too much pressure on the bag. After we were on the pipes for a while, we went to the chanters. I learned Itchy Fingers, which was a bit challenging, but with practice it will be polished. Then we just went through Green Hills and Skyboat Song, which I still need major practice on as well, yuck.
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Yuck
2007-08-23 00:37:00
Yeah, yuck. I've been trying to get things set for school. My agency is thinking that they want me to go closer to this area, because tuition is so expensive in other places. I've just been checking out different schools today. I practiced the reel excersises that Mr. MacDonald gave me, but the tune he gave me is really difficult to put together. Well, it's almost time to eat dinner, so I'm off.
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Today I am new
2007-08-22 07:49:00
Yes, today I'm new. I will wake up tomorrow and approach the day with great motivation and strength. I will awake and learn as much as I can about music. I have time, and I need to stop just using this valuable time to play and have fun. It's time to get good as a musician. I've just been putting average time into it. I've not been learning the tunes until they're perfect. Do I think the judges are going to listen to that crap? Do I think those judges are going to want to look at my fingers not being straight? Do I think I can just get away with average musicianship? I don't think so! Not anymore! I'm not taking, "Oh, I can kind of play it." No! I'm going to fix every mistake so that the pieces are perfect! I don't want anymore of this crap like, Oh, I was too tired or wahtever. No more! I have to get good so that I can play at funerals and weddings and so that I can play with my band! Today is the day to stand and get things done! I'm gonna memorize a tune completely befo...

Rehearsal
2007-08-22 04:54:00
Rehearsal was kind of dead tonight. Noone really had any energy. It was exciting for me though, because I played Scot's Wae Hae and Amazing Grace on thefull pipes with the band! Then we just played the other sets and then began playing the chanters. I talked to the band family about if I went away to schoolfor two months or so, they said I'd still be in the band, I would just be on leave. California is not working as well as I had hoped, but it's not meantto be if it doesn't. Maybe it would be a good idea for me to go away to a good school for teaching me to get good enough to get a guide dog. That summerschool week really inspired me. I found one in Arkansas that is sponsored by the Lions Club. I will be taking a semester off from university to be moreready to get my own place. I know that I might not be able to be independent in everything, but that's why there are agencies to help with things likelaundry and shopping. I'm for sure not like a National Federation of the Blind...
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Rehearsal!
2007-08-21 06:28:00
Wow, rehearsal was so much fun! For the first part, we got to play on the real pipes! It was so awesome! He was so proud that I could make it through the whole tune, and tomorrow I get to play with the band! Yay! Then we played the High Road to Garoloch over and over thousands of times, because we weren't getting it right, yuck! The end was the best part though, because somehow we ended up talking about butts and farts and fat people and enmas hahahahahaha! We were talking about how the fatter you are, the louder you fart haha! It was good times!Well, my travel plans are still undecided. It's still moving slowly. I have decided that if CA isn't going to work, there are lots more opportunities. There are some schools in Michigan and Arkansas that really peek my interest. I really think it would be great to get a guide dog, so I've applied to that school in Michigan. Hopefully something comes of it. Oofta, I'm tired. And yes, I through in a wee bit of Norway speaking in there hah...
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Writer's Block: Trading Spaces
2007-08-20 23:15:00
If you could be another person for a day, who would it be and why?I would want to be Dan Aird, my pipe major. He is so caring and a really good piper. He cares about us as band members and people. He is so awesome! He has taught me so much. One of his favorite quotes is: "Hasen slowly." He is just so patient and kind.
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Home!
2007-08-19 22:09:00
Oh I'm so glad to be home! It was a long week, but I'm glad I went. Yesterday was a free day, and then we had the auction. It was pretty cool, but I didn't bid on anything though. I am so glad to be back to my host house, and my host family missed me. Well, off to eat. I'm so tired.
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Summer School Camp Grasic
2007-08-18 03:48:00
Wow, it's finally Friday. I'm so glad to be going home on Sunday. It has been a long week. I have for sure learned alot though.On Sunday we got to our cabins and ate dinner. Then after dinner, and then just met each other. Then on Monday, we started the school day. At seven, I awoke with the other bugler and we played to wake everyone up. Then at ate we ate breakfast. Then at eight thirty, I went to new student orientation. It was a class where we talked about blindness and, it was just a big group discussion. Then I went to private mobility lessons. The teacher was really nice. I just learned how to walk around campus. Then I went to Norwegean. It was pretty cool. We learned the alphabet and numbers and other cool things. Then we went to lunch at twelve. Then at two, I went to crochet. Then I went to fish philosophy. It was a class where we learned about having a good outlook on life and about being blind and confident. Then we were free until dinner at six. Usually I practiced f...
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Summer School, first night
2007-08-12 22:51:00
Well, I am in my cabin here at summer school. It's okay so far. I'm just thankful they have internet access. I'll update when something interesting happens.
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Wow, awesome day!
2007-08-10 20:55:00
Yesterday's rehearsal was pretty good. I kept getting dizzy though and I couldn't keep the pipes going as long as the last rehearsal. I was kind of tired yesterday, but my pipe major understood. We played the pipes first, then we played chanters, then we went back to the pipes. I got a different kind of pipes called small pipes. I'm performing at my summer school's talent show next week, and am going to show the other students my uniform and play the pipes for them! It will be a blast! Then we came home and our pipe major came over to show me how the small pipes worked and we played instruments until midnight! Then we drank guinis and talked! Wow it was fun!Today I get to go out with my friends for dinner yay! What a great day! I feel no stress anymore, because I have alot of people that really care about me. Like my family in NH, my loving host family, and my awesome band family! California is still not sure yet. The leaders here in my current band are checking things out for me.
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Rehearsal!
2007-08-08 04:53:00
Wow rehearsal was fun! Everyone is going to miss me. The board voted that I have to stay haha! I love my pipe band family here in Fargo. They have been so good to me. Anyway, before I cry, the rest of the rehearsal was great! We played our usual tunes and then I kept getting in trouble for playing too fast when we played on the chanters. Then I kept messing up my torluahs, yuck!
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Rehearsal
2007-08-07 05:37:00
Rehearsal tonight was pretty good. We just went over tons of technical stuff and played the Brown Haired Maiden lots of times. I think I did pretty good for not playing that piece alot. Not much else happened though. More when I hear about my California host family.
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Rehearsal
2007-08-03 13:52:00
Rehearsal was pretty good yesterday. First we reviewed tacums (that's a group of notes). Then we played Scot's Wae Hae a few times. Next, we played the Green Hills of Tyrol so many times I thought I'd die from insanity. It was my fault we had to do it over and over again, because my stupid rookie brain just couldn't get some of the notes right, yuck! Finally at the end it was almost perfect, key word almost. I really need to practice that one alot more.Well, it's ten to seven am here, and I'm off to practice with one of my leaders. Man it's way too early for this stuff, but it will make me a good piper someday.
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Rehearsal!
2007-08-01 07:25:00
Tonight was a very relaxed rehearsal. Everyone was tired and goofing off. Our pipe major wasn't happy, but man was it fun. We stayed on the practice chanters the whole time and we talked alot. I even got into trouble by the pipe major, because I was laughing about how the practice chanter of a fellow piper sounded like a zombie. So Raven, the snare drummer and I made up a little thing called Zombie Pipers! Man we were bad. We got back on track though. The only tune we played for the entire two hours was 79th Farewell to Gibraltar, because nobody was getting it right. It didn't end up perfectly polished at the end of the night either, but we at least learned some things. I had a bad habid of playing the torluas too fast and getting off the beat. But that was soon corrected by Dan, our awesome pipe major. I'm sure going to miss him and the rest of the band, but the California band sounds like a great place too. Well, off to bed. It's late, and I stayed up changing the boring, old ...
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Parade
2007-07-31 16:41:00
Wow, I completely forgot to mention the parade. Well, we left at ten on Sunday. It was about a two and a half hour drive. We ate in the car before the parade, and I even ate an egg salad sandwich with onions, because my pipe major said I should haha! The parade was kind of long, but it wasn't as hard for me for some reason. I sort of enjoied it, because we stopped alot and marked time, which didn't make me as tired and dizzy. I didn't flourish my tenor mallets very well though, because the strings kept getting stuck. It was still a fun event though. After we performed, we got to go and get icecream. It was really good on a hot day like it was. Then we rode back home and it was alot of fun. Everyone in my band is going to miss me when I go to California.
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Rehearsal!
2007-07-31 16:32:00
Wow, rehearsal yesterday was awesome! It was just the beginning pipers, but I was the only one that came, so I got to enjoy two hours of my pipe major's individual leadership! First he put drone reeds in my pipes and had me play with one tenor drone. It was pretty neat. Then he added another drone and then the chanter. That was a bit difficult to manage, so he told me to just use one drone for now. The rest of the rehearsal, I learned how to march and pipe at the same time. My pipe major said I was doing really well at keeping the tone steady! He told me that I need to maintain the same pressure with my arm whether I am blowing or not. Tonight will be another great rehearsal! California is still being put together, but everything's going quite smoothly.
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Writer's Block: In The Money
2007-07-28 17:46:00
Here's this month's topic:If you won $100 this afternoon, what would you do with it?I would put it toards my plane ticket to California. I wish it would happen. That would be wonderful!
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California
2007-07-26 17:41:00
Update: Looks like I'm going for sure! The pipe band leaders are having a board meeting today and are going to talk about getting ready for me! Yay!Music Video Codes - Myspace Video Codes - Myspace CodesWow! My life is quite a journey! I have been invited to Modesto, CA by one of the pipe majors of the Callanish Pipe Band. I am really excited that I am already wanted as a piper. If I go, I will receive three hours a day of individual instruction, plus attend weekly rehearsals. There is also a good school close by and lots of disabilities agencies. It would be different, that's for sure. I'll keep you all updated though as to what happens.
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Rehearsal, the Long Road
2007-07-25 08:20:00
It was a long, hot night in rehearsal, but an exciting one! I got my first set of pipes tonight! I am only playing with the bag and the chanter for now though, because the leaders have to get new drone reeds. This summer has really paid off. People are already seeking me as a professional piper. I only have a few months of my band's training program to complete, then hopefully I'll be on my way to funerals, weddings, and in the near future, Scotland! We reviewed the parade tunes for this weekend during rehearsal today and then went over the 79th Farewell to Gibraltar at the end.After rehearsal, my host dad and I had a party to celebrate the good work I have done and that I got my first set of pipes. It was really a good time. We listened to celtic music and talked for hours. It is one thirty right now, wow! Well, I'm off to bed for another day of rehearsal and leadership. If I want to get paid as a piper, I have to put in the long hours with no pay right now, then I'll get good ...
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The Journey Continues
2007-07-24 05:02:00
It has been such an adventure. Rehearsal was good but very hot. We reviewed the tune sets and learned basic reel and straspy exercises. I have memorized twelve tunes so far. The best news is, I get my first set of pipes tomorrow, without the drones though until the leaders get new reeds for them. I'm so excited though!I decided to attend a week long summer school held at a camp. It's just for blind people and you get to pick your classes. I picked Norwegian, a class where you learn about different philosophy ideas, a class where you get to play braille card games, crochet, painting, and independent living. Then there are evening activities like dance, cocino night, an auction, talent show (the instructors want me to bring my pipes!), and not sure what else. It's help August 12-19 and is free! Then after that I'll be back to university a week or so after! It will be really cool, I hope. I wanted a break from constant rehearsal anyway, I got permition to miss that week because we ...
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Rehearsal!
2007-07-20 05:38:00
Wow, rehearsal was strict and serious! My pipe major gave me alot of individual attention since I was the only rookie there. I learned that I am making too many crossing noises and to never make them again. Crossing noises are when you are playing a tune and you close your fingers on the chanter too quickly before you move the top fingers of the note you are moving to. For example, the best ones he told me to practice are going from c to e to high a. Then we reviewed the tunes we play alot because I kept making stupid rookie mistakes, yuck. But overall, extremely successful! He says I might be getting my pipes next week, and I had three bands recruit me to join today! I like this band, but it is a nonpaying noncompetitive band, so since I am getting good, I want to go somewhere I can get paid and tour. Oh, and I learned the first part of Scotland the Brave today! Then on the way home, we had rehearsal in the car! We played lots of tunes, and our pipe major told us what we were doing...
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Quiz of the week!
2007-07-19 15:35:00
You Have Not Been Ruined by American Culture You're nothing like the typical American. In fact, you may not be American at all. You have a broad view of the world, and you're very well informed. And while you certainly have been influenced by American culture (who hasn't?), it's not your primary influence. You take a more global philosophy with your politics, taste, and life. And you're always expanding and revising what you believe.Has American Culture Ruined You?
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