Journey into the Highlands

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Rehearsal
2007-07-18 15:30:00
Rehearsal was kind of bad last night. Instruments kept getting out of tune, so we kept having to stop and have our pipe major retune. But other than that, it was okay. We learned the 79th Farewell to Gibraltar as well after we ran through the first set (which I have managed to learn almost all three tunes, Scot's Wae Hae, High road to gairloch, and the Green Hills of Tyrol, murdo's wedding, and lots more tunes which I still have to learn). I am almost on the pipes, I can play the first part of Scot's Wae Hae on them, so hopefully soon.
More About: Ears

Detroit Lakes Parade
2007-07-16 04:31:00
Today was very good! This morning I had some leadership with Mr. MacDonald, and then we set off for the parade. It was a great ride there as always. I learned alot from Dan on the way. The parade was really long. I flourished (that's when you spin your tenor mallets) for the first time for the audience today! It was really great, the only problem was at the end, my string came off my mallet. We sounded quite well though. Everyone seemed to stay in step and we made it through okay. When I got to the end though, I couldn't walk and got really hot. An off duty EMT person found us and put ice on me. She was really nice. Then after that, I went to go see the kids drumline I auditioned for in May. The other kids were glad to see me, and the leaders said they were really impressed that I could march. It felt so good to prove them wrong.After the parade, we went to Barb's house and had hamburgers and potatoe salad and brownies. It was all very wonderful! Then we rode back and I learned s...
More About: Parade , Lakes , Detroit , Lake

Pipe Band
2007-07-11 19:55:00
This morning was really long. My mom had surgery today, but she made it okay.Yesterday's rehearsal was pretty good. There was lots of energy from the members mostly. It just took about twenty minutes to get everything started. We ran through tune sets, and then at brake, I gave the band cookies. It was lots of fun. Then after that we ran through more tunes and marched the parade block. It was really good for being inside.Today nothing much is really going on. I am looking forward to Sunday though, even though it will be hot. I can't believe it is already July. I do miss tour sort of though. I had bugle rehearsal today for an hour. It was okay.
More About: Band , Pipe

Veteran's Fundraiser!
2007-07-09 17:22:00
Friday night was a blast! My disability club had our monthly bingo for the vets at the American Legion. It was lots of fun. I didn't win though, but it was for a great cause. Then my host parents came to join us and we had a beer and danced. I got to sing Oh Canada by request from the Canadians, since I sang it last time I came. They loved it!Then the next day, I practiced for a few hours and then we had a pool party! It was a total blast! I invented beach ball surfing, haha! Oh, and that morning, we went to this really good place for breakfast!Today is pipe band rehearsal again, yay! We have a parade coming up this Sunday, yay and hot! I'll update when I get back from rehearsal.
More About: Tera , Fundraiser

Yay! Great day!
2007-07-06 05:18:00
Wow today was great! Oh, and yesterday night was awesome! My friend Beth invited me to a Fourth of July party! It was so amazingly fun! We ate great food like grilled chicken, sausage, and potatoes! Then we talked and had homemade chocolate pretzels!Then today I went to lunch with my friends and after that we went shopping and I got tons of junk food! Then at rehearsal, it was so totally wicked amazing! I played the first part of Scot's Wae Hae on the pipes! Drones, chanter, and everything!!! I can't wait to get my own pipes! Oh I'm so excited and my leaders are so proud of me! Yayayayayayayayayayayayayayay big celebration!!!
More About: Great

It's Independence Day
2007-07-04 16:54:00
Yesterday's rehearsal was the best I have ever had! We only had four members show up, so it was a bit small. We went over all of the tunes, and I learned Skyboat Song in five minutes! I didn't get pipes though, because the ones I was going to get are broken.My meeting with my agency went really well. The lady told me about apartments where only disabled people live. It sounds really cool!Today is kind of dull and boring. I wish I could be performing. I read alot of tour journals of my friends. They are performing lots of parades today, but my town doesn't have a Fourth of July parade. I don't really know what to do today. I'll probably go over some music and just hang out. All of my friends are at the lake or with family. I am going to get something delivered for dinner tonight, so that will be good I guess. It's not fun being alone on a major holiday though, but at least it's not Christmas.I remember all of those parades I marched on tour. I guess I don't miss five mile par...
More About: Independence , Independence Day , Epen

Rehearsal and What's to Come
2007-07-03 16:38:00
Rehearsal yesterday was pretty good. I kept messing up though, so our pipe major kept telling me, "Don't make up notes when you mess up! It will mess up the rest of the band!" Yuck. Not really my best night. We reviewed Scot's Wae Hae, High Road, Green Hills, and Baren Rocks.Today is going okay. My host parents are going away for a few days and leaving this afternoon. They invited me, but I decided to stay home and get more experience of being on my own. They are going to a convent to stay with the nuns and visit with them. I'm still trying to get over being alone on July fourth though, but maybe I can do something with my friends tomorrow. I am looking forward to rehearsal tonight. I am getting pipes yay! Well, I'm going to go hang out. I have a meeting with my assistant agency at two this afternoon.
More About: Ears

Rehearsal
2007-06-26 20:12:00
Rehearsal was really great today! Everyone was happy and we played alot. We even marched! Our pipe major says he is going to make us take salt tablets before the next parade so we march and perform better. I started flourishing today! It's kind of hard and visual though. I am still not getting my mallets to spin fast enough.
More About: Ears

The Hot Parade
2007-06-25 04:00:00
Wow, today was hard and hot. I practiced thirty minutes with Mr. MacDonald (my piping instructor), and then we rode to the parade. It was a really long, hot parade and I got really dizzy and got blisters on my feet and fingers. Everyone sounded pretty good though despite the heat. Then after the parade, we went out to eat as a band and it was so much fun! Oh, and I got to pet a horse and a dog before and after the parade. Well, I'm off to rest. I feel really tired. I think this parade was even harder than the bugle corps ones because of our wool uniforms.
More About: Parade

Relay for Life
2007-06-23 15:42:00
Wow, the performance last night was great! On the way, we just talked and ate lots of snacks. We had to march a little, so they got this really nice lady to lead me. When we first started, I got really nervous, so I played really too fast. Then it went pretty smoothly after that. The audience really seemed to like our playing alot! After the performance, we went back to the car. I sat next to our pipe major, and man was it educational! It was pretty much going to school in the car! He is one of the smartest people ever! I really look up to him too.Well, this morning, I woke up to discover that I had slept in my uniform socks, and with my kilt on top of my bed. Wow! Today we have a little parade/festival performance. It will be fun, because they are providing food! More updates later, I need to make sure I am ready for some fun!Well, it was great! We marched over a little bridge, and then we played for fifteen minutes. The people really liked it! We got to eat lots of food from diffe...
More About: Life

Writer's Block: Words that you love and hate
2007-06-21 22:56:00
Everyday, there is an inspiring question posted on the front page of my webhosts site. Here is the one for today:What are your favorite and least favorite words? Any reasons why?Well, the word I hate the most is hate, because it is offten used to say someone hates someone else.The word I love is music, because I wouldn't be the same person without it.
More About: Love , Words , Hate , Block , Lock

Pipe Band!
2007-06-21 22:20:00
Wow! What a busy week! I arrived at my new host family on Monday. It is great here! In the morning, I helped at Camp Courage Day Camp. I put together some projects for the little kids to do to learn about music. At Monday's rehearsal, I was the only member there, so I got individual leadership! Wow, I learned alot about technique and we went over tunes. The next day, my friend Beth and I performed for a memorial service for the victums of a tornado that happened here in 1957. We had fun, and we even went out to lunch afterwords! Rehearsal that night was a bit stressful, because we just couldn't seem to stay on the beat. I think it was because of me since I was playing too many triplets and stuff. Oh, sorry, the performance was actually yesterday. Too much practicing, so I get sort of confused. Today I practiced bugle for an hour, then bagpipes fro two hours. Now my host brother and I are just hanging out together. Rehearsal was great! It was just me and my host dad, so he led me t...
More About: Band , Pipe

Camp Courage!
2007-06-16 00:27:00
Wow! Camp Courage is a great place! I arived on Sunday at two and was introduced to the girls in my cabin and the counselers. After that, we went to dinner, but I forgot what we had. Then we had an icecream party! I had lots of chocolate icecream. Then we headed back to our cabins for lights out.The next day was great! We woke up at seven and went to breakfast. The food was awesome there by the way. Then we went to activities. You get to choose what you want to do. I went horseback riding. It was sort of slow for me, because I knew how to ride already. Then we had free time and went to lunch. After lunch I went swimming in the indoor pool. It felt weird swimming indoors. Oh yeah, and during rest hour I practice everyday. After swimming, I went to the camp farm for the campout. That was really cool! We had chicken on the grill and talked around the campfire. It was very hard to sleep though, because two girls snored really loud in my tent.Tuesday morning I rode on the boat on the lak...

Rehearsal!
2007-06-06 16:50:00
Wow! I love my second host family! On Monday, my host dad and I hung out together, and on Monday I went to beginning piper's rehearsal. It was really cool because there were only two of us, so we got alot of attention from Dan, our pipe major. We reviewed technique and scales, and then learned the High Road to Garoloc. He also told us what to expect at competition and what the judges look for.On Tuesday night, rehearsal was fast paced! We started marching! We marched for an hour and reviewed the parade tunes for the upcoming parades. It was awesome, but man was I tired last night afterwords. And I have lots of blisters on my fingers from tenor drumming haha! Oh I'm so excited! I'm going to camp soon yay! I am supposed to bring my instruments though and practice an hour a day. That will be easy though, because there is this time called rest hour, so I will practice then. Well, off to relax some more. Marching kills haha!
More About: Ears

Pipe Band
2007-05-31 01:13:00
Wow, yesterday was great! My host dad (Roger) and I watched tv together and we talked about lots of stuff. Then we played bugle a little. Then I went to Apple B's with my friends for lunch. It was great! After that, we went to Best Buy and I got four Irish/pipe band cds! Then I came back and got some instruction from my pipe major. He told me that I really need to keep my fingers straight and we worked on Scot's Wae Hae alot. Rehearsal was awesome! I played with my new tenor mallets, but I am getting blisters on my fingers. I'm not sure why. Other than that, it was great!Today was pretty good. I played bugle for two hours with my Italian friend online. The BAA leaders are saying that people aren't sounding good when they play Taps, so I want to practice alot so I don't make the digital bugle look good. Yuck!
More About: Band , Pipe