Well I did it. I lasted the whole parade with my drones open and whaling away-yay me! It was definitely a challenge and I had the corks tucked into my pocket just in case, but I didn't need them, I wasn't even tempted.Every parade is interesting and different, which is a great part of the fun. It's ineat to see all of the different floats and people who participate in the parade.
As we were getting our gear out one of the bass drums rolled down a short steep hill and nearly hit a van, a drum roll-tee hee.
After we tuned up we had a nice conversation with some guys on some old school bicycles, the kind with a huge front wheel and little back wheel. He talked to us for about a half hour about his bicycle, he's logged 11,000 miles on the thing! And I thought we were somewhat obsessive fanataical about the bagpipes!
The parade itself went well. It was a little muggy but I think my pumping adrenaline nullifed the heat. This parade was the best for me in terms of marching, by that I mean I was in step the majority of the time. And I played every single tune. At all the other parades I've had to take a break and just not play one or two the tunes.
After the parade was done the other floats must've had tons of leftover candy and thought to themselves, Look there's a bagpipe band, their decibel bending noise has bugged us the whole parade! Let's throw bubble-gum, suckers and smarties at them! They only have one free arm afterall so they won't be able to catch it and then they'll have to squat down in their kilts!
Then when we were walking back up the parade route to our cars another float pelted us with freezies, who in the world throws out freezies at a parade? I had to shield myself with my bagpipes!
But all in all it was a fun parade experience.
Pipe on!
5 comments:
Hi! Great you found me.
Í'm still studying the bagpipes.
It's difficult with 6 kids around and some needing special care. Can't do anything at home. A bit of chantering, that's it.
Our band doesn't allow members to join parades when they haven't proven themselves for a long time.
We can have some practice with the parade-group, but that's it.
It's great you managed corckfree.
What reeds do you use?
I've truly never thought about the person who has chosen to play this instrument and hey, a parade too. Good job. I have always envisioned bagpipe players as someone who appears out of nowhere to play these instruments. It's pretty cool to get a peek behind the scenes.
I don't understand what you had in your pocket and why your weren't tempted to use it but well done. It seems one needs to have good lungs to play the bagpipes. So you made it and all on your own.
You go girl....way to carry on the scottish tradition
I admire your passion and love of bagpiping.
Will you play Amazing Grace at my funeral?
Here' a scottish toast that our friend Art Johnson loved: I love it too
" May the best ye've ever seen
Be the worst ye'll ever see;
May a moose ne'er leave your girnal
We' a tear drap in his ee.
May ye aye keep hale and he'erty
Till ye're auld enought tae dee,
May ye aya be juist as happy
As I wish ye aye tae be."
Laane-thanks for posting, my band is pretty small so they need numbers at parades. I think my reeds are Kinnaird.
Theresa111-thanks for posting, I'm glad you enjoyed the behind the scenes look at bagpiping. I had corks in my pocket which can be used to plug up the drones and make the bagpipes easier to play.
Ann-thanks for posting and thanks for sharing the toast, very neat.
Huzzah! May ye lungs be sturdy!
Having marched in a 4th of July parade for the first time in a long time, I know the fatigue of the long walk -- and this is Arizona (Flagstaff) in the heat of summer.
Great job! Pipe on!
Post a Comment