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Back from SWD

So... I'm just back from the Sheep Wagon Days Fest. What a nice weekend. Friday and Saturday were in the high 70s and Sunny, with just a bit of rain Sunday morning and early afternoon. The festival entertainment went as follows: Friday and Saturday I played bagpipe performances throughout the day. Saturday night I did a Country Western dinner show. Sunday I was back on the pipes for the morning and at lunch time I got to sit in with the John Wayne Band playing cowboy songs and some Irish folk tunes.
This festival is allot of fun because my wife and kids come along. My boys love getting out and talking to all of the old ranchers, learning a bit about what it takes to be a cowboy. My six year old spent most of the weekend with a retired cattleman named Lex teaching him how to rope. Lex made Cam his own lariat and sent it home with him to practice. The boys also got to take turns going on a helicopter tour of the mountain area around Craig. They loved it. As did Mom and I.

Well, here's a little vid from the afternoon sit in with the John Wayne Band. This tune was completely new to them so it starts out a bit rough. It's entirely to old for me so it ends a bit silly.

Sorry there are no pics of the kids. We live in far to dangerous a world to post pictures of my children on an open forum like this. If you want to see them you've got to go to my facebook.

I'm out!

Sheep Wagon Days

Just a couple of weeks and I'll be off to Craig Colorado for the Sheep Wagon Days Festival again. If you've never heard of the festival (and likely you haven't!) Its put on by the good folks of the Villard Ranch to promote the history of American agriculture, specifically sheep ranching. Anyway, it's allot of fun and I'll be their playing alternating shows between bagpipes and guitar throughout the entire festival. If your in the area stop by the Wyman Living History Museum and check it out. You can find more info on Sheep Wagon Days if you check under my kilt!!!
http://heathen.bagpiper.com/?page_id=20

Here is a little sample from last year...

Pops got me thinking...

You know... When I started playing the bagpipes for money, it was rare to find a “professional piper” in Salt Lake City. Perhaps we were behind the times, but back then, most pipers played for their band. All proceeds, from group or solo shows would go to the band. The non profit bands would use that money for equipment and expenses to travel to competitions. There were not very many pipers out advertising for work. At that time I was able to keep a nice little business just by handing out cards. Not so anymore! Pipe Bands are still flourishing and getting the funds they need, but there are pipers coming out of the wood works advertising as professionals. Some really are, and some are not. It’s the ones that are not that bother me.

In the last couple of years I’ve seen a huge influx of armature, hobby pipers advertising as "professionals". Guys who don’t have the experience or the ability to play, maintain or even tune their instrument are charging good folks hard earned money to butcher simple tunes at private and public events. Don’t get me wrong I encourage all to play and enjoy it regardless of your playing level. I encourage all levels of pipers to accept payment offered to them from clients who know what they're getting. But for a piper who has little to no experience to advertise as a professional is just wrong. In the past couple of years I’ve seen advertising tactics from some of my “competitors” that make me sick! Piping organizations advertising as a “Grade 1 piping Service” that have no idea how the grading system even works. Pipers claiming years of experience, that date back to way before they had even touched a practice chanter. Pipers using sound bites as tune samples that are actually someone else playing.

This one is my personal favorite:

All of us received a letter inviting us to play at the base of the Twin Towers after 9/11. Is there a piper in the U.S.A. that didn’t receive the invitation? O.K we all got one. Some went to play. Some did not. If you went to play, that’s great. If you didn’t, that’s great. The fact that you were invited doesn’t give you any more credibility than every one else. Please, Please, Please! Can pipers stop using the invitation as an advertising point? Can’t we be honest with our clients?

I hope not to be misunderstood. What ever your level of piping, I hope you continue. I hope you love it. I hope you get work. I just think we need to be honest about what level of piper we are. There are a lot of pipers out there better than I. I once had younger fingers and was much better then I am now. However… when you log onto one of my ads, I’m not trying to mislead anyone, all of the comments are true and all of the recorded samples are me. (With the exception of a couple that I recorded with a business partner.)Clients can hear what they are getting.

Well,,, like it or not those are my thoughts for today.

I’m out

SFU did it again

The World Championships are over for another year. Here are the top three G1 bands:

First Place - Simon Fraser University (Canada)

Second Place - Field Marshall Montgomery (N Ireland)

Third Place - St Laurence O'Toole (Ireland)

For those keeping score... first and second place didn't change from last year!

To our Utah competitors: Justin and Ross... well done, win or no... Sylvia, congratulations on the biggest of big wins!

The Worlds

The World Championships are close at hand.

August 16th, Glasgow Green

Will SFU be able to keep their title?

Best of luck to the pipers from Utah that will be competing in the World Championships

Justin Howland, Competing with Dowco Triumph St Pipe Band, G1

Ross Morrill, Competing with Dowco Triumph St Pipe Band, G1

Sylvia De Tar, Competing with SFU Pipe Band G1 (current world champs)

...And good luck to all of the bands representing the U.S.A

Please enjoy the highlights from last years competition.

Sport Kilt

I just received an e-mail from Seamus at Sport Kilt, in regards to some kilts for my children. It's not in my nature to rave about companies... but I've got to tell you. If your in the market for an alternative to the high price of a traditional kilt, there is no better company to go with. Sport Kilt provides a great quality, great looking kilt, at an outstanding price. They have a wide range of kilts and sporran styles, from very traditional to far from it and everywhere in between. the kilts are durable and look great.

I have two kilts in my wardrobe. One is a traditional kilt that I've had for years. The other is a Sport Kilt. I hardly ever wear my traditional kilt. The Sport Kilt is so much more comfortable.

Two of my partners in the Heathen Highlanders have recently purchased Sport Kilts and they are as pleased as I am.

OK, here is the big selling point. Sport Kilt clearly cares about their customers. In my life I have dealt with very few people who treat their customers with as much concern as Seamus.

Thanks to Seamus and the entire Sport Kilt Staff! I will continue to recommend this great company to anyone looking for a great kilt.

www.sportkilt.com