Keith’s Ramblings

Finally improving after a full summers worth of playing.

Tomorrow is the day, the one I have thought about since April 2005 or so, I have mapped it out in my head so many times. An impromptu concert (is it impromptu if you plan it for years) just to play in memory of all those heroes that are people just like me. Not only the amazing heroes that were on Flight 93 , the NYPD, NYFD, transit authority, and the Police and fire from DC, but the people that went in to help, the ones that felt compelled to travel to a very dangerous place just to help, whether it was to hand out water, or let people who really needed to make a phone call use their apartment I don’t ever want these people to be forgotten, this day should be marked every year, in each person own special way, to remember what a great place this country can be when we all pull together. I have always just wanted to make sure that people remembered. I don’t know that I am fully ready, I wish I knew some more tunes on the pipes, next year will be better, but this year with the help of some friends, the four of us (Jon, Billy C, and Chief Dan) will remember all those that lost their lives on 9/11/2001 all of those that lost their lives since then the people that went in while everyone else ran out. I carry the stories so close to my heart, the ones you read in the paper, the ones I saw unfold in front of me as I watched in horror the events of that day. The stories of people that rushed in even though they didn’t have to. It no doubt will be an emotional day for me. As real as that day is in my mind, I can’t imagine what it will be like for Chief, as part of his job with Harrisburg Fire he was there, he was at Ground Zero, helping out through the smoke and debris. Searching for survivors, finding the bodies of the ones that didn’t make it out. I don’t think he has ever talked to me about it, hopefully he will share his experiences tomorrow over a few beers. So if you happen to be in downtown Harrisburg tomorrow and hear the pipes over the everything going on downtown, take a second, and remember what happened six years ago, how the country came together as so many people lost their lives.

I have always said that I just want to be able to pick up the pipes and be able to play, not have to worry about if the reed is to hard, or is something is wrong. About a month ago, my P/M came over and looked at my pipes, he suggested before he arrived that I buy a new set of drone reeds which I did (MG’s from Toneczar) we put them in and I played for a little bit. He then recommended a new bigger bag. I was playing a medium for some reason (read I got it cheap online and didn’t know any better) So I bought a large bag and got that set up. I have been trying different reeds for quite a while. The one I played with in all the gigs up until this point was a reed of unknown origin, that was in pretty bad shape and my P/M hated it, but it was the one I could pick up and go with. Well in my reed holder (I need a better one of these) I had a reed that I have been working on getting broken in, it was from a band mate a while ago that he bought but was too easy for him. Finally it is working, and sounds great compared to the unkown origin reed. Even to my untrained ears, the UKO reed sounded quiet and didn’t really give that bagpipe wall of sound, this one on the other hand is much brighter. That is a good thing and a bad thing, a good thing because it is the sound I expect a bad thing because I can hear my mistakes better.

But anyway today, I got home on lunch and picked up the pipes (tuned them), bass drone corked, struck in and the drone reeds locked in, it sounded so much like only one was on that I had to check them, started Marines Corps Hymn, and I didn’t think about it, I just played, it was great, I was even hitting most if not all of my grips. I transitioned into Casson’s well, when I got to the part I struggle with, I still struggled with it, but got through finished off the song, and transitioned back into MCH, not a great transition for me, but by the second grip I was back in the flow. Finished the song and went right into Amazing Grace, as usual that went really well, I could probably read a book while playing that song. When I finished, as the echo of the song lingered in the air of the room I was playing in, I couldn’t stop smiling. But I did and sat down and worked on the part of Casson’s that needs it, and on Notre Dame Fight song for the golf tourny on 9/15.

With just 12 days until 9/11, for the first time I believe I will be able to play these three songs on that day. I can’t wait for the day to get here.

I was on the practice chanter for entirely too short of a time when I purchased these pipes, I started on the chanter in April and bought the pipes in August. Unfortunately I didn’t listen to my P/M when he told me that have to keep working at the chanter while I try to get the pipes going. Now, I really kick myself for not listening as I regroup. But anyway here is a history of what I have done with my pipes since I bought them in August of 2006

So here is a history of my pipes with some added comments:

War-Mac black wood bagpipes – bought from Jason Bachman in August of 2006.

At time of purchase, the blow stick stock and blowstick was delrin, and obviously not original. The chanter stock was cracked, although not all the way through and repaired by Jason. Upon further review, the two tenor stocks do not seem to match the rest of the pipes although they have turned orange at the same rate that the rest of the pipes have turned. They do not have to two lines in them as the bass stock and the ferruls do. The pipes have been confirmed by www.thepiperscave.com to be made by War-Mac, and replacement parts are available, I will add notes if pieces are changed.

• First parade with pipes Drones only, Halloween parade in Penbrook, PA 10/19/2006
• Drone only memorable events – Opening for Rod Stewart 1/30/2007
• First attempted solo AG 3/10/2007 (went horribly)
• First time to play with whole band on AG – Guinness and Jazz festival June 23rd
• First solo performance playing AG 5 times through piping out wedding party at Chris and Tayna wedding 7/7/2007 (went amazingly well)

• I am sure that someday I will look back and not marvel at this but instead be upset with myself that I played only knowing one song. Right now though almost two month later, I am still surprised that I was able to play AG that many times in a row, and have anyone say it sounded good. I know that my wife will be honest when I don’t play well and she thought it was good. The background story, I was a groomsman in a wedding and at some point they asked if I could play something for their wedding. I had grand plans of learning a bunch of tunes and being ready, well time ran out and I only had AG that I was really confident in. So I was going to play once or twice through before the prayer and call it a day. When the DJ showed up they didn’t have the song the couple was supposed to walk out to, so one of them was going to go home and get it, he would be back in ten minutes, well after half an hour I jokingly said, “I should just pipe you out AG over and over” Bride said great idea let’s do it, and off we went. It was a great time, and I was so proud to contribute on their special day.

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