In Flanders Fields - by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields. 

Composed May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

On exercise and piping

I was recently at my medical provider in the SF bay area for an annual check-up. While waiting for the appointment, I was asked to fill out a survey on if I smoke, if I drank and if I exercised along with my age, sex and education level. Although I never smoke, drink sparingly and do exercise some, it made me think about the association of these things with piping.

Piping is an aerobic exercise of sort; any piper will tell you that. It takes a lot of wind to keep the bagpipes going steady. But how would and does my lifestyle affect my playing? Would drinking less and exercising more help? And conversely, would less exercise affect my practice and performance? I think the answer is obvious… YES! Do I need to do triathlons, bicycle hundreds of miles a week or play world class tennis to get any benefits? No. But get off the couch and get moving would.

So what benefit might I expect? Staying physically active and leading a healthy lifestyle will keep me stronger and fit to keep doing what I like to do. It also contributes to mental health according to the National Institute of Health. I know, mental health… in bagpipers may seem an oxymoron, but keeping mentally sharp will certainly help me in playing music, memorizing tunes as well as in presentation during performance.   Long term health benefits of exercising can also help with improving physical issues already in a person’s life.

That old adage of use it or lose it is true; applied to piping, even more so. Piping relies on memorizing music that when played solo or in a band must be played in unison. Proper health and nutrition does affect how I memorize and play. They also affect my small motor skills and muscle memory, things that are directly affected by my health and exercise. Ignoring exercise and nutrition we all will have less energy and focus in what we are attempting.

So what exercise should I be attempting? Deferring to the N.I.H. for adults:

* Some physical activity is better than none. People gain health benefits from as little as 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. I’ll probably keep my weight down too!

* For major health benefits, do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week.

* When doing aerobic activity, do it for at least 10 minutes at a time. Spread the activity throughout the week. Muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or vigorous intensity should be included 2 or more days a week. These activities should work all of the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).

Activity is good for your health, both physical, mental and positively affects my piping. I know that the hardest activity is being motivated to get out of bed or off the couch and start exercising. So go for that walk at lunch or after dinner, get up and away from your desk, go the gym, play a sport like running, biking or swimming. Anything that gets you moving is a good thing. And afterward, take those pipes out and play.

On recording piping as a practice tool

In preparing to record a quick march medley as a try-out to join our competition band, I have begun to record my playing on a regular basis. When reviewing the first recordings I was struck at how hard it is to get a solid performance worthy of being listened to. Ok, in our heads as humans, we think we sound so much better than what others may say or feel. Ask the person who sings in their shower how they sound, or ask the piper how they think they sound. We each have an inner voice that thinks, ”Hmm, I sound pretty good…” Yet, record the amateur singer, or piper, and make it available for critique and you have another matter. The first few recordings made will ‘feel’ dreadful as pipers are not used to listening to themselves, and while listening, every little flaw seems magnified. Persevere and soon the novelty wears off and the recordings become another tool to help make oneself a better piper. You are playing for yourself, so make the most of it.

So how do you record bagpiping? This is not to record for a future hit CD, but for recording technique and correcting mistakes heard. If you’ve taken lessons, one of the benefits is the feedback from your tutor. The same holds with recording. Do I use an iPhone or smartphone app? Portable camera? Laptop with sound recording program? Cassette recorder? Each has value. I started with my smart phone to record. Then tried a small camera that recorded my playing as a video. Then settled on a sound recording app on the laptop. I like the laptop app as it also has the benefit of storing in a format that can be easily saved, shared and / or deleted. If you’re looking for a higher quality bagpipe recording, one software / hardware package for PC or Mac from: http://www.epipes.co.uk/software.html There product looks intriguing, but more than the average piper may wish to invest in as a practice tool.

One of the challenges in recording is the sound volume of bagpipes. This will drive how close you will stand to the recording device. Stand next to the recorder and you will almost certainly have distortion. Stand 6, 8 or maybe 10 feet away and the recording may smooth out. Trial and error will give you an optimum solution. Just to reinforce, these recording are for your private use in order to make your playing better. The recording doesn’t need to be symphonically beautiful.

Next is the location that you will record at or in. Do I record in my living room, my garage, an empty work conference room, a public park or in a large performance venue? Will the location have echo or other sounds that may be introduced into your recording? For example, last week it rained near my work. I went out at lunch between raindrops to practice and record, to an open parking lot. I recorded several versions of tunes and went back to work. That evening I listened to the efforts only to discover that a frog, or frogs, had joined me, singing their happy ‘rib bits’ to my version of Meeting of the Waters. Too funny! I never heard them while I played. Another factor outside may be wind. You may hear the wind on the recording as it passes across the microphone. The type of mic used may also contribute to hearing the wind. The wind may also carry your music away causing a ‘warped’ sounding recording.

The benefits of recording are very direct. Listening to the recording puts you in the seat of a competition judge and quickly pinpoint areas for technique improvement:

* Playing in tune – Upon playback, you will quickly hear if your drones are out of tune with each other. Take time to tune every time you play. Although you may miss a rough tuning of chanter to drones, you will certainly hear any gross out of tuning of chanter, especially top hand ‘F’, ‘G’ and ‘A’

* Fingering technique – Can I hear the ‘G’ on your D-throw; are your doublings even; does your tachums, sound like it is pronounced; are you taorluaths distinct.  
* Blowing evenly – How steady is your pressure being maintained. Blowing verses arm squeeze. Can you hear the steadiness of the music? Are you pressing harder when playing your high hand (high F, G & A) and are they played sharp, indicating overblowing?
* Playing in tempo – You will quickly hear where you rush (or slow down) music phrases.
* Control your instrument
   - Striking In – On a mental roll-off with a one or two beat ‘E’ are you playing with confidence? No early drone or chanter sounds allowed.
   - Cut-offs – Are they clean and controlled, every time?

So to improve for competition, or improve for solo performance, record yourself. When I listen, I have a highlighter pen and music printed off at the ready. Listen the first time with a yellow highlighter, second time with green, 3rd with blue… you get the idea. I’m listening carefully and listening multiple times to a recording, highlighting areas on the music for improvement. Then practice the tune with the marked music until you have fixed the issue. Then the next time you record without sheet music, you’ll hear the difference. It is an iterative and disciplined process.

And it will pay off.  Happy piping!

On year three with Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums

It’s December 2015 and I am just completing my third year in a pipe band.  Completing our year, the band played two free Christmas concerts; one at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga and one at Trinity Episcopal in Menlo Park. Both were very well received

The band played in six parades, five competitions and a myriad of performances – some seventeen events large and small; some with the full band, some with smaller numbers of pipes and drums. My favorite event of the year was piping for the homecoming Honor Flight. The band played for the returning veterans who were honored by Bay Area Honor Flights by an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC.

We played some events in full uniform, others in band shirt and Glengarry. I played in 15 of the 28 events as well as performing as Piper John B for additional weddings, memorials and parties. Thank You must go to my wife and family for encouraging and supporting my piping addiction and habit. I would have to say that I’ve had the best year of piping since taking up the bagpipes! And each year continues to get better. I have said it before: add in weekly practices with the band, practicing my instrument and I’d have to say that I’ve had almost enough piping for one year.

The 2015 season highlights included Grade 4 competitions at the Sacramento Games, Monterey Games and Pleasanton Games. We debuted our new competition uniform at the Sac Games (bye spats, horsehair sporran and black police shirts and hello grey shirt and tie with waistcoat, black leather sporran, grey socks with Gillies and new cap badge. I’m looking forward to the new challenges ahead in 2016 band competitions playing a new MSR and refining our TLM. In addition to competing with the band, I tried my hand again a solo competition playing in Grade 3 at Monterey and Pleasanton. Stepping into a competition quickly points out just how much more practice I need. It is very humbling. My solo MSR is Duncan McInnes, Captain Colin Campbell and Colonel MacLeod, and, my jig is Granny MacLeod. I hope to enter solos at all games that the band enters, and maybe the Redding Solo competition. We will see.

In conjunction with the piping is the hanging with band mates, both pipes and drums and their significant others. The time together, whether preparing, competing, performing or just hanging out after a gig contributes to the fun of the pipe band experience.

Thank you to all those who listen to our band, and music!

Merry Christmas!

John B

'Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, for unto you is born this day a Savior which is Christ the Lord.'  Luke 2:11   

On Bagpiping on the International Space Station

Over the weekend a US flight engineer and astronaut, Kjell Lindgren, played bagpipes aboard the International Space Station paying tribute to research scientist Dr. Hurt. Playing the traditional tune Amazing Grace in zero gravity, it was a first for bagpipes to be played in outer space. According to the BBC news Mr. Lindgren contacted pipe maker McCallum over two years ago. McCallum spokesman Kenny Macleod stated that the set taken aboard the 45th expedition to the space station were a set of the plastic pipes saying, "They're made of plastic - they're just easier to keep clean and to make sure they're not contaminated. They're also lighter." Honoring Dr. Hurst with the pipes was preceded with a short video message.

Dr. Hurst worked for US engineering company Wyle Science as a research scientist and instructor. He died suddenly in October, aged 48. Mr Lindgren said of Hurst: "He always had a quick smile, a kind word. I don't know if anyone was more enthusiastic and professional about being involved in human space flight."

Here is a link on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DWzmq9e0Lw

McCallum spokesman Macleod also stated (after seeing Mr. Lindgren play), "The thing about bagpipes is that they're very difficult to play at high altitude because the air is that bit thinner. They're quite hard to blow so he's done well,"

To paraphrase the tag line from the movie Alien, “In space, no one can hear to pipe.”

Or can they?

On piping for my daughter’s wedding

When my daughter became engaged, a whole world of new discussions, details, plans and possibilities opened up. Early on she asked about having pipers play a processional as I walked her down the aisle. I was extremely delighted that she wanted bagpipes, even knowing that I would not be able to play. No disappointment there as I am the Father of the Bride. And, as it happened, our band whole heartedly wanted to play. I was equally delighted when our band’s leadership approved playing at the wedding! Our family is indeed honored by the generosity of time and music.  

The wedding plans moved along in quick order. The couple found a beautiful venue in Santa Cruz, CA., called Hollins House at Pasatiempo (http://www.pasatiempo.com/hollins-house).  A gorgeous venue overlooking the Pasatiempo Golf Links which in turn overlooks Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay beyond. On my first visit with my wife and daughter, the outdoor location for the end of October wedding was scoped out. We marched the path of the processional as I hummed the beloved tune: Highland Cathedral. We decided that day a solo piper would play the tune straight through one time, marching up the aisle the across to the band. As the drums and pipes began playing a second time through, we would emerge from behind the house and walk up the aisle.  We could picture it all in our minds.

The band opened the ‘Boyden Wedding’ event on our automated band calendaring system (https://teamsnap.com) and quickly had a pipe band confirmed to play. Understanding that to play for an event as a pipe band never involved playing one tune, it was unique for our gang to be asked to prep, dress, practice, tune and perform one tune. One of our senior pipers, Paul Llewellyn, led the band and played the solo, with the band performing flawlessly in strike in and cutoff.

At the reception, a number of friends all asked why the band only played one tune. We all would have love them playing several more, but the bride and groom called the shots for the wedding and reception. Beth had a vision, and my job was to see that vision come alive. The band was invited to stay for the reception’s cocktail hour and pictures. Almost everyone stayed the entire time. It was a blast having them present for an incredibly special time in our family history.

I cannot express adequately just how grateful our family is to the Stewart Tartans for their generous gift of friendship by performing. They are a marvelous group of musicians and friends.

Bagpipe is a verb

Over the weekend our band performed in a parade through downtown Mountain View, CA. During a break in the parade, one of our wonderful tenor drummers pulled out a card game called Anomia. The game has players matching game card symbols and whoever answers the category named on the opponent’s card wins that card. While playing the game, the card flipped up listed “Adjective” which took me too long to think of an adjective, so I lost my card and “hung my head in shame.” Actually it’s a hilarious game. And now on my Father’s Day list (hint, hint!).

Later in the day I thought back about the game which triggered an earlier memory: When my kids were in early elementary school, one ‘school’ game we played while studying English was called noun or verb; adjective or adverb. We used this to think about words that describe things versus describing actions. As we played, one of the kids noted that some words can be both a noun and a verb. We noticed that some words do fit both categories: fly, bowl, love, ship, cook and drink, to name a few. This was a great observation for young students. An epiphany of sorts. So where does bagpipe fit in?

First thought is about the gangly five tentacle wheezing creature played in the highlands and in pipes and drums bands. I can touch it, squeeze it, make sound come from it; it is a thing. One can buy it, own it and covet it. It crafted of hard wood and be hand turned (on lathe) with silver engraved mountings and covered in velvet or tartan. All physically solid to the touch. So it is a noun.

Second thought is that bagpipe, as a verb, is to create music from the noun of the same name. There is both physical and mental effort, measured in years of study to make music that may be enjoyed. Audience members who have watched either a young or experienced piper, bagpipe sees the amount of air needed to play, physical strength to control the instrument and the finesse of finger work on the chanter to make music. And that performing on the noun’s chanter is a mental exercise focusing on playing a tune well with proper musical timing, cadence and tune embellishments.

I guess my kids would have said bagpipe is loud and noisy (then laugh). The parent / teacher in me would (in an affirming voice) acknowledge that they are correct but point to the noun-verb nature of all musical instruments. In my mind the noun is secondary to the verb in the world of music. The instrument does not make the music, only the bagpiper can. So the bagpipe is def., def., definitely a verb.