No cheeze or schmaltz on this CD!

I've been meaning to post about Jori Chisholm's new CD "Bagpipe Revolution" since I purchased it on Oct 23. I had not intended to write a whole "review". I used to write record reviews professionally and the reason I stopped is that I found a) my opinion really isn't important, it's just my opinion, b) once in print a review becomes "forever", so if my point of view changes it's hard to correct, and c) if someone doesn't like what I wrote, a year or two later, they come to me and say "how could you write that! How dare you!"

That caveat aside, I'll just briefly say I quite like Bagpipe Revolution. The CD has a wide variety of expression, given the use of Highland pipes, small pipes, and concert tuned pipes, accompanied by piano, steel pedal guitar (a great touch), electric guitar, and percussion.

Jori avoids many of my personal pet peeve pitfalls of pipe recordings (I know, too many peas) that attempt to incorporate other instrumentation. You won't hear any cheezy Casio keyboard accompaniment here. Nor will you hear any overbearing disco bass drum pounding. And thankfully the folkish settings are absent that schmaltzy bean sprout-stuck-in-the-teeth-folksy-wolksy vibe. You know what I mean, and if you don't, rent "A Mighty Wind". But being the purist I am, I would have liked a couple more tracks of solo piping without extra instruments.

Most impressive to me is the rendition of the piobaireachd "Too Long In This Condition". On it's own it's a feat to lay down a perfect tune that's over nine minutes long. There are ample opportunities for error and for the pipe to go out of tune--you did do this in one take, right Jori? What makes this so impressive is that Jori recorded a harmony part. That doubles the chance for error and potentially complicates the recording process. But the tuning stays sweet and the execution perfect throughout, resulting in a beautiful version of this tune.

So, enough on the opining. I'll leave it to those more qualified and just say congratulations to Jori on releasing the first recording by a Seattle based bagpiper. Piping recordings are unusual in that, for example, any and every local rock band releases their recordings. Many are awful. Pipers, however, seem to have some level of humility, or fear of humiliation, or just the good judgment, not to foist their mediocre recordings on the world.

Jori has the good judgment--and piping skills to back it up--to have released Bagpipe Revolution. Now click on the link and support your local piper. And I'll get back to keeping my opinion to myself.

G i v i n g _ B a c k

Something I consider very important is giving something back to the community. Now, I haven't always felt this way, and used as an excuse that I didn't know what I could do. We can all do something if we put a bit of thought into it.

I donate my piping services each year for a select group of charities I feel a personal affinity toward. In each case, I came upon them not exactly by accident, but through serendipity or synchronicity. I know, two big words that simplified could just mean 'chance.' But I don't believe there are any accidents.

Camp Korey is a place for kids suffering from serious and life threatening illnesses to go and have some fun. It is one of Paul Newman's (pictured above at Camp Korey) Hole In The Wall Camps. Korey Rose was an inspiring young man who died from cancer in his teens. I played at his graveside service in Enumclaw in 2004. What blew me away about this service, is that usually a small gathering of family and friends of the deceased attend a graveside. This one was attended by well over 300 people. Korey's father, Tim Rose, a Senior Vice President at Costco, worked with Newman to purchase the old Carnation Farm from Nestle to create Camp Korey. It was a moving experience to visit there and pipe for Leanore Curran's Highland dancers to entertain the kids.

Back in the summer I was hired to play for a gentleman's 50th birthday party. 50! Wow! Now THAT'S old! When I arrived at the home where the party was I was introduced on the way in to the the son of the Half Centurian. M.R. was in one of those fully loaded motorized wheel chairs. He looked to me to be about 22 years old. What, I thought, befell this beautiful kid to put him this spot?

I had to go play, so I went around to the back yard, made my surprise entrance, congratulated the guest of honor at having endured a half century and played some more tunes to entertain the gathered friends and family. As I spoke with one guest, she told me that M.R. (Michael Ryan Pattison) had suffered a severe spinal injury a few years ago diving into shallow water in Lake Chelan, and that he had started a foundation to raise money to support therapy for those with spinal cord injuries. Are there really no accidents? We went and had another conversation with M.R. and immediately I decided to volunteer my services to play at the upcoming fund raising auction at the Glendale Golf Club in Bellevue, and offer myself as a live auction item. A no brainer.

A Cure Is Coming is the Michael Ryan Foundation's website. The auction raised some $70,000. The experience of being part of such an event is always gratifying, humbling and extremely rewarding. Try it sometime!

Again, how I came to be connected with the other organizations I support were completely random. With Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing - KITH - the piper who normally played their event was ill. So I filled in and have played the 7 Hills of Kirkland bike ride every year since. I've also played their annual fund raising banquet the past 2 or 3 years. KITH provides housing to people facing homelessness on the Eastside. It's a worthy cause.

Same with The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. I play at 2 or 3 Luminaria ceremonies at the relay each summer. All of us know someone who's had cancer. It's too damn common.

I met the wife of Chris Elliott, of CEF, a non-profit she started to help people with glioblastoma, a nasty brain cancer, at the birthday party of a friend of Chris's wife. In October of this year I played for their auction at the Newcastle Golf Club.

So if you're wondering where you can be of service, where you can chip in, where you can do something that will make a difference for someone whose life is not as easy as yours, these places are a good start. Or you may already have an organization you support; if so, good on ya. If not, it only takes the slightest glance around, or a seemingly 'random' moment to find a way to help out. You'll be amazed how gratifying it is.

Amazing Cake, How Sweet The Sound

A few weeks ago I had the honor of playing for Matt Carrithers' 40th birthday. It was a pretty special night all around. The venue, Schmidt House, in Tumwater, the home built for the founder Olympia Brewery, is beautifully restored. The friends and family gathered shared some heartfelt and hilarious stories about Matt.

But it was the birthday cake that everyone will remember. Even to my eye it looked like a real bagpipe, and didn't at all look edible. It was made by Mike's Amazing Cakes, in Redmond. Not only was it accurately reproduced down to an authentic tartan and clan crest, but it was delicious.

A Day of Music and Art

I will be performing at a celebration of Benaroya Hall's 10th anniversary this Sunday Sept 14. I will be playing outside the hall in the Rememberance Garden at the corner of 2nd and University from 12:15 to 12:45.

Be sure to stop by and say "HI"!

KEITH 3rd AT WORLDS!

The Keith Highlanders Pipe Band placed 3rd of 53 bands in Grade 4b at the World Pipe Band Championships, held today in Glasgow, Scotland. This is the band's 4th trip to the Worlds, and the best finish yet!

The band finished 1st in the morning qualifer--getting the 1st from both judges. They played 2nd of 12 in the final, which is not an optimum place to be in the order, but had great scores from the judges: 3rd from both piping judges, 10th from the drumming judge (yikes!), and 2nd in ensemble.

Another Seattle band, the Northwest Junior Pipe Band played in the Novice Juvenile grade and came in 5th overall after a 3rd place finish in the qualifier.

Simon Fraser University Pipe Band was 1st in the elite Grade 1 contest. It is SFU's 5th 1st place finish in 12 years.

Overall, a great day for Northwest pipe bands!

Complete results of all grades are available at the RSPBA's website.

Now, if I could just get my effin computer to play BBC Scotland's stream of the contest....

Kudos to NWJPB

The Northwest Junior Pipe Band took 1st in Grade 4 at yesterday's Perth, Scotland Highland Games. At least one of my former students is a member, so I'm really happy they've done so well this summer. This a perfect trajectory going into the Worlds on Aug 16th.

That said, as a member of the Keith Highlanders, I'm pulling for them even harder. KHPB wound up 5th out of the 24 bands in Grade 4 at Perth.

Many members of the Keith arrived in Scotland around 10pm the night before the Perth games, jetlagged and tired from the long journey from Seattle. Having done that a few times I know that other-worldly, disoriented feeling going out to compete in Scotland a few hours after stepping off the plane. They'll be in better shape for the Worlds.

It's been a very wet week in Scotland, but apparently the weather eased up a bit yesterday at Perth.

I'll be writing a bit more about the Worlds this week.

Olympic pipers

The other night while watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games, I was quite surprised to hear a pipe band playing off and on as the athletes paraded into the stadium.

At first I said "they must be there in person" then I thought "it's just a recording" because they were never seen on TV. Poking around the net today looking for results from the Perth, Scotland highland games, where the Keith Highlanders competed today, I came across this story on BBC Scotland about the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band, a Grade 4 band from Dundee, Scotland (home of marmalade). It said they were seen by Chinese officials who saw them on a tour of France and asked to go to Beijing to play. At first they thought it was a practical joke, as would I. Riiiiiight....a Scottish band playing in France, asked to go to China. I think I ate at that restaurant. Just once.

One of the pipers in the band said "never in a million years" would he have thought the band would do something like this.

Never say Never!

Good on ya boys!

How often does this happen?

Tonight while I was playing the sun down at Newcastle, Maurice Whitney led his girlfriend, Jenny Tyabina, up to the hill where I was playing. Apparantly he had something up his sleeve, which he proceeded to offer to her.

She's no longer his girlfriend. She said 'yes' so now she's his finace!

I think I have the most awesome gig in the world.

Benaroya Hall Day of Music

On Sunday September 14 I'll be playing at Benaroya Hall as part of their Day of Music in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the hall opening.

I don't have the exact time I'll be playing yet, but I'll be on a stage in the Garden of Remembrance, at the corner of 2nd Ave & University St. The photo shows the location. I'll update when I have the exact time of my performance.

I'd love to have you stop by and say hi!

Ode to a Golf Course Piper

So I'm poking around the web today, really using my time wisely, and what do I find? A poem inspired by a photo of me on Flickr.com.

Ode to a Golf Course Piper

Do they pipe the golfers home at dusk?
Peculiar spot in which to busk...
Might he appear
But once a year,
An apparition of rarer sort
With affinity for fields of sport?

O, Yon Solitary Golf Course Piper!

May you skirl from tee to tee
With droning highland majesty
Ever held in thundry awe
By all and sundry.

Slàinte mhath! (which is Gaelic for "Good Health")

Pretty dang cool, I thought!

World Pipe Band Championships -- Aug 16

On Saturday August 16, the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band will be making their fourth appearance at the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green in Glasgow, Scotland. This is a completely unprecedented occurance for a Seattle based pipe band. Other local bands have ventured over to play at the World's, but only once, and they did not have the same success the Keith have had.

2002 went pretty well considering it was the band's first trip to the Worlds. We placed 11th out of 42 bands. In 2004 the pipe section was placed first by both piping judges; the band placed 6th overall due to lower drumming scores. We felt elated, it was an incredible finish! In 2006, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) changed the tune and qualification requirements, we got a hideous drumming judge, and the result was that we didn't place. We had a good trip, but felt disappointed.

This year, the band has been working extremely hard and is focused on coming home with a 1st place trophy. I won't be making the trip, but will certainly be there in Spirit. The Worlds is a fantastic event with 250 pipe bands and about 40,000 spectators in one place on the same day. it's Pipe Band Heaven. Playing there is an amazing experience. It takes a ton of personal discipline, sustained motivation with months of practice, and an intense mental focus. It's the Olympics of the pipe band world. No band event is more important.

I'll post results here, and in the meantime, join with me to send out good vibes to the Keith Highlanders for success in the contest! Oh, and don't forget to try the haggis & chips. They're exquisite!

Best Outdoor Dining Spots

I've always thought the view from the outdoor dining area at the Calcutta Grill at Newcastle was one of the most spectacular dinner views in the Northwest. The Journal Newspapers agree. To see the whole article click here.

Sense the humour

Occasionally my piping gigs are a bit more relaxed, and I have a chance to have a little fun with things. The quarterly Art Institute of Seattle graduations at Benaroya Hall are among those. It's a fun occasion, the faculty, administration and students are all upbeat and having a good time, and I feel very comfortable in the hall, having produced the Masters of Scottish Arts concert there for 7 years and played on the stage another handful of times.

So I decided when I was introduced this time, with all the people taking pictures of me, that I'd take one of them for a change. Here 'tis.

What is a Luminaria?

The American Cancer Society holds fundraising events called Relay For Life. For the last 4 or 5 years I've played at a handful of them each year. The event lasts 24 hours with people who've taken pledges to walk around a local high school track.

I'll be playing at the Redmond-Kirkland Relay at Redmond High School at 10 pm on Saturday June 7.

The Luminaria ceremony takes place after dark. The track is lined with lanterns made of paper bags with candles in the bottom, called luminaria. Following some speakers and perhaps a story from a cancer survivor or family member of someone who lost the fight, I play the pipes, leading all the participants around the track.

It's impossible not to be moved by this ceremony. Some people very close to me have survived cancer, others have not been so fortunate. So being part of this is always an incredible honor for me and a way for me pay homage to others.

Follow the links above if you're interested in taking part.

Memorial Day

Culture Clash Wedding on the Food Network

Dinner: Impossible is a program on the Food Network featuring chef Robert Irvine. In late January they filmed an episode at Kirkland's Woodmark Hotel called "Culture Clash Wedding".

Bride Kim Miyake and groom Shawn Zook had planned a June wedding, until they found out Kim's father had terminal cancer; so they moved the wedding up. KING' TVs lifestyle reporter, Kelly Moore was the planner for the event and coordinated all the elements including the Food Network connection. Kelly contacted me to play the pipes for the processional and recessional. It was quite a memorable wedding for me to play, given the situation with Kim's father and all of the goings on with the TV taping.

Food Network aired the show 4 times between April 30 and May 7, and often repeats shows. Here's a link you can check for any updated scheduling http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ie/episode/0,,FOOD_28496_56369,00.html

The show is really all about the planning and execution of the amazing Asian/Celtic dinner, but I'm on it for about 3 seconds. Don't blink or you'll miss me!

Sunset pix galore!

I'm doing a little art project.

Each night when I am at the Golf Club at Newcastle to pipe the sun down (generally between 8:30 and 9:00 pm), I snap a pic on my camera. Over the four plus years I've been playing there I've seen some amazing sunsets, and as much as I appreciated sunsets before, I have an even greater appreciation for them now.

So, you can view the photos. Just go to http://www.camerarenter.com/ and in the "FIND YOUR PHOTOS" field, type "Neil"

You'll be able to see the pix. Lot's of them from May are pretty cloudy and gray but there are starting to be more with some beautiful red and orange color, and the one from last night (here) is especially spectacular. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to date or caption the shots, but I'll post some of the better ones here.

The reason I decided to do this is that last year I had a conversation with a woman there at Newcastle who said, commenting on the sunset, "does it always look like this up here?" My response was "no, it's completely different every night." So I decided to be able to capture as best I can, in 8 megapixels, the infinite ways the sky can look.

And as an aside, I think the view from the terrace at the Calcutta Grill at the Golf Club at Newcastle is one of the great underrated views in the whole Puget Sound area. The club is open to the public, you can have dinner, a drink, or just come up to take in the view. Directions: http://www.newcastlegolf.com/Directions.aspx?SecID=369

Who's the real celebrity here?

OK. I finally have the time and motivation--a funny story to tell--to write a post. Mind you, I'm still a reluctant blogger. But here goes.

I play the pipes every night at sunset at the Newcastle Golf Course. During the past couple of years I've had the opportunity to chat a few times with a well known local TV news anchor and his young daughter. Two nights ago, while I was playing they came out to listen. I stopped and talked with them for a few minutes. Her 4th birthday was the next day (yesterday). As we talked about other things, 3 young boys, probably between the ages of 8 and 11, approached us, each with a piece of paper in their hands, and one with a pen and one of those flat folders that restaurants bring you your check in.

They asked ME for my autograph. Suprised, with an odd mixture of feeling humbled and prideful, I looked at the local TV celebrity and told the boys "you should be asking for HIS autograph!" One replied "who's he?" I said "he does the news on the TV!" We both laughed, with him saying "they don't watch the news, you're the celebrity up here."

So I asked the first kid what his name was, and what he wanted me to write (a trick I learned as a teenager when I asked Lou Reed for his autograph, and my reply, which he appropriately wrote down "I don't know.") Predictably, the youngster said "Ummmm....I don't know." Which I wrote down verbatim.

I signed the next two autographs, accidentially misspelling one of the kid's names, and they left, thrilled now to add Neil the Bagpiper's autograph to their Seahawk autographs. I finished my evening by playing "Happy Birthday" for the about-to-be-four year old.

I relate this story here, and somehow it seems much drier on the computer screen, because just about every time I play, there is some little thing like this that occurs, that for me, makes the experience of performing publicly so much richer than simply walking out, playing the bagpipe and leaving. This is one of the unexpected rewards I've found comes with doing what I love to do.

Blog-winked.

Oh God. Say it ain't so. I'm a blogger. I'm in the blogosphere. I've been blog-winked.

Kicking and screaming, here I am.

Who am I, why am I here?

More shall be revealed as we go along.