Monday, May 18, 2009

Living Traditions Festival Report 5/16/09

Living Traditions Festival

I arrived early, as per my instructions, but nobody (and by this I mean no other Salt Lake Scots)was there. I even did a three-quarters tour around City Hall but saw and heard nothing. Eventually I found Nicholas and Tyler playing at the Scottish Association tent, along with Laura (drummer), and upon returning to the quiet side of the building, I found pipers tuning up away from the madding throng. It wasn't anybody I was comfortable with, so I tried to remain invisible by not making eye contact and being silent, and since nobody spoke to me one way or another, it must have worked.

Eventually Jason turned up, notice me and said 'hi'. Then Grant came, and Aaron, and finally Pete. The invisibility trick doesn't work on friends, so they all saw me and said 'hey' and I felt much more comfortable. Not entirely, because the pressure was on to play Grade 3 quality in public. I kept repeating 'I must have been invited for a reason, I can do this; I must have been invited for a reason, I can do this', and tried to focus on the tunes.

I think Pete and Jason did try to put me at ease a little bit. Pete told funny stories, and Jason said to the group, "We've got a good group here, . . . ", meaning me, too. Even Triona warmed up after awhile.

Score Card:

Flubs:

1 timing flub, when trying not to squeak
2 early chanters on strike-in
3 fingering flubs
a few squeaks, but not many

Bright Sides:

Mill Set: I did not come in early, and I remembered the drum break
Battle Set: Great
Grade 4 medley: It sure made us 4 look important cuz we were the ONLY ones who could play that set (hehehehehe!)
AG: Played the correct ending both times
STB: Opened up my doublings
Squeaks: very few. How sweet it is!

Afterwards (45 minutes later), Erin said the Utah Scottish Society wanted a few pipers to go over to their booth and play a few tunes. Jason specifically asked me if I would like to be a part of that group. I don't know if he was being nice to a newbie or if he just needed people desperately, or what. We played 2 tunes ( I forget which) and Jason went right into the solo part of Highland Cathedral (and I didn't mess up), we all joined in, and at the cut off, we were dismissed.

Tyler still treats me with contempt and distain. Not that it matters, but I don't know what I could have done that offended him so much, and he just back from a 2-year mission. Let's see. Possibilities are: a) be a not-so-hot piper; b) not practice 3 hours a day; c) be an old lady piper (how DARE I start learning pipes so late in life . . . ?!); d) have a sense of humor (pipes ranking 4th on the Amazingly Hilarious Things list after giraffes, elephants, and duck-billed platypii, how could you NOT laugh at them? But I defer . . .); e) be taller than he is, and thus a threat to his ego; f) he just does, so there; I guess as long as I don't have to deal with him, and if I do have to deal with him, I play well, I'll be fine. Not too much to ask, is it?

3 comments:

Granpiper said...

Tyler: I felt the same way, but I think he's just not the social type. I've talked to him a couple of times and he pops out of the sullen state for a pleasant conversation then slips back in again. Anyway, I'd be careful about what you say on a public blog ... yeah right, look who's talking. I saw him giving me a hard stare from across the circle last night and I thought to myself, "Smile and wave boys; smile and wave." If I could have done either one I would have. Anyway, I think he's a good guy - just hard to read.

Rose said...

Public blog, yeah right. We both know you and I are the only ones who read this thing. Anyway, Tyler actually spoke kindly to me last night, directing me in the march into the circle, so I suspect you are right: he's just hard to read. It's all in my imagination. I shall take a more positive attitude toward all band members in future. Including that tall foreign guy with the moustache . . .

Granpiper said...

You'd be surprised what stuff a search engine will dig up. I had a coach approach me about a posting someone had made on a blog about me and my hockey team. She told me to do a search on google for a certain key word et voila ... there it was; someone I didn't even know was posting fairly slanderous things about me and my hockey team on the internet. The guy's kid was a goalie on another team and he couldn't stand the idea of us shooting pucks past his little darling. Imagine!