It’s been a while since I wrote. A two-week visit from my parents (from England) has given us plenty to do. Now we’re getting back into our routines. Here is a drive-by of my piping March:

My old band performs with Rod Stewart

The Celtic Spirit Pipe Band, of Buffalo, NY got a cool gig at the beginning of the month. Apparently, when Rod Stewart comes to town, he likes to have a local pipe band open his concerts. This time it was my old band that got the nod. According to my ex-Pipe Major, Joe Baschnagel, it was a great evening. Playing in front of 20,000 people an a circular stage is not to be missed!

A few days later Celtic Spirit headlined another concert with a popular Buffalo Irish Step dance company, Rince Na Tiarna. In a curious confluence, I learned a couple of days ago that the concert was arranged and promoted by a former colleague of my wife. More evidence of the smalltown-ness of Buffalo, I suppose.

I finally attend a meeting of the Utah Piobaireachd Society

It took me three missed meetings, but I finally got there. A great evening of Ceol Mor, although I was puzzled it was attended only by members of my band. Turns out the other two bands locally have their practice on the UPS meeting night. I will have to see if we can change the night, so the others can be there.

I play a funeral in a very old cemetery

I got a call to play a funeral in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. It’s a beautiful location, with a lot of historically significant people buried there, including Brigham Young, who is kind of a popular guy around here.

On to April…

My kids were watching the show “Make Way for Noddy” yesterday. The title was “Noddy and the Magic Bagpipes”, which was enough to catch my interest.

In the episode, this pre-school icon is so impressed by the sound of his friend Big-Ears’ bagpipes he convinces Big-Ears to lend them to him. Big-Ears impresses upon Noddy the need for regular practice. Un-named consequences are hinted at if Noddy fails to comply.

Predictably enough, Noddy’s first flush of enthusiasm wanes quickly as various distractions cause him to shelve the pipes for several days. Because of lack of practice, the set of pipes comes to life and runs around the neighborhood on its little drone legs, sneaking up on people and causing chaos.

Moral of this story - follow through on your commitments, or suffer the consequences.

When I came downstairs this morning, I checked my pipes were still in their case. They were, but I learned something today.