Piping celebrations

**Barb T** · 28th September 08, 07:47 AM

Check out the season standings for pipe band competitions in the Eastern US Pipe Band Association:

http://results.euspba.org/reportgen/...2008-2000.html

Our band (the Mohawk Valley Frasers) is 1st in Grade 3, 2nd in Grade 4, and 8th in Grade 5 for the season!! Our Grade 3 competition section also won the New England Grade 2 (yes Grade 2!) championship last weekend at the New Hampshire Highland Games.

I play in our Gr 4 competition section, and I should be completely honest and say that, overall, our Gr 4 isn't all that great, although we did place 2nd out of 12 Gr 4 bands at the Hunter Mountain Pipe Band Championships in August. We've done OK this summer, but our second place standing is largely because we competed more than most bands and because we had that one great win in a large field at Hunter....But, it's fun to see our name in second place!!

**JRB** · 28th September 08, 07:54 AM

Congratulations Barb! Well done. I've had the good fortune to watch the Mohawk Valley Frasers compete 3 times this summer.

**McMurdo** · 28th September 08, 07:59 AM

Congratulations Barb, it was good seeing your band in Ithica this summer, I wish you all continued success.

**beloitpiper** · 28th September 08, 08:31 AM

Wow, that's great! Next year you'll really have to show them what you can do!

Do you do solo competition?

**Barb T** · 28th September 08, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by beloitpiper

Do you do solo competition?

No, I don't solo compete. I have a couple 2/4 marches and a couple 6/8s that I could use, but I just haven't been able to find the time to actually compete. It means getting to games very early in the morning, which, for us, typically means leaving the night before, etc., etc. About half our grade 4 band solo competes, so I may succumb to peer pressure next summer. Don't know!

**BEEDEE** · 28th September 08, 04:23 PM

Fantastic! Where do you find the time to teach, pipe, and make kilts!

Brian

**BobsYourUncle** · 28th September 08, 04:43 PM

Congratulations! You are inspriring me--I am jonesing to learn the pipes. I'm intimidated by the complexity and difficulty....

**george7** · 28th September 08, 05:16 PM

Congratulations Barb! I think anybody on this site would love piping as much as I do if they got out there and tried it. If you've got some time... look up your local pipes and drum band. Almost any local band will teach you what you need to start playing pipes or drums.

**Kevo** · 28th September 08, 05:23 PM

I'm stoking up the pipes. Just a beginner I've had several lessons and am currently in waiting for a beginner class to crank up here in Houston, TX. I've been on the practice chanter for 2 months now and I'm starting to see some progress!! Lots actually!! Within a year I hope to be generating some worthy tunes.