Kilting at a grade school!

[Mr. Woolery]

Looks like my dad is planning to be there. I'm worried he might bring a snare drum instead of pipes, though. He has been in the drum corps for years, just because they needed another drummer in the band more than they needed another piper. But he's trying to work his way back to piping because that's what he loves the best. Problem is, his pipes are not currently set up for playing. Needs to adjust the reeds, probably have a newer chanter (his plays several cents below the current band standard), and so on. I don't have time to do it for him tonight, or I would just take care of it and have him playing sooner.

Maybe my mom will let him use her pipes. That would be good. Hers are all ready to go. (She's the only bagpipe teacher for about 300 miles.)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. Always a fun lot of kids. The pipes will really make it a party! Or get me invited to never enter the school again...

I'm just planning to play Green Hills, When the Battle's O'er, and Wha Wouldna Fecht fer Charlie. If there's more time to fill, I can add in Scotland the Brave or Barren Rocks. I want to stick to the old chestnuts for the sake of my dad, who is a better piper, but not as in practice, so I'll just do stuff every piper can practically play in his sleep.

I'll report on what the kids say about the kilts.

-Patrick

[Mr. Woolery]

Okay, just got back. The kids and teachers were totally cool with the kilt. Since we had bagpipes, two men in kilts were a total non-issue. My dad played his guitar while I did the banjo thing with the kids, then we got out the pipes (clearly, the teachers had prepared them for it). Not one question about why we had on unbifurcated garments.

Even kids from other classes came up to us after school let out and commented about what they heard on the other end of the school. I should note that up here the schools are all connected. When I was a kid in California, the schools were made up of several buildings with only a few classrooms in each. Up here in Alaska, all of it has to be connected with indoor halls and such. So, playing in the commons area makes sure everyone hears. The kids who came up to us after the bell didn't even mention the kilts, just the pipes.

Kind of funny that bagpipes sort of legitimize kilts (hence the shirts that say things like "I don't have to play bagpipes in order to have good fashion sense.") but I suspect that a tartan kilt wouldn't get a lot of comment from most of these kids even without the pipes.

So, all in all, none of the questions I expected and a fair amount of fun.

-Patrick

[12stones]

Awesome story. Those kids definitely got an introdution to a great part of culture today. Good on ya for doing it.