Hi Everyone
This is my first post after coming back home from the Koroit Lake School. I had an excellent time with both ‘old’ and ‘new’ friends. I learn’t a heap and would encourage other pipers in Australia (or from further abroad for that matter) to seriously consider attending the event. Nearly everyone is there to have fun and they do not mind if you stuff up the best session set of the night, I’m sorry to say I did that on one or two occasions. People are there to have fun at sessions and don’t consider that it is a competition.
After the lessons on the pipes had finished for the week. Jack Brennan told me that I had mastered the chanter and regulators beyond most people here. The only thing that he could teach me now was tune settings and read making which I plan on doing if I go to Adelaide for the holidays. A few people have asked me to play with them at various folk festivals around the country and I heared a ‘rumour’ going around at the Lake School that I might potentialy be teaching the beginners next year ‘if’ more people attend.
At the Grand Ceilie which all stundents must play at, I played a solo and a duet. For the solo I played a reel called Miss McLeod’s, which got a standing ovation and people spontaniously got up to dance to it half way through. For the duet I played with a smallpiper called Miriam and we played a wonderfull setting of The Curlew people where calling for ‘more’ and the audience bo’d when we didn’t. If Corry sends me the tracks from the night I’ll post them on Clips & Snips.
A new group called Beltane (is possibly) looking at me playing with them at the Canberra Folk Festival on one of the major stages (and this is a big if). Even if I don’t end up playing with them they are worth making a point to attend their concerts at Port Ferry and the Nationals in Canberra. You’ll be dissapointed if you don’t. They are an excellent group of young musicians and their demo CD is worth buying. Although they are a ‘Chieftains’ like line-up, short of the pipes it is still a very fresh sound a nice change of pace from the older musicians.
Any advice from the really experienced plays on where I should go from here. There are a lot of experienced pipers in Australia but they tend to be ‘closet’ players. It could be big business for me to get into. Should I get a manager?
All in all a succesful ‘Lake School’ and a very satisfied piper.
Cheers L42B 