My wife made me do some tidying up in my "band closet" (she's about to pop out a future Highlander and is really feathering the nest right now). Amongst the exercises that I never do and drafts of scores we never played I found a copy of the letter that one of our band's founding members, Dr. Steve Wilson, dictated to be read at Burns' Night 2006. Steve was in the final throws of a battle with cancer and died shortly before that Burns'. I was the emcee that evening and I can still remember how hard it was to get through the letter, which I will post below in a bit.
Running into this letter made me think about the fact that there are a lot of newer members of the Ozark Highlanders who never had the honor and pleasure of playing with Doc Wilson. He was a joy to be around and one of the most interesting people I've ever met. Ask some of the old hands in the band to tell you stories about Steve; I bet we all have one. And if not a story, at least a really bad joke. :)
Here's the letter:
BURNS NIGHT
It's always been one of my greatest pleasures to be a part of the Ozark Highlanders Pipe Band. I've always wanted to write a book about the Ozark Highlanders but there was always far too much material.
Some of my greatest pleasures have come in times spent with this fine group of people. It's been a fun ride all the way and in piping, I've made the closest friends I could have on this earth.
It's a well known fact among old pipers like myself that the Bible says when the angels rejoice with God they play harps, when they play for themselves they play bagpipes and God eavesdrops. Each one of you know deep down in your hearts, and all of you who know me, know that this is a load of crock. Nevertheless, like I've always said, this band is family.
It's been a great joyride, but I must reluctantly be the first to cash in my ticket. But I'll be waiting for you because we've got a big job coming up. So, tighten your snare heads and tune your drones and join me hopefully in the distant future for the biggest concert of all.
I leave you with brow of affection in my heart, a wee bit of sorrow, but with more joy than any laddie can ever expect, and now it is time to move on.
As we all remind ourselves the Great Clan Chief awaits us with open arms, just as you will each reside in my heart until the end of time.
Steven C. Wilson, M.D.
January 25, 2006
We miss you, Steve...
Friday, June 15, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Pipey's Orders
"No more fun for 3 months."
Sounds like a raw deal, but those words from Justin came right after having told us that one of our pipers was admitted to the hospital this morning and another had nearly severed the thumb and index finger of his right hand in a tractor accident.
Needless to say, not a great day for the Highlanders. We need everyone we can get right now if we are going to have a shot at Tulsa, so none of us are allowed to go skydiving, rattlesnake hunting, etc. until after competition. Also, and definitely more importantly, these are friends of ours and we hate to see them go though such things. When you spend as much time together as we do, your band starts feeling like a second family.
On a lighter note, we had our second beginners class today. Bret and I took the new drummers off so we could work on the basics of drumming and I think it all went really well; we are going to get some really solid players out of this if they will stick with it.
On another happy note, it is definitely worth mentioning that Justin has convinced Amy Robinson to come back to the band and serve as Pipe Sergeant. It's great having her around and we are really going to benefit from her talent and leadership. I for one am looking forward to our first band outing so I can get to know her better. She seems like a top cat.
As always, stay tuned...
cheers,
~Mark
Sounds like a raw deal, but those words from Justin came right after having told us that one of our pipers was admitted to the hospital this morning and another had nearly severed the thumb and index finger of his right hand in a tractor accident.
Needless to say, not a great day for the Highlanders. We need everyone we can get right now if we are going to have a shot at Tulsa, so none of us are allowed to go skydiving, rattlesnake hunting, etc. until after competition. Also, and definitely more importantly, these are friends of ours and we hate to see them go though such things. When you spend as much time together as we do, your band starts feeling like a second family.
On a lighter note, we had our second beginners class today. Bret and I took the new drummers off so we could work on the basics of drumming and I think it all went really well; we are going to get some really solid players out of this if they will stick with it.
On another happy note, it is definitely worth mentioning that Justin has convinced Amy Robinson to come back to the band and serve as Pipe Sergeant. It's great having her around and we are really going to benefit from her talent and leadership. I for one am looking forward to our first band outing so I can get to know her better. She seems like a top cat.
As always, stay tuned...
cheers,
~Mark
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Beginning Pipers and Drummers
Today we officially kicked off the new piping and drumming classes. Justin and I opted to have the two classes meet together for the first meeting, and I think it went really well. Looks like a fun crew that is excited about learning.
We ended up with about an equal number of pipers and drummers and the friendly divisions seem to already be taking place. We had a piper vs. drummer rhythm clap-off, and, though I hate to boast, we drummers won that thing handily... and weren't afraid to make that fact known to the pipers.
The next few months should be both fun and challenging for the new folks as well as the instructors. Look for a lot more posts about the progress of the students as they come along.
We ended up with about an equal number of pipers and drummers and the friendly divisions seem to already be taking place. We had a piper vs. drummer rhythm clap-off, and, though I hate to boast, we drummers won that thing handily... and weren't afraid to make that fact known to the pipers.
The next few months should be both fun and challenging for the new folks as well as the instructors. Look for a lot more posts about the progress of the students as they come along.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
This Weekend
This weekend some of us are heading up to Missouri to play one of our longstanding gigs, the commencement at the College of the Ozarks. This will be my third year in a row to do it, and I have to say it's one of my favorites. The students are always excited about graduating and more than a little bit confused about seeing people in kilts running around.
By the end of the ceremony everyone is always so nice to us, though, and the confused looks quickly turn to handshakes and high fives.
I only hope the commencement speaker isn't too boring.
I'll try and do my first mobile post from the ceremony on Sunday.
cheers,
~Mark
By the end of the ceremony everyone is always so nice to us, though, and the confused looks quickly turn to handshakes and high fives.
I only hope the commencement speaker isn't too boring.
I'll try and do my first mobile post from the ceremony on Sunday.
cheers,
~Mark
Monday, May 7, 2007
Exciting Times
For the first time in a while, the band didn't compete at the Arkansas Scottish Festival in Batesville last month. It was a real bummer when we had to come to the decision to sit one out. We work really hard to prepare for the few competitions that we go to and I hate to miss one. A few of the band members went and marched in massed bands and had a great time, but it's not the same.
The Highlanders are currently in one of those "transisition" periods that so often shake up pipe bands. Sometimes these are devastating, but I think this one is going to pay off great dividends in the near future. We have a new Pipe Major who is really challenging us to do our best (just like our old one did, thanks Linda), have a few newer pipers who are really coming into their own and some more new pipers who should be joining us soon, and are starting both a piping and a drumming class next month. These are exciting times for us, as the band is changing right before our eyes. It's a pretty amazing thing that the Ozark Highlanders have managed to stay around for more then 20 years, and the future looks very bright for us. We are currently working on a new competition set that we will debut in September at the Oklahoma Scottish Games and the last few weeks have left me with a great sense of optimism. Our pipers are really hammering out the fine details of their music and are really focusing on playing musically and the drum corps has been presented with some tougher music than we've played before and they are really stepping up to the plate.
Look for us to turn some heads in Tulsa in a few months....
The Highlanders are currently in one of those "transisition" periods that so often shake up pipe bands. Sometimes these are devastating, but I think this one is going to pay off great dividends in the near future. We have a new Pipe Major who is really challenging us to do our best (just like our old one did, thanks Linda), have a few newer pipers who are really coming into their own and some more new pipers who should be joining us soon, and are starting both a piping and a drumming class next month. These are exciting times for us, as the band is changing right before our eyes. It's a pretty amazing thing that the Ozark Highlanders have managed to stay around for more then 20 years, and the future looks very bright for us. We are currently working on a new competition set that we will debut in September at the Oklahoma Scottish Games and the last few weeks have left me with a great sense of optimism. Our pipers are really hammering out the fine details of their music and are really focusing on playing musically and the drum corps has been presented with some tougher music than we've played before and they are really stepping up to the plate.
Look for us to turn some heads in Tulsa in a few months....
21st Century Pipe Band
Well, we've decided it's time to start a blog for the pipe band. The last couple of years has seen a lot of technology changes for the Highlanders, starting with the debut of our new website and continuing with our band page on MySpace and our online forums. It all seems to have been pretty successful thus far, so we thought a blog would be the next place to go. We hope you enjoy it, and it will be a great place to hear about the more current news for the band (updating the news section on the website is generally only reserved for bigger stuff), and also get a glimpse into what we are doing on a more regular basis.
We've come a long way from the time when some lunatic stuck some hollow sticks in a sheep hide and thought "I think I'll blow in this and make some music."
All kidding aside, all of this new technology adds a lot to the piping and drumming community. There is a great comraderie amongst pipe bands the world over, always has been I suppose, but now we are not confined to sharing stories (and beers) at Highland games. Many of us are in regular contact with other musicians the world over, and the ability to dissiminate ideas is vital in the progression of the genre.
Now.....if only I could figure out a way for my computer to buy me a Guinness at the Beer Tent....
We've come a long way from the time when some lunatic stuck some hollow sticks in a sheep hide and thought "I think I'll blow in this and make some music."
All kidding aside, all of this new technology adds a lot to the piping and drumming community. There is a great comraderie amongst pipe bands the world over, always has been I suppose, but now we are not confined to sharing stories (and beers) at Highland games. Many of us are in regular contact with other musicians the world over, and the ability to dissiminate ideas is vital in the progression of the genre.
Now.....if only I could figure out a way for my computer to buy me a Guinness at the Beer Tent....
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