Friday, October 22, 2010
The RSPBA regradings are up on their website and it seems some eastern US bands have seen some impact. The North Coast Pipe Band of Cleveland, Ohio sees their standing improved to Grade 3B for competitions with the RSPBA sphere while the City of Washington Pipe Band of Washington, D.C., for a decade the EUSPBA’s only Grade 1 band, sees a downgrade to Grade 2 for RSPBA competitions. Given the explicit reciprocity among the worldwide pipe band associations, it will be interesting to see what will develop as a result of this decision.
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
It’s all very nice to bandy about theories and ideas about what will make eastern US pipe bands better. But we’re not talking about magic here. If the rationale for the change—to force improvement in pipe bands because that improvement is currently absent—is solid, it should hold up against the data. So let’s look at it, shall we?
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Monday, October 18, 2010
The recent string of Facebook comments on the EUSPBA Facebook page regarding playing instructors in pipe bands is worth a read. Obviously, it strikes a chord within our little eastern US piping and drumming community. Opinions abound, but if one were trying to find a rationale for the rule change for the 2011 season, one will have to look elsewhere.
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Do you ever stop and think about what inspires you as a player and musician? I don’t know many active pipers and drummers who are not inspired in some way after watching high-level performances. The desire to expose ourselves more to that which inspires us would then mean more concerts, more attendance at premier events, and more involvement. But is this the case?
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