Wednesday, October 9, 2013

California sandpiper: Developing a top bagpiping quartet ('The Bella Bagpipe Quartet' is one possible name) together over the next few years, Quartet videos on WUaS's Great Highland Bagpipe wiki page, Stuart Liddell's 'The Ascension of Inveraray & District Pipe Band - 2004-2013'



Hi R, E Rose and A,

I'm writing to ask if you'd like to develop a top bagpiping quartet ('The Bella Bagpipe Quartet' is one possible name) together over the next few years, as a kind of 'by invitation only' opportunity to play piping harmonies as well as traditional MSRs, Medleys and Hornpipes and Jigs in innovative ways and toward competitions (e.g. the 'Piping Live' competition in Glasgow, and as a way to improve), as well as gigs, and especially to explore, too, jamming on bagpipes together. While I'm looking to play 'the J.S. Bach of bagpipe music' (since Bach's music kind of 'plays' me, due to its beauty - which is conducive to learning), I also think it could be great to work toward the PCPB Grade 3 repertory, since R and A are good players in the Prince Charles' young person's training band. I enjoyed hearing E Rose (a piping student of R. W., in Marin or Sonoma, I think) play in the parade at the Scottish Country Dance Christmas Party in Kensington (near Berkeley) last year. We could potentially plan to meet where I live in beautiful Canyon, California, and one good possible time might be on late Friday afternoons, before Scottish Country Dancing in Berkeley which begins at 8 pm (and is worth leaving an hour to get to; another time might be late Tuesday or Thursday afternoons).

If you're interested in developing this training-to-be a top piping quartet together, ask your parents about this, and email this to them, too. A (are you in 10th grade?) lives the closest in Piedmont (- and nice to see you recently at the PCPB practice; I found your email on the web). In addition to planning for a weekly playing session (keeping the joy of music-making in mind at every session), we might also explore a second once-a-week Google Hangout for further playing together and learning. I'd love to get to Grade 1 in 4-5 years, and musically and beautifully , so I think I'd (we'd) invite you (each other) as a quartet to daily bagpipe playing, as well as invite you to compete in a few games each year (for focusing and learning), as part of the learning to make music together.


Have you seen these quartet videos on World University and School's Great Highland Bagpipe wiki page - http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Highland_Bagpipe? (Check out Stuart Liddell's "Ascension" as well -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbikiMAjhDM. Stuart is a great piper, with some amazing Youtube videos :)

I know R has expressed some interest in this. Looking forward to hearing from you about this great piping and music-making quartet opportunity.

With friendly, bagpiping regards,
Scott























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