Tag: Blog

Everything that’s wrong with your pipe band medley

Everything that’s wrong with your pipe band medley

by Dan Nevans. Piping Today #89, 2018. Do you know what the first sign of madness is? It’s repeating the same actions over and over and expecting a different outcome. The second sign is hairy palms. Friends, bandspeople, country folk… lend me your reading apparatus. I am about to attempt to […]

Caution Sign - Politically Correct Area Ahead

Michael Grey’s Notes: PC gone mad!

GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey. Piping Today #76, 2015. A short note to people who don’t have a lot of height: taller adults snag jobs of higher status and, on average, earn more than other people. Yes. It’s true. Are you offended — you with the 26 inch inside leg? […]

Michael Grey’s Notes: Piping in later life – no excuses

Michael Grey’s Notes: Piping in later life – no excuses

GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey. Piping Today #74, 2015. My Dad always said that life moves forward at a pace in tandem with a person’s age.  So when you’re 10, life seems to move along at a grindingly slow 10mph. At 10 a kid feels like it’ll take forever for […]

Michael Grey’s Notes: Dear Old Glasgow Town

Michael Grey’s Notes: Dear Old Glasgow Town

GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey. Piping Today #71, 2014. You know you’re a seriously regular visitor to Glasgow when someone stops you on the street, asks for directions  and you can help – and with mostly reliable info. It’s the last Friday of the Commonwealth Games and thanks to years […]

Bill Livingstone: not the singer but the song

Bill Livingstone: not the singer but the song

PIOBAIREACHD TUITION by Bill Livingstone Piping Today #98, 2019. I once was judging a piobaireachd competition with the great John MacDougall and a piper performing before us had finished his tune. It had no errors, the pipe was fine, technique fine, but John turned to me and said: “Bill, I’m […]

Michael Grey’s Notes: Seven deadly sins

Michael Grey’s Notes: Seven deadly sins

GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey. Piping Today #70, 2014. One of the people I teach, a young guy, about 17, is mad as hell about piping. He eats it up. Loves the tunes, loves to play. He’s crazy about piping — a lot like you maybe. I can tell you […]

Celebration the announcement of winning the grade one World Pipe Band Championships 2009

Bill Livingstone: Hockey Lessons

HOCKEY LESSONS by Bill Livingstone Piping Today #96, 2019. I grew up in the town of Copper Cliff in Northern Ontario, and completed my secondary education (“high school” in some quarters) in Copper Cliff High School (CCHS) which boasted a total enrolment of about 300 students in Grades 9 through […]

Michael Grey’s Notes: Angus Mackay on trousers, life and God

Michael Grey’s Notes: Angus Mackay on trousers, life and God

GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey Piping Today #68, 2013. Angus Mackay.  He’ll be known, at least by name, to many of you. Born on September 10, 1813 — under the astrological sign of Virgo — on Raasay, an island off the north-west coast of Scotland, he was to become one […]

Survey Summary: 100 Years of Pipe Bands

Survey Summary: 100 Years of Pipe Bands

Survey Summary: 100 YEARS OF PIPE BANDSby Michael Grey With over 200 respondents, a summarised view can now be passed along of the “100 years of pipe bands” survey offered last month to readers of bagpipe.news (and those of my blog). In my working life (corporate communications) I’ve always found […]