Scotland Bound Concert July 27th 2011

My band made the news!!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Payson Scottish Festival

My band had a great time in Payson at the Scottish Festival! Our Grade 4 band took 2nd in both the quick march medley and the timed medley! Wahoo! Our grade 3 also had an awesome run.

Here is a clip from the Daily Herald that includes a few glimpses of our band. Check it out!
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/vmix_e3efccdc-aaa0-11e0-96a7-001cc4c03286.html

Salt Lake Scottish Festival

Well Folks! The Salt Lake Highland Games were a BLAST!!

It was a bit chilly but stayed rain-free for most of the day! Wahooo.

...soooooo it's taking way too long to process any of the videos onto my blog....all the videos are on my facebook page. Check 'em out!

Make note that we have 2 separate groups within our band: a grade 3 and grade 4. There are 3 videos of the grade 3, which is the band I play in. So if you want to see me! :D ...check out the Grade 3 stuff!

I am the tenor drummer in the middle. (Tenor=The cool drummers that twirl the sticks about)

1) Drum Salute:

In a drum salute competition, pretty much anything goes. You could even walk on with more than one drum on if you dared (makes it hard to walk though). Anyway, it is our chance to just have fun. So 'ere goes.

2) Timed Medley
We play a set of 8 tunes put together. They have to be within a certain amount of time, therefore the "Timed" in Timed Medley.

3) MSR:
Named after the types of tunes you play in the set: March, Strathspey and Reel.

Enjoy.

Costa Mesa Scottish Festival

I'm not very cool lately. I have just been working, baking and banding a lot.
I just got back from the Costa Mesa, California Scottish Festival (I guess that was a week ago).

We took 1st overall! Woot Woot!
We took 2nd the first day and 1st the second day. The rest of the time we partied in the sun. I'll take it.

Sand-stands. Check. 

Write in the sand. Check.

Pictures with friends. Check.

Pictures of the ocean. Check.

This was my response to the question "If you could write one thing in the sand, what would it be?"

Sara. You crazy. I love it.

Competition Videos!

Here are our competition videos!
Let me know if you are interested in learning snare (seriously)! We obviously need some more! Haha. We had a few players that weren't able to play so we were a bit tiny.

Pacific Northwest Pipe Band Competition

The Pacific Northwest Pipe Band Competition was a blast!
The weather in Enumclaw, WA was awesome. In the morning there was a low mist that covered the hills and kept it cool until afternoon. Perfect for drumming....not so much for bagpipes though.
We took 3rd place both days. The first day we actually tied for 2nd but got defaulted to 3rd based on our ensemble score. Anyway, it was rockin' and here are some pictures from it! Good Times! Enjoy.

What else would you do at 4 am except pretend you are gnomes?

(Kim, Megan and Kristen)

We went to a japanes restaurant the first night. It was rather tasty!

Best use for chopsticks is for drumming.

I made everyone eat their whole meal with only chopsticks. I confiscated forks.

This huge boat was filled with Sushi. It was devoured by these 3 people....and Max.

Max ate all the garnish from the Sushi Boat

Tha infamous "Try Me" toilet found at your local asian mall. We had to initiate Vivian for her first trip to Enumclaw.

Classic Jill.

Vrrrroooooom!

We had the traditional nail painting party on Friday but this time did my toes all sparkley! I look like I have old granny legs. :)

Getting ready in the morning is a blast when you are singing along to the musical Wicked.

The games were awesome as usual. Always lots of amazing bands to watch.

This is pretty much the scene. My band drooling over their food while watching Simon Fraser University (the world champions)....or are they drooling over SFU? :D

We went to Duke's Chowder House for dinner on Saturday. Highly Recommended (a little pricey though.)

Jill and I playing finger chess while waitng for our food. Mmmmm......soooo tasty!

Kylene, Vivian and Jill

Seafood? Gahaa. That never stops being funny.

Jill and her shrimp lips.

Later, back at the hotel....

This is my gaurdian angel...no wondered I am still scared of the dark.

The fun is over. :( Time to go back home.

After a 14 hour car drive it's nice to just lay on the grass.....while we wait for our stuff stashed in a trailer that broke down. :D

Me and crazy Jill

Just another day....

And I'm off this weekend to the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in Enumclaw Washington for another awesome competition. Wahoo!

"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"

This made me giggle. :D

Salt Lake Scottish Festival 2010 Pictures

Here are some more fun pictures from the day.

Kierra, Me, Jill

They said I looked like a gangster detective.

A storm's a brewin'!

(Jill is silly)

I made Tenor Cupcakes for the

Salt Lake Games Pipe Band Potluck

(Or as I like to call it, the SLGPBP....just kidding)

(Mentos, taffy and twizzlers pull-n-peel)
So cute!

Salt Lake Scottish Festival 2010

Well Folks! The Salt Lake Highland Games were a BLAST!!
It was a bit chilly but stayed rain-free for most of the day! Wahooo.

Nothin like last year.....

(Above: The Salt Lake Games Hurricane of 2009)

...soooooo it's taking way too long to process any of the videos onto my blog....all the videos are on my facebook page. Check 'em out! They will also probably make their way onto YouTube sometime.

Make note that we have 2 separate groups within our band: a grade 3 and grade 4.
There are 3 videos of the grade 3, which is the band I play in. So if you want to see me! :D ...check out the Grade 3 stuff!
I am the tenor drummer in the middle. (Tenor=The cool drummers that twirl the sticks about)

1) Drum Salute: In a drum salute competition, pretty much anything goes. You could even walk on with more than one drum on if you dared (makes it hard to walk though). Anyway, it is our chance to just have fun. So 'ere goes.



2) Timed Medley: We play a set of 8 tunes put together. They have to be within a certain amount of time, therefore the "Timed" in Timed Medley.

3) MSR: Named after the types of tunes you play in the set: March, Strathspey and Reel.

Enjoy.

Oh yeah....I got a new band hat. :D Stylish, huh?!

Life as a Tenor....

....is just amazing. That says enough. You get to travel, compete, be creative, have fun and beat a few people with your mallets if your lucky.

This last weekend my band, Wasatch and District Pipe Band Grade III, competed in the Las Vegas Highland Games and took 1st and 2nd place in our 2 competitions (Taking 1st overall in our grade)!

Our Grade IV Band also did super well taking 3rd and 4th place! Not too bad considering we had some first timers in the group who have never competed before!

Here are the links to videos if you are interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeplbsE7dbI

I botched the ending in this one...oopsies!! :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BVXhw0EmsE

It was an absolute blast! The world champions, Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, were there which is always cool!

(SFU above)

I went to a ceilidh on Saturday and made it just in time to see SFU marching off! Bummer! So we went to the M&M Factory instead!

I also went to Gold and Silver Pawn more commonly known as "Pawn Stars" on TV. It was a wee bit crazy. Very busy but fun nontheless. I saw Chum Lee, Rick and the Old Man. It was funny. :D

Our next competition is on June 11th and 12th here in our very own neck of the woods, Thanksgiving Point. It is always a blast so come out and see us! There will be lots of food, music, caber tossing, dancing and lots of shops to browse through!

If anyone is interested in being part of the band or learning one of these instruments, let me know. I can hook you up with contacts. (Not the lenses) ;D

Is Throwing A Tree Really A Sport?!

I was definitely going to post this a week ago but got really busy, so, here it is very quickly.


Well, I am back from a fabulous band extravanganza in the Rockies. The Longs Peak Scottish Highland Festival hired our band to perform for them at their annual games. The games were held in Estes Park Colorado and it was beautiful (most of the time)! We saw a ton of wildlife and experienced some great weather.


We were featured alongside the Scots Guard Pipe Band established in 1632 who came all the way from Scotland to perform! It was also an honor to play alongside the US Marine Corps Band.


The 3 bands performed for the tattoo held each night starting on Thursday Sep 10. It was great. Here you can see the spoils. Enjoy.


Catapult trying to hit ol' nessy on the lake

The real marines.

That's right....we were VIPs.

Free junk food and drinks all the time!

Hiding out from the rain inside a vendor tent

Playing Mad Gab on the bus ride over to the park

I just finished raiding the box of lunch left-overs for more Capri Suns.

Playing cards with a band marine dude

Our band just chillin'

Megan doing Blue Steel

Hacky. The band's favorite past-time...besides music of course. ;P

Gorgeous Sunsets. (This picture does not do it justice)

Me, Kierra and Jill just goofing off at the tattoo on down-time

Me doing a flip on the exercise equipment at the YMCA

Just posing for a good golf shot.

I got a hole-in-one!

Elk

Brandon had to visit The Man Cave so we made him pose like a sissy

Howdy.

Calzone (and Jill getting in the picture so it's not just a picture of food).

Triple Decker.........$6
Italian Sub.........$6
Calzone.........$5
Getting 3 meals and splitting them between your friends.....Priceless

My sunburn on the very first day! It is nice and cool so you can't tell you're burning!

Wildlife

They were fighting and then posed for the camera dang it!