If there was one place you would like to play your pipes, anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Me? I would love to strap on the pipes and plant myself firmly on the rocky north shore of Lake Superior up at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Minnesota, USA. I have always had a great fondness for the BIG LAKE, and as a child and teenager, I spent many summer days watching the deep clear water crash against the shore and fishing for salmon and trout in her tributary steams and coastal waters. It would be great to go back there someday, sit down, pipe and remember a distant and seemingly carefree childhood.
I’ve been to the edge of the big lake, and agree with you it is beautiful. My sister-in-law lives down not too far from Iron Mountain..nice place during the summer (10 feet of snow in winter up by the lake however).
I would think somewhere with rock walls where you would get a nice natural reverb would be a good place to play.
Many, many years ago I used to play in a Rock & Roll band that was based from the Iron Range, Mountain Iron was one of our many stops throughout northern Minnesota. Very beautiful country up there.
A nice, cozy, cottage or a not-too-busy-pub (think weekdays in the offseason) in the west of Ireland - close to the sea. In fact if I could look out the window and see the ocean, even from a distance, that would be great.
There is something about playing the pipes next to a large body of water that really brings out their sweeter tones…beyond the humidity factor that is. I recently spent a week on Sanibel Island off the southwest coast of Florida, near the Fort Meyers area, and each morning from about 5:30 am until 10:00 am, I set up camp on the causway beach and piped my arse off. My pipes never sounded better, with the gulls and other sea birds supplying accent notes, the surf pounding out counter rhythms and the occasional pod of dolphins cruising by. Pretty cool stuff…and I was even sober for it!
I believe that’s the Chicago Cubs baseball team, which holds the record for going the longest period of time of any professional sports club without winning a championship (they last won the World Series in 1908).
Two fiddler friends and I had a little impromptu B session in the front window of a north side pub on monday night. It sure is nice to be able to share that flat set sound with people who appreciate it. The environment was perfect, too - the Cubs were off so the bar wasn’t too busy.
I grew up in the Detroit area so I can recall what it’s like when your home team wins the World Series. It’s a mixed bag. Yeah you’re happy for the team because it is so difficult but then some people act so stupidly during the celebrations that you kind of wish professional sports would go away quietly and not return.
If the Cubs ever win the series, it will be a good time to be in Ireland.
