SVPB Newsletter: February 18, 2022 _________________________________________________________________ 1. Upcoming Events: Please Mark Your Availability in TeamSnap Practices at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 13601 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, CA *NEW TUESDAY EVENING PRACTICE TIMES* Grade 4: 6:30 - 8 (meet in the gym) Grade 3: 8:30 - 10 (meet in the gym) Events and Competitions: March 12: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, San Francisco April 9 & 10: Las Vegas Highland Games, Grade 3 only, http://www.lasvegascelticsociety.org/ May 21: Sentinels of Freedom, Blackhawk Museum, Danville, CA: https://www.blackhawkmuseum.org/#0931000 May 28 & 29: Costa Mesa Scottish Festival, https://www.scottishfest.com/ July 16 & 17: Monterey Highland Games, Monterey, CA, https://www.montereycelticfest.com/ September 3 & 4: Pleasanton HIghland Games: Pleasanton, CA, https://thescottishgames.com/ _________________________________________________________________ 2. Everything Jack Lee Touches Turns to Gold Including this repository of nearly every pipe tune ever written. https://bagpipemusic.com/ Thanks, Robbie, for sending it in for the newsletter. _________________________________________________________________ 3. February Featured Band Members: Connor Studulski & Jeff Gordon Connor Studulski Current role(s) in band: Bagpiper Hometown: Sunnyvale, CA Occupation: Highschool Student Other musical talents: Played trumpet for my high school band for about a year Past pipe bands: Stewart Tartan Number of years playing: 7 Favorite tune (so far): The Knightswood Ceilidh A fond memory from my band career thus far: My favorite memory of piping so far was probably when the band had just rebranded and we started winning competitions before the start of the coronavirus. Before that season I had never even considered our band might get a trophy much less aggregate at Pleasanton. _________________________________________________________________ Jeff Gordon (photo credit: Milanda!) Current Role(s) in Band: Grade 3 Bass Drummer Hometown: Live in San Jose (Born in Kansas City) Occupation: retired (from the phone company, in 2009), now playing with grandkids Other hobbies: photography, travel, watching and coaching sports, and writing ridiculously long emails Other musical talents: Does air guitar count? I played drums with a local blues band for a while, several years ago, and played in my high school and college marching bands (several, um, decades ago). Past pipe bands: Started with the Los Gatos - Monte Sereno Pipes and Drums, in 2001, playing snare and was Drum Sergeant there until 2012, when I joined Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums and took over as Drum Sergeant there until 2018. I also have been playing both snare and bass with Santa Cruz Pipes and Drums, since 2011. Favorite pipe tune: Miss Megan Harrington Fond memory: So, so many. Going to Washington, D.C. twice for Police Week, and being the warm-up act for a Rod Stewart concert at the Shark Tank with the Los Gatos Police Band ... Marching in the 2005 Rose Parade with a massed pipes and drums band from Canada (in the pouring rainstorm) ... Attending Winter Storm in Kansas City twice ... Attending the Worlds in 2013 ... Performing with Stewart Tartan for a Raiders' pre-game ceremony in Oakland. But tops on the list has to be my first time playing with the Los Gatos band on St. Patrick's Day at the King's Head Pub in Campbell. It was jam-packed in there that night, full of well-lubricated patrons. We marched in there and were greeted like rock stars and when we started playing they went absolutely bonkers. That's when I realized just how much fun playing this music can be, and I was hooked, forevermore. _________________________________________________________________ 4. SVPB Photo Opp Many thanks to Milanda for sharing her library of band photos. Here’s a photo she sent from the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan, a gig the band played on October 23 last year at the Burlingame Presbyterian church. (from left to right: Steve Harrington, Sue Nissen, Craig Phelps, Milanda Moore, Dodger Posey, Burr Nissen, and John Boyden) _________________________________________________________________