We had a good weekend in Pleasanton. It was great seeing familiar faces in person and getting to connect with folks we hadn't seen since 2019. The field of competition was pretty thin, but everyone who showed up was at least doing better than everyone who didn't! Grade 3 got some really nice comments on their playing of strathspeys, which just goes to show that their diligent practice on Zoom, doing one-on-one playing with the P/M and a metronome, really paid off. For the next 5 weeks, we will not be having *band* practice. However, we will be showing up to the gym at the church on Tuesday evenings to practice solo tunes (playing, for those who already have their tunes down and want to polish their performance), and to help folks choose new tunes. This is not an exercise in speed learning tunes; this is a break from band, to give solo performers a chance to get some feedback and get well-set for next season. We don't want people getting burned out or bored with the band music; playing solos is a great way to practice your technique and play different scores. Speaking of getting set up for next season, here's something for everyone to consider: drummers, pick your tune(s) now for next year, and find a piper who'll play for you. Pipers, when a drummer asks you to play for their solos, say yes and learn their tune! We really ought to be supporting each other, and nobody likes to scramble on the day to find someone to play with them. Pick a tempo and a setting now, and spend the time between now and the next competition learning the tunes and getting confident so that on the day, it's not an improv. Pipers, there are four things to be concerned with: 1. steady blowing 2. play with the P/M 3. the attack 4. the cut off Of these four things, three can and should be part of your /daily/ practice. Steady blowing is most easily developed with visual feedback; get and use a manometer. Henderson's sells them (https://www.hendersongroupltd.com/product/dojo-manometer/) although they're currently out of stock. That might change any old time. You could also build your own; Dojo U has posted a video showing how to do it, and it begins with a parts list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu377t0uUmI It's easiest to see the water level change when the "water" is colored, and if you use Windex then you also don't need to worry about algae growing in the tubes. Developing good, consistent attacks is simply a question of practice. Treat every time you start up the pipes as an attack. If you can do ten clean attacks in a row, go for twenty. Do this until you can do 100 in a row, and you'll have a good, reliable strike-in. Same thing with cut offs. Don't let your pressure fall off when you get to the last bar of a tune. And don't be surprised that you're at the last bar of a tune! But remember, your bag can certainly drive your pipes for a couple of seconds and if you're using your bag to blow the drones and chanter, then when you stop squeezing the bag then the pipes will stop. Paying attention and getting a clean cut off is part of mastering your instrument. There's more to consider, and lots to do, but this should be enough for today. Let's all go practice making music! - Stephen