Hello Gr4! Neil Williams asked me to send out a reminder of the importance of memorizing and have both MSR and Medley sets up on pipes and drums by mid-December. This will give us sufficient practice time before competing at the 2020 Queen Mary ScotsFestival in mid-February. We all agree that the new music is challenging and we will not be perfect by Queen Mary (shooting for the goal of 80% on the day, as Robbie might say). But we will be able to see the musical progress made since September and will hopefully perform as a well oiled and tuned ensemble. Last evening the pipers played in Room 12 on both practice chanters and pipes with drones corked. We played the first 3 tunes of the medley, looping each tune separately. Was it rough, yes; was it tough, yes! But this is how we will improve and insure that we all play in unison. Adding the drummers will help pull us together as a unit which is the goal, making music together while having fun. Be proactive in ensuring you have the latest music from Box. Stephen B will be conferring with Adam and modifying Hamilton's Nutsack to show the music for the harmonies at the end of the tune. And... make sure your pipe maintenance is up to date as well. Swab out your pipes after each practice and cap your chanter. I always carry a can or two of pipe bag seasoning in my car. The band purchased a case at $11 / can. Use PayPal, Venmo, or check to the band, or, cash. Regards, John John Boyden m:1-408-839-5025