Anyhow I have embedded some stuff I have done on YouTube, I hope you enjoy it. There is stuff from last year's Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, as well as a wedding I played at (hint hint) and a school video I helped my friend make. Please leave a comment or two, it is always appreciated.

I will admit I have been most negligent when it comes to getting my music book printed. Good news is though, I have a printer, and a price... and now I just have to do some last minute checks and edits to ensure that this baby is print worthy. As soon as this thing is going it will be posted here of course.

Happy Robbie Burns Day! Should auld acquaintance be forgot... :-)

Paypal options will soon be available for ordering a copy of The Piper's Companion. More on that to come in future updates.

The arrival of the Ceol Méirleach~Marauder Music home page will also coincide with a collection of tunes that I have been working on for ages now... I have a printer, now it is just a matter of handling the layout of the collection.

Another branch from my main site will be devoted to electronic music! I was playing around with loops and samples on my Palm TX last summer, and wow! The fun you can have when you have the right tools.

Thank You Jason. Rest In Peace.

Just around Christmas we were shocked to hear of the passing of Gordon Duncan. Needless to say this piper was inspirational to us all. He will be sorely missed. Get your Gordon Duncan CDs now...Just for Seamus, The Circular Breathe and Thunderstruck. All are brilliant.

On the Regimental Birthday Parade in January, I received my promotion to Master Corporal. 

The winter for me was a rough one...I am  the victim of a respiratory condition known as sleep apnea, which indeed means I snore like a chainsaw, but I went to a sleep clinic and I now have a lifeline. The CPAP machine I use at night helps me doze, and I wake up  feeling quite refreshed and ready for action. Sleep apnea sucks. It really does a number on your energy level, and there is a host of potential problems if you let it continue untreated. 3 cheers for my good wife who encouraged me to go get checked out.

The band is competing his summer at  a few games, come check us out. For info see the Black Watch P&D website.

5 new tunes in the works, I think the collection will have a total 75 tunes not long from now.

November 11th I finally received  my Canadian Decoration... someone finally got them to melt down the loonies and found someone sober enough to engrave my name on the edge without mucking it up.

On December 5th, or thereabouts, my paperwork came in for my promotion to Master Corporal. So after many a year as a Corporal, I am moving up the ladder a wee bit, and I think that my many years of experience in the band will certainly be an asset to all who are members of the Pipes & Drums. Can the rank of Sergeant be that far off? Well I have  a lot of work to do ladies and gents... stay tuned.

I came back home to play at the McGill Convocations, and then at the end of May my wife was having a few minor complications in her pregnancy. So I spent a few weeks at home with my daughter who was at the time 2 yrs. old! We did a few gigs together, including playing at a friend's cocktail party up in Westmount! She seems to be getting used to the idea that her Daddy plays a very loud instrument, which is good. 

My son was born on June 23rd, and so it looks like I will be able to go play at celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Alberta's joining the Confederation. Included in this one week event is a Tattoo in Edmonton!

A Tribute to Martyn Bennett

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Martyn Bennett on January 30th, 2005. His music really made a profound effect on me. You will notice his site is in my links section. My tribute to him is as follows;
I first met Martyn and his mother at the first Gould Festival of Scottish Traditions. This soft spoken lad could play a wicked fiddle, the sweetest airs on the flute, and toe-tapping reels on the great pipe. He was not a piper though, or so he said, but "an instrumentalist".
 
Well for us who do play the pipes, I must say that it is hard not to respect the abilities of this lad; despite his talents being spread to so many disciplines.
 
To me he was a shining star, one that shone brighter than many. I had met him only 3 or 4 times. To me his music was something that was re-defining the traditional idiom, and so I just had to get all of his CDs.

 I am glad to know Martyn is no longer suffering, and offer my deepest sympathies to Margaret, Kirsten and family. We are saddened to hear of Martyn's passing.

Please visit Martyn's website to learn of the Martyn Bennett Trust.