MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES Issue #

Mac-Tire of Skye

Skye Times

Volume 1, Issue 1. December 2013.

MEAN WELL, SPEAK WELL AND DO WELL! – URQUHART MOTTO IN THIS ISSUE

What an extraordinary year this has been for the Mac-Tire of Skye Pipes and Drums! We have so many new faces in the band and new students that I sometimes find it hard to keep track of everyone’s name! We have more members than ever before and with so many different people, I find myself very lucky to be surrounded by the best folks a band could ask for.

A great lesson that the band has been focusing on this year has been professionalism. As members of a performance group we are always asked to play at many different types of venues. We are proud to be known as the most professional band in New Mexico in style and attitude. Our reputation has most certainly created wonderful opportunities for us to connect with the audience. Businesses and organizations such as Two Fools Tavern, Central New Mexico Community College, Albuquerque Police Department and even the mayor’s office keep calling us back time and again because of the community oriented approach our band has taken.

Many thanks to Nate, who had been our Pipe Major during the majority of the 2013 year. It takes a lot of courage and personal discipline to step up and be successful at running a pipe

band. Nate’s valuable experience as Pipe Major has helped create more leaders among our organization and a better understanding of the skills required to run a successful band. 2014 will prove to be amazing as we re-open our Open House event and play some fun new sets for our audience and possibly judges. As a whole, our organization is much stronger and more united as we focus on some new goals for 2014. The constant drive for improvement among the membership definitely keeps us challenged.

I am proud to have been able to perform at a lot of great events over the last year. Central New Mexico Community College Graduations, 9/11 Memorial, U.S. Polo Association Regional Governor’s Cup, the Law Enforcement Memorial Ride, Rio Grande Celtic Festival, Aztec Celtic Festival, the Rio Rancho Veteran’s Day Event and numerous TV appearances are only a sample of the gigs we have had the honor and privilege of performing in.

Mac-Tire of Skye proves once again to be the hotspot for quality and great performances! Let’s rock and roll!

Aztec Celtic Festival Mary Beth talks about New Mexico’s newest festival, brew, fire and Celtica!

Page 3

St. Patrick’s Day 2013 From taverns to charity events, Bryce walks us through a typical St. Patrick’s Day with Mac-Tire of Skye Pipes and Drums.

Page 5

By the Center! by Pipe Major Suzanne Kemp

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 2

Choosing the right pipe band was very much on my mind when I decided to join Mac-Tire of Skye. It was a decision I gave a lot of thought to since joining the wrong band can guarantee being stuck in mediocrity for the life of one’s piping career. My first criteria in choosing among New Mexico’s pipe bands was will this band help me develop as a piper? The answer was a definite yes. Mac-Tire of Skye is a teaching band. Fundamentals are emphasized. And proper fundamentals lead to the ability not only to play well, but to play the instrument’s difficult music well. For me this means dance music. When I joined the band I could only play two-part marches. Now I can play four-part competition marches as well as jigs and reels. Soon I will be playing strathspeys and hornpipes. It’s really exciting to realize that I can play this challenging music.

Another reason I like Mac-Tire of Skye is that the band plays Irish music beyond the

obligatory “Irish Set” other bands play on St. Patrick’s Day. Not only does the band play some of the more difficult Irish marches, the jigs and polkas of the new Titanic Set add a real wow factor to our performances. I also like that our band wears the caubeen, the only part of the pipers’ dress not borrowed from Scotland when Gaelic culture was revived in Ireland during the latter part of the 19

th

century.

Finally it’s the craic! Camaraderie among band members is second to none. Band practices are a lot of work, but they’re fun. Time flies and the end of one practice always leaves you looking forward to the next one.

SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS

Reaching out to an average of 300 students every year, MTS pipers and drummers need to know all about Scottish history and culture in order to answer loads of questions. Although, “what do you wear under the kilt?” is a common one, the answer will always be “socks and shoes.”

As anyone can tell you, the Mac-Tire of Skye

percussion section has been through a huge

transition period within the last year, but it has

been one of exciting and invigorating change for

all involved. From lessons with a new mentor, Ed

Best, to election of a new drum sergeant, to

learning new music and a new instrument, Mac-

Tire of Skye percussion has risen up to these

challenges and has really shown the whole group

how dedication and hard work really pays off.

Our lessons with Ed Best have brought focus to

the importance of starting from

scratch. Practicing rudiments and building up the

foundations of rhythm have greatly improved our

collective abilities. He has been a critical asset to

the band as a mentor. We have seen great

improvement in our performance as a section

and a drum salute is in the works!

The recent election of Mike Kinney as drum

sergeant brings new leadership to the group. He,

and all of the members, have worked hard to

incorporate new music into our repertoire. We are

currently learning a set inspired by the Titanic

soundtrack for our upcoming Burn's Night

Dinner. We are stepping outside our comfort zone

as a section and are learning the bodhran

(pronounced "bow-ran"), a hand drum used in

traditional Celtic folk music. This dinner is an

excellent opportunity to connect with the Celtic

community, making new friends and reconnecting

with old.

We look forward to continuing to improve, and

bring our audiences the best in Celtic drumming in

the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho areas!

The Right Crew By Dan O’Toole

Salute to the Drums by Shae Blakeman

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 3

HEADING 4

Mac-Tire? What’s That? Mac-Tire is the Scottish Gaelic word for wolf. With our close connections with the Wanagi wolves and the New Mexico Lobos, what better way to connect Scotland with New Mexico?!

What Clan Is That? We get lots of questions asking about our tartan. The Ancient Urquhart tartan is a beautiful combination of green and blue hailing from the highlands of Scotland.

FUN FACTS

26% Over a quarter of the membership in the band are 18 years old or younger. They enjoy coming to practices and are all valued as respected musicians.

73% Our members know that you never stop learning. Well over half have had classroom instruction with some of the best pipers and drummers in the world!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Want to learn to play the bagpipes or Scottish style drums for FREE? Come to one of weekly practices and we’ll get you started right away! Call (505) 977-0097 for more information.

MacTire has been attending this great and fun highland festival for the past three years. It is somewhat small yet but each year the numbers seem to grow. This year we stayed at the Micro Hotel which is a spanking brand new hotel. We and other game attendees were the very first guests to occupy the rooms. After we arrived and got settled in, it was off to dinner. There is a great Mexican food restaurant, Rubio’s that has great micro brews and very good food. They have always been very accommodating to our large group. After dinner we leave for the Ceilidh that is held right across the street. There is always home-made beer to sample and great entertainment. This year it was Celtica, which is a great and entertaining group from Scotland. After the Ceilidh, we headed back to the hotel for a "night cap" where we ended up having our own Ceilidh. There was entertainment from various members of the band on small pipes. Even Shae, one or our snare drummers picked up the small pipes and treated us to a few tunes. I do believe at one time we did break out and sing “Sally Brown” for the listening pleasure of all the guests at the hotel.

The next morning it's off to the field to set up the band tent. With the agility of the Three Stooges and Who's on third vocabulary of Abbot and Costello, the tent was put up as our game neighbors Southwest Skye applauded and cheered. I'm thinking this is high-end entertainment.

At noon mass bands are held. They are led by our very competent and out-going Drum

Major, Tara. She has the daunting task of rounding up pipers and drummers and bringing some form of unity to the massed bands.

Some things become a tradition when our band travels together and one of them is to head up to Durango to partake of the great food and micro brews at Steamworks on Saturday after the games. As usual, a group of us will order the Cajun Boil which is served on directly on the table. Good fare with crab, shrimp, potatoes, crayfish, and corn on the cob. Just doesn't get any better.

On Sunday during the performances, we played for Emma’s Dancers who also come from Albuquerque. It was thrilling to watch these dancers as we played for them. After our performance we were invited to play with Celtica during their performance. What great fun....Rock ON!!!

As always, it's sad to come to the end of a festival and say goodbye to both old and new friends. If you have never been to these games it's worth the trip. If you decide to make the trip, come by and visit Mac-Tire. We’re always happy to talk with everyone!

Aztec Celtic Festival by Mary Beth Goforth

MTS gets ready to perform on stage with Scottish rock band, Celtica!

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 4

Wrap text around images The photos in this article that are angled with white borders are “floating” images. That is, they are setup for text to wrap around them—which is why they can span multiple columns in a three-column section. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, the photo of the young woman in the body of this article is set to wrap text so that text will flow around the image as you add your own text.

To select text wrap settings, start by selecting the image and then do the following:

1. On the Picture Tools Format tab, in the Arrange group, click Wrap Text and then select either Square, Tight, or Top and Bottom—depending on how you want the text to wrap.

You might be happy with the default behavior as soon as you do this. Otherwise, continue to step two for

customization options.

2. To set a specific position or control behavior (such as whether or not the image moves with text), on the Picture Tools Format tab, in the Arrange group, click Position and then click More Layout Options.

On the Text Wrapping tab of the Layout dialog box, you can set a specific distance from the image for text to wrap and control whether text can wrap on both sides, one side only, or just above and below the image.

On the Position tab of that dialog box, you can set a specific position for the image on the page and select or clear the option to allow the picture to move with text.

Adding article titles, bylines, and dividers The article titles and bylines for this newsletter are created in text boxes. This is

because text can wrap around a text box just like it can around a picture. Similarly, the orange divider bars that you see on pages containing more than one article are shapes set to wrap text. So, these text boxes and shapes can easily span multiple columns without having to insert a section break or change the number of columns for just that portion of the page.

When you select a text box or a shape, on the Drawing Tools Format tab, in the Arrange group, you have the same settings for text wrapping and positioning that are described above for wrapping text around pictures.

Note that, because text is set to wrap around the orange divider bars, your article might appear to slip below or above a bar, depending upon length. To adjust the position of a divider bar shape to accommodate the length of your articles, just select the shape and then use the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard to nudge it to the proper position.

Mac-Tire of Skye has been honored to be the band of choice for the CNM Graduation Ceremonies, twice each year. The ceremony is held at Expo New Mexico, where we play in Tingly Coliseum for around 3,000 graduates and their families and friends. For some, they know the pipe band is coming on at the end, but for most people, we are quite a big surprise, and when the president of CNM tells the graduates to move their tassles to the left, our Drum Major gives the signal to play. We march the honored guests off the stage and down the isle of graduates. We

see all the cheering and smiling faces of those who have achieved their goals and are ready to party ! As everyone is leaving, we continue to play and then march off to Scotland The Brave. As the crowds are mingling and taking photos, we march through them as a path is made and out to the front doors as the crowds continue to cheer. It’s one of the bands favorite events to play at because everyone is so happy to be there and many high fives are given afterward.

We have had many new students join Mac-Tire of Skye because they hear us play at the Graduation Ceremony. It’s how I got my start in the piping world too !

If you’ve never seen it, it’s free and open to the public ($5 to park), and we will be doing it all again this coming April 26th, 2014.

THE BAND PLAYS ON!

These days, MTS performs twice each year in April and December for tens of thousands of people at CNM’s Graduation Ceremonies, and for the Veteran’s Day Events.

CNM Graduations! by Carmine Russo

T-Shirts Are A Hit!

Who knew that when we reached out to our artistic friends that they would come up with a brilliant new design! Although, what else did we expect? Featured on the left is Dave Briggs, an amazing tattoo artist and huge fan of the band! You probably have seen his work around town but more notably from the giant comic book mural on the side of the Astro-Zombies shop in Nob Hill. Dave has drawn up a number of things for us but his bagpiping wolf shirt has been a real seller among our fans. Lovingly named Angus the Wolf, his snarl, sharp claws and intimidating love for bagpipes spreads the message to wolf lovers everywhere that “Mac-Tire Wants You!”

If Angus is a little too scary for you, we still have shirts for sale with the band logo in green and black shirt colors!

All shirts are only $15.00 so order yours now before we are completely sold out. Contact mactireofskye@yahoo.com today!

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 5

Cheering crowds, vivid green, and exhilarating fun – no, I’m not talking about that rock concert you went to last weekend, but rather the favorite day of any bagpiper – St. Patrick’s Day. For the average person, it is a chance to see and hear bagpipes, drink green beer, and eat corned beef and cabbage. For bagpipers, St. Patrick’s Day is filled with careful planning, hard work, and -most of all – fun! St. Patrick’s Day is most definitely the best day of any piper.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, it’s not often that you see bagpipers roaming around downtown or marching down the street. But St. Patrick’s Day is a chance for just that. Ranging from full on band concerts, to simple bar gigs, Mac-Tire of Skye P&D has a massive audience on this particular day. The band has played for many events, and always has a busy, exciting schedule on the ..17

th of March.

Two of the bands’ popular, recurring gigs are at Two Fools Tavern (located at 3211 Central Ave. NE) and Imbibe (located at 3101 Central Ave. NE). These two establishments provide the band with regular audiences each year, and are always top of the list for the band members. These gigs are fun, and usually provide tons of enjoyment to not only the audience, but also the performing members of the band. Recently, the band has also become sponsored by Two Fools Tavern, and has played many other performances there.

The Brother Mathias charity St. Patrick’s Day dinner is another of the band’s top places to perform. The band gets to march up onto a stage in front of hundreds of people and play for around fifteen minutes. The audience loves it, the band has fun, and it’s all for a great cause.

Another regular audience for MTS is provided at Cervantes Restaurant and Lounge, located at 5801 Gibson Blvd. NE. This gig originally started with just two pipers, Stephanie Sjaardema, and myself, but has grown slightly since the band began performing there. On St. Patrick’s Day in 2013, the band played twice the amount they usually did there, and also with a wider variety of performers. This was one of my

first gigs that I personally played for the band, and is still one of my favorites.

Mac-Tire of Skye has played many other places as well, and always enjoys putting on top-notch performances for the local community. In fact, MTS played a grand total of nineteen gigs this year for St. Paddy’s! For the band, this was an immense achievement and is the source of much motivation for many band members. For us, St. Patrick’s Day is a chance to show off all our new sets, tunes and performers to the entire city – as well as how great of a time we have while doing it.

Although extremely fun, St. Patrick’s Day is still very, if not the most, demanding time of year for any bagpiper. There is a lot of behind the scenes effort and practice from each performer, as well as many challenging rehearsals that precede the holiday. The band usually debuts a new set of tunes and individual pipers are encouraged to prepare captivating solos for performances as well. In order for the band to put on its best performances, it is almost certainly required that each performer practices hard and thoroughly each and every day before St. Patrick’s Day.

For any piper, this day is one of their favorites because nearly the entire world is interested in hearing the exhilarating sound of the instrument which pipers devote their life to learning. Because the pipes are such an unusual instrument, it is somewhat difficult for pipers to find such a highly interested audience as they do on this day. This is virtually one of the only times when bagpipers are broadcast on TV to the entire world, and for them, it is incredible. However, in this sense, bagpipers are also extremely lucky when compared with other musicians, because there are virtually no other holidays which are almost wholly devoted to an instrument, such as the pipes on St. Patrick’s Day.

Mac-Tire of Skye Pipes and Drums greatly enjoys this day and will continue to provide top – notch performances for the local area. The band always has an amazing time and the holiday always provides the band with something new and exciting

AROUND TOWN

Two Fools Tavern Above, a snapshot of the band’s performing group at one of the afternoon gigs at Two Fools Tavern located at 3211 Central Ave. NE. The band has a great time and when time allows, usually stays around for great food, beer, and company in an authentic Irish atmosphere.

Brother Mathias Downtown Mac-Tire of Skye has a habit of arriving in style to its performances. This usually includes marching up parade-style before the performance which is always done at the Brother Mathias dinner, as shown above.

Imbibing in Music For the band, St. Patrick’s Day is about showing off new, fun music and giving high quality performances, and most of all having a blast. Members Aden Kemp and Nate Lorenz are pictured above, debriefing from a performance at Two Fools Tavern.

St. Patrick’s Day in Albuquerque by Bryce Hollingsworth

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 6

Playing for community events is a cornerstone of the Mac-Tire Pipes and Drums focus on education and performance for the public.

Daniels Family Funeral Home invited Mac-Tire Pipes and Drums to play for the third annual 9/11 Event, honoring fallen fire and police personnel at the Sara Road, Rio Rancho location. The event also sponsored a preparatory school choir, police chaplains’ barbeque and the Rio Rancho Fire Department, who displayed the traditional American flag hanging between two ladder trucks.

Mac-Tire band members, Suzanne “Aden” Kemp, Sue Jacobi and Tom Ferrell played for the Veterans Day Celebration at the Meadowlark Senior Center on November 15

th. Lisa Lerner, Recreation Specialist

noted,” They were wonderful and their music added so much to the ceremony honoring our veterans. Many of the comments on our event evaluations noted the bagpipes as being the highlight of the event. Thank you for making the event special.” MTS is pleased to perform for our veterans.

One of the highlights in December for some of the members of MTS, is playing for the Corrales Elementary School faculty and students. This year, Suzanne “Aden” Kemp, Sue Jacobi, Bryce Hollingsworth, Tara O’Mahony and Tom Ferrell played for two outdoor sessions on a warm 18th of December. Tara, a beginning snare drummer and the band’s Drum Major lead the discussion with the students on what instruments we were playing, a bit of history and some of the tradition that goes with

playing the pipes and drums. Tom and Tara were the highlight of the lunch hour performance as the students were invited to try out the bass and snare drum, as well as Aden's teaching an easy highland dance technique to the students. The students then danced while MTS played our Scotland the Brave set, ending an enjoyable event. In addition to the band’s activities in the community, two members are involved in piping and drumming summer schools. Sue Jacobi has taken over as administrator for the California Summer School sponsored by the College of Piping, Glasgow, Scotland, from John Keys, who retired from that position after 22 years. The week long June school is held at Carlsbad, CA at the Army Navy Academy. More information can be found at the website, Bagpipe Summer School or by contacting Sue at suejacobi@msn.com. Mary Beth Goforth has been working with the Jim Thomson US School of Piping and Drumming for several years as the on-campus guardian of under 18 students. This week long July school is held at the Northern Arizona University Campus in Flagstaff, AZ. More information can be found at the website, www.jimthomsonpipingschool.com or contact Eric Poleski at ericpoleski@cox.net. MTS is looking forward to more events in 2014, starting with the St. Andrews Society hosted event, Robert Burns Supper in January!

Community Service by Sue Jacobi

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 7

Enjoy the forbidden, heart pounding Highland tunes and songs of the “Clearances” by the Mac-Tire of Skye Pipe Band and the Two Celtic Coyotes musicians, along with the Fishback Dancers and Emma Trentman, dressed in prohibited garb. Feast on a meal fit for any Lord or Lady of Gentry. And just as it was in Robert Burns’ Day, the “water of life” and other fine spirits will flow, as toasts are proposed throughout the dinner. Your favorite Burns poems and songs will be read and sung, as only Robbie could sing them. And the evening will end

traditionally with the singing of Auld Lang Syne, as a tribute to the Bard of Scotland.

Festivities will begin around 5:00 PM with cocktails and silent auction. This will be followed by the ceremonial entrance into the dinner hall. Reservations are required in advance, and seating is limited. Last day to reserve a seat is January 20

th.

Date: Saturday, January 25th

, 2014

Location: Sheraton Uptown, 2600 Louisiana Blvd NE.

Cocktails/Cash Bar at 5:00 PM (full service bar).

For more information, or to order tickets, visit: www.shireshoppe.com

ROBBIE BURNS SUPPER

Featuring some of the best performances by local Scottish musicians. The St. Andrew Society of New Mexico has been hosting this prestigious event for over 50 years!

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THE SASSNM VISIT:

www.standrewsocietyofnm.org

MTS Students Speak Up

My experience in MTS has been very positive and enjoyable, and being a part of the pipe band is something I am very proud of. Learning to play the snare drum is something I am very glad to have pursued. I first joined MTS as a student about a year and a half ago during the summer and I was immediately greeted by many kind people and smiling faces. At first it was a slow process as I was learning basic rudimentary skills but all the same while I had many positive experiences with the fellow students and band members. The casual but professional environment with the band made being a student very enjoyable. While practicing on our drum pads, the drummers would be playing a set one second and laughing the next. The morale between all of the students and band members makes being a part of MTS (no matter what part that is) a very pleasant and fun experience.

One specific thing that I took part in with MTS that was amazing, was taking lessons with Ed Best along with all of the other MTS drummers. Ed is an excellent drummer who taught me skills that I’m very thankful to have now that I am a part of the MTS band. Ed would give us lessons over Skype (being that he lives in California) and would send sheet music that we would all go over together via email. It was such an easy-going learning process that I didn’t

even fully grasp how much progress I was making until after the lessons had concluded and I attempted to play higher level pieces of drum music. Before learning from Ed I wasn’t able to sight read a band level set… Afterward I could!

Overall, being a student in MTS has been a very positive experience and it has allowed me mature in a professional community. I’m sure anyone who may be considering being a part of MTS would benefit just as strongly as I have!

Practices are every Thursday evening at the Cross of Hope Lutheran Church (6104 Taylor Ranch Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120). Student lessons start at 6:30 PM and Band Rehearsal begins at 7:30 PM. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned player who is interested in bagpipes or drums, Mac-Tire of Skye Pipes and Drums is always welcoming of everyone.

Burns Night

by Jaden Brown

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 8

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Or mission: To broaden Celtic cultural awareness through teaching, entertainment, education and top notch

musical performance. Mac-Tire of Skye is an IRS registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Please help support music education in New Mexico. Donations to Mac-Tire of Skye are tax-deductible and we

will gladly accept any support. It takes a lot of work to reach over 60,000 individuals this year alone and any

donation is a huge help.

We have direct needs to support programs that include: Teaching materials, Bagpipe reeds, Drum heads, Uniform

parts, Workshops, Travel expenses, Flyers and promotional material for piping and drumming education.

Any donations can go directly to us at:

Mac-Tire of Skye

913 La Veta Dr. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87108

Thank you again and have a wonderful start to 2014!

MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS, INDIVIDUAL DONORS AND SUPPORTORS!

Individual Donors:

Carmine Russo

Jim Saenz

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 9

Band Members:

Bagpipers:

Jeremy Barrett

Collin Fowler

Mary Beth Goforth (Vice President)

Chris Iriarte

Sam Hoffman

Bryce Hollingsworth (Pipe Sergeant)

Sue Jacobi

Mary Johnson

Zane Kelly

Justin Kemp (Quartermaster)

Suzanne “Aden” Kemp (Pipe Major / President)

Nate Lorenz (Treasurer)

Morgan O’Mahony

Dan O’Toole

Doug Perry

Sol Roybal

Carmine Russo (Secretary)

Jim Saenz

Siiri Sanchez

Stephanie Sjaardema

Drummers:

Shae Blakman (S)

Jaden Brown (S)

Tom Farrell (B/T/S)

Johnnymac Howell (B)

Parker Hubbard (S)

Margaret Kinney (T)

Mike Kinney (B) (Drum Sergeant)

Gerry Muisener (S)

Tara O’Mahony (S) (Drum Major)

This is a list of all active and current musicians in Mac-Tire of Skye Pipes & Drums. Students and non-voting members are not listed.

MAC-TIRE OF SKYE SKYE TIMES | Issue # 10

For more information about Mac-Tire of Skye Pipes and Drums:

Visit our website at www.mactireofskye.webs.com

Phone: (505)977-0097 / Email: mactireofskye@yahoo.com

Mac-Tire of Skye

Skye Times

913 La Veta Dr NE Albuquerque, NM 87108