...... has come and gone.  On Friday I had my regular lesson with my instructor on Lopez and we went over the tune several times, cleaning up problem areas and doing a few practice runs with Helen playing the part of "judge".  She even offered to wear her Glengarry to give the part a more "authentic" feeling, bleah.

I played the tune cleanly, with good tempo and timing and it sounded really good.  Had my breathing under control and I was feeling very confident.

I couldn't get to sleep that night, I wasn't thinking so much about the competition as I was about work.  We have been very busy at the office and I had all this stuff running through my head.  I was trying to turn my thoughts to the competition instead, visualizing my playing, how I would prepare myself, greet the judge, play the tune, the whole thing from beginning to the end.  Instead I tossed and turned, I didn't fall asleep until 1:30am!  The alarm woke me up at 4:45am and I was a zombie.

I should have visualized the weekend ferry schedule instead, or maybe the correct exit in Redmond, or that my reed may start to act up on me, or all of the other things that did happen to me instead of the flawless performance I had so grandly envisioned for myself earlier that morning, or was that late last night?  Still with me?  OK, here is a blow by blow (pun intended) account of my "performance".

Arrive at the church at 9:28am, plenty of time to check in and warm up, even though I did miss my exit and had to back track to the church.  I get to the registration table and see that I'm again at the top of the list, jeeze I pre-registered, why am I always at the top?  I ask the question and the person tells me that they play in reverse order.  Whew, I think, I'm last and that will give me a chance to size up my competition. 

Turns out that I didn't need to worry about sizing up my competition, the nice lady behind the desk did that for me with her comment, "Oh, I was expecting someone about this high" as she gestures with her hand about 3 feet off the ground, following that comment came "most of our chanter class is between 5 and 8 years old".  What could I say?  I responded, "I'm a late bloomer" and picked up my competition number and walked away, now questioning why I was here, had I made a horrible mistake?

Due to Winter School in Seabeck there were very few people at this event, not like last month.  In a way that made it better for me, I was nervous, even though I didn't feel it.  The extent of my nervousness would be very apparent later.

There are several "tuning" rooms for competitors to warm up in, the Grade 4 and 5 piping room had people in it so I found the tenor and side drummers room, none of those folks had arrived yet. While I didn't know it at this point there were no Grade 1 or 2 pipers so I could have used their room which was farther away from the Grade 5 piping room. 

I sat down in one of the wee little chairs (this was a Sunday school like place) so the chairs were about 18" off the ground, I sat down and started warming up.  So far so good, but then the pipers in the next room started tuning up, even with the door shut it was loud.  I started blowing harder, my reed shut off, I thought "crap, water" I take the reed out and blow it dry, stick it back in, play some more, shut off again.  Oh double crap, I squeeze the reed to open it up, stick it back in, now it is buzzing two tone, panic, take the reed out, pinch it and stick it back in, better but shutting off again.  I realize that I'm over blowing to compensate for the pipers next door, I back off and things get back to normal, sort of.  I look at my watch, 10 minutes to go, better get through this tune a few more times. I'm obviously nervous because I'm making some silly mistakes, ones I've not made before.  I stop, get out my music and look at it to refresh my memory, play through cleanly, put the music away and played it off from memory.  No problem, I'm good to go.

3 minutes to go, but I'm last to play in my class so I figure I have probably 10 minutes maybe more.  I walk out to the staging area.  The steward comes up to me to let me know they are ready for me. Say what?  What happened to the other 4 players?  They didn't show up. Rotten little kids... I think to myself, well OK here goes!

I came around the corner to sit in front of the judge to play.  I don't even dare look at the people sitting in the spectators section, I don't want to know who, how many, or what, just focus on the judge.  Who by the way is Micah Babinski, a young man probably still in his teens, or very early twenties.  A top notch piper, professional grade I think.  The event coordinator announces me by name, states the tune I will play and I think something about "brave soul" and "very first competition".  Micah smiles, nods and says, "when ever you are ready"  I take a breath and start playing.

Highland Cathedral is a three part tune, but the third part is actually the first part played again.  In other words, you play the first part, second part and end with the first part.  It is a very rhythmic and chromatic tune, it has a good sound and melody to it.  Very popular with pipers and non-pipers.

The first line of the first part was good, proper tempo, timing, no fingering mistakes, breath control is good.  I get to the end of the line and take my breath... it was... you know, like after you have been bawling for 15 minutes and you take a breath only to stutter when breathing in?  Yeah, that is EXACTLY what happened to me.  I was shocked, that really rattled my cage.

I start the 2nd line of the first part, I'm a little shook up but I try to stay focused, I missed a grace note at the end of the first measure, I think "crap, keep playing, don't rush" but my mind was way behind my fingers and they were moving at light speed, I was rushing.  I try to get it under control I finish the 2nd line of the first part.  Take my breath, it was just as bad as the first one, maybe worse.  I had to breath out and take a 2nd breath.

I start the 1st line of the 2nd part, good fingering, tempo a little fast, I'm rushing again, try to regain control but I'm at the end of the line before I know it.  I don't think I was even hearing the music at this point.  Just the loud voice in the back of my head "finish the damn thing and get the heck out of here you fool!", another stuttered breath and I launch into the 2nd line of the 2nd part, good fingering (as far as I can tell) probably rushing, but again, trying to keep it under control.  At the end of the 3rd measure of the 2nd line my only remaining brain cell mis-fired and instead of playing B after the A, B, C, G-Grace I kept playing an E.  I would stop, try again from the beginning of the 3rd measure, E again.  I pause, Micah very quietly hums "A, B, C, B", I start again and the lone brain cell kicks in and I land the B, then A, G-Grace note, and a 4 count A to the end!

I finish up with a repeat of the 1st part, clean, no fingering mistakes, probably rushed it but at this point it didn't matter, and I didn't care, I just wanted it to end.

The onlookers applaud, Micah extends his hand and I shake it, he says "good job" and I respond with a "thank you".

The lady who I remember from the my first visit to the event, I don't recall her name but she seems to be the one in charge came up to me and gave me some encouragement.  She said, that those two fingers (my top hand E and bottom hand B) share the same brain cell and it is an easy mistake to make.  I responded that presently all of my fingers were sharing the same brain cell.

I walk out to the hallway and take my chanter and music to the truck in the parking lot, I consider leaving right then but I thought I would go back in and listen to the other competitors.  I go back in the church and run into two pipers and friends of my instructor, they both play for the Keith Highlanders.  Graeme and Marie were very nice and remembered meeting my wife and I on the Fourth of July at Helen's house on Lopez.  I chat with Graeme who is competing in Grade 3, Marie is helping steward the event.  I don't know what grade she plays in, probably 3 or 4, she is pretty busy rounding up competitors.

A fellow comes down the hall and walks up to me and says "good job, it takes guts to do that, you sounded good" I say thank you and introduce myself.  We chat a bit and then he heads back in to watch his son compete.  I listen to a few pipers in Grade 5, but I realize what time it is and that I need to head home.

I walk over to the registration table, I figure that the judges comments on my sheet were in and I could see them.  The nice lady behind the desk says to encourage people to stay until the end of the event that they would not give the results out until the end.  I say no problem, and leave my address so they could mail them to me.  I explained I had to leave because I needed to drive about 100 miles north to catch my boat home.  The nice lady says I should stay and listen to the other pipers, but unfortunately there are no grade 1 or 2 pipers, but it didn't matter because, "they are all better players than you at this point".

Did I just hear what I thought I did?  Yeah, exactly, wow what  a confidence boost.  I don't remember what I said, something like "oh, yeah, thanks" I then left the building to head home.

It wasn't a total loss.  I learned a few things, none of which had to do with bag piping.  It was about getting up there and performing in front of total strangers.  It is a mental and physical thing, I'll probably go back, I will be better prepared.  I will practice my breathing control as well as my tempo, timing and fingering.  It will get better, it may not get easier, but I will get used to the stress, even though it isn't apparent leading up to the actual playing.

When I get the judges comment sheet back I will post it here.  If my self critique is anywhere close to Micah's I will pleased that I was able to recognise what I did wrong and that I'm aware of what is going on when I play.  Who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised by his comments, I tend to be very critcal of myself in any thing I do.