'Scuse me while I kiss this guy...

<pander>
Time for some pandering. I figure if I suck up to more advanced players, then maybe they'll read my blog and post some comments, making it more valuable to beginners. This week's recipient of my sucking-up goes to Pat Sky (don't count on this every week, I may get too tired). He's an experienced piper who often posts on the Uilleann Pipe Forum at Chiff and Fipple.

He just made this post on advice for beginners. Go. Stop what you're doing and read this. I'll wait right here...

Good stuff huh?

By all means, take his advice, he's forgotten more about piping than I'll ever know. If you're a beginner though, don't offer to play with him. Not interested (I don't blame him).

I'm really grateful for people like Pat - people who've been playing for years and willing to pass on some of what they know. Thanks to the internet (or internets as Dubya would say - apparently he has several) we can benefit from years of experience without ever leaving our homes. Although, as musicians of Irish music, that may not be such a great thing. We should probably strive to get out more (maybe I should strive to get out more).
</pander>