Payon's Rodeo Parade

  Payson's Rodeo Parade was storybook wonderful!  A cool mountain breeze, soft cotton-ball clouds in a crystal blue mountain sky, several thousand spectators applauding the Piper, followed by a robust lunch with comrades, before the skies open to bath the scene with cleansing tears of heaven, knowing all the while that it is to make crippled children whole.  There may be something better than this, but if so I am sure the Gods have kept it for themselves.

   My next scheduled public performance will be at the re-dedication ceremony for Winslow's 9-11 Memorial.  Both of the drivers, and the truck that made the historic delivery will be there.  It should be a very moving experience.  September 11, 7pm at the new Rememberance Garden Park in Winslow.

I'd love to see you there!

Pops :-)

Let the Games Begin! :-)

  It’s August.  Kids are headed back to school, Summer vacations are winding down, and I’m getting ready for Parades with El Zaribah Shrine.  I’ll be kicking off with the Payson Rodeo Parade August 18, followed by the Kingman parade in September, Lake Havasu City in October, Anthem and Tempe in November, anywhere from one to three per month.  I’ll let you know exact dates, times, and places as the information becomes available.

     As Shriners these parades are all done at our own personal expense (transportation, lodging, meals, parade unit equipment, etc) in order to raise public awareness of our Shriner’s Hospitals for Children.  Hospitals where no child is ever turned away regardless of ability to pay.

Relay for Life

Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering area, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups . . . people from all walks of life – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.

The evening of May 4th I'll be piping the Luminaria Celebration at the ACS Relay for Life in Bullhead City, AZ. Come out. Make a difference. It may be your own life you're saving. :-)

Veterans Day 2011

Friday, November 11th, 2011, after the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, the 224th Infantry Regiment Korean War Veterans placed a wreath at the Korean War Memorial at the Arizona State Capital.  This will likely be the group's final reunion as there are only a handful left.  I was honored to be their Piper.  God bless you gentlemen, and thank you for your service!



Thrown in front of the Bus!

One of the neatest birthday parties I have ever played was for the hostess's husband's 40th birthday. As a surprise present to him she was going to take the celebrant and all guests (some 40 of them) "pub crawling". In a remarkable display of social responsibility she had rented a double-decker London Bus for the job.

I was to meet the bus half a block from the house and out of sight, and then when I received a phone call I was to Pipe the bus up to the house. The call came and to the skirling of Scottland the Brave and The Minstrel Boy I piped the bus up to the house where all were assembling in the front yard. I continued piping while guests and copious provisions were loaded onto the bus, and then as it drove off into the night.

I have always regretted not being able to accept their generous invitation to accompany them on their grand adventure. It must have been quite the party as late the next afternoon I received a call asking if I had found any items left on the bus!

Slainte! Pops :-)

Down but far from out!

In keeping with the optimistic view point of my last post I must assume that January has had all the adversity for 2011 rolled into just one month! I had some health problems which were compounded by a lack of insurance, and while they have knocked me down, they have not knocked me out! I am mending well and will be back in the swing of things in February. A huge thank you to all my friends and supporters, without whom this may well have gone a different direction.

Now, it goes without saying that I did not get a new single out in January, and will be doing good to get one out in February. So in March I am shooting to release two. I’ve also had to pass on a few gigs, but that should just about be over with as well.

As you can see, I’m well enough to resume posting, so you’ll be hearing from me more often in the weeks to come.

Don’t forget, St. Patty’s Day is just around the corner!
Warmest regards,
Pops

Goals and resolutuions :-)

2011! The “oughts” are over. Last year saw things improve dramatically for the McGees, and if this year brings the same progress it will be a very good year indeed! If it is any indication “11” is already off to an auspicious start. I am making bookings all over the state; my singles on CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MichaelNealMcGee ) are selling. Actually it appears the singles have been selling all along, it is just taking three to four months for the sales from the various digital distributors (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) to post to my CD Baby account.


So what am I committing to do in 2011? I’d like to release at least one single per month, and this coming year have a Christmas album rather just a couple of singles. I’d like to expand my repertoire to include more casual music. I’d like to start “busking” at some of the fairs and festivals. I’d also like to keep my blog more current.

Sounds like I’m going to be hard pressed to get it all in. But the thing I want to do most, and what almost all these goals tie to is that I want more opportunities to share my music with you.

So time is short and I have a lot to do. Better post this and get busy. Oh wait! Posting this is one of the goals.

Have a great year,

Pops :-)

December?

December already! Where did the year go? Looking back there have been some changes. I’ve analyzed my wed traffic and dropped non-performing sites. This obviously wasn’t one of those :-). CD Baby .com is turning out to be a great experience. Gigsalad.com has provided me with more leads than I can handle. Thumbtack.com has also been a very good source of gigs. Surprisingly (at least to me) so has Google maps. I find I am using my Droid as much as my laptop now, and it looks like that will only increase with time and new apps from Gigsalad.com.




This coming year I want to release more singles, a couple extended plays, and maybe even an album. We’ll see. I’ll have to balance that with gigs, oh, and with busking. A late 2010 development! Busking in the Park is morphing into Busking on the street (mostly at street festivals and markets). What a gas that is! I still plan to pipe each morning at the park though.



So, may you and your’s have a joyous holiday season, and I’ll see you around!



Pops :-)

Wow!  June 25!  I didn't realize it had been so long.  Well whats been going on this past month?  I've started releasing mp3s through http://cdbaby.com/ .  About one every other week.  These are in turn distributed through Amazon, Itunes, Verizon, Myspace, about 40 e-distributers in total, where they can be downloaded as mp3 singles or even ring tones.  Its a lot of fun!  I'm also working on a Christmas collection to match the tunes I go carrolling with. I hope to realease it by Thanksgiving. 

I've moved at least my Monday and Friday parctice sessions to Road Runner Park.  Usually from 8:30 to 9:30.  It is great fun to watch people trying not to watch you!  And, I've met some interesting individuals.  I'm also going to try going to Squaw Peak Park this weekend, it has sort of a natural ampitheater and I am curious about the acoustic effect with pipes.

That's about it for now, it's time to load up and head for the park!

Have a great day.  :-)  Pops

Piper's Field of Dreams

“Build it and they will come.” Great premise for a movie, but a little out of touch with the real world. If you’re looking to turn a buck with your music you need a strategic approach that will expose the maximum number of people possible to all aspects of your performance, clubs, parties, events, and yes recordings. Each is a facet of your profession that must not only shine, but must seamlessly interlink to every other facet.

Your pub performances should be a platform for promoting your party gigs and recordings, etc. just as your recording should promote your pub gigs and parties and your party gigs should promote everything as well.

Do this on the Web with your various sites and you will go “viral”. That is what you want to do with your music. Use the web as a tool or tactic to help link yourself together into a package that everyone wants a piece of.

Then, play your a$$ off! It’s what you love doing anyway, and that is contagious. Your linked out persona will result in as many opportunities as you need to be in front of your market. Give your performances away if you must in order to be out there. If you build the following, the following will in time take care of you.

That is what must be built and if it is then the dollars will come.

The 5th Street & Farmers Bagpipe Hip Hop Band

Sometimes we get a little too impressed with ourselves, take ourselves a little too serious and over estimate our place in society. Yesterday I had a “Reality Check”. A friend up in Mohave County called me looking for a bagpiper for a Cancer Awareness Walkathon weekend after next. He couldn’t find one but was certain I could. After scouring my PDA, the internet, and every other contact I had, it suddenly occurred to me that I was the only piper in the area when I left 3 years ago. No matter how important we think we are there simply are not that many of us! We are at best a rare oddity in this part of the world!

Street Art and Artists

While surfing other blogs I found this post, and thought it might prove interesting to the pipers here. I have no idea who Marion is, he may be a piper, singer or guitarist. Regardless, this common sense approach has merit in my book!

"I'd like to propose the following rules of etiquette for busking, based on my own experiences and intuition.

RELATING TO OTHER BUSKERS

1. Share the best locations. If another busker indicates that they'd like your spot, agree on a time for them to come and take it over (at most one hour later) and then don't leave until they arrive. Conversely, if another busker has the spot you want, ask them how long they plan to be there. And if they're really on a roll when you get back to claim the place, i.e., they have a crowd built up, give them a few extra minutes so their roll isn't broken.

2. Share information. If somebody has harassed you or tried to steal your tips, warn buskers taking over your spot. If a passerby compliments your show, tell them they should come back in an hour and hear the other busker, too.

3. Keep a respectful distance, especially between musical acts. A musical act and a non-musical one can be closer together, but should be careful not to interfere with each other's visibility/traffic flow.

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC

1. Respect a captive audience. If your location is such that everyone who hears you is just passing by, then you can be as repetitious as you want. But if you are close to market vendors or an outdoor cafe or such, don't play the same tune for 10 minutes or sing the same song five times an hour.

2. If you're amplifying your music, keep it at a decent volume.

3. Be careful not to block traffic flow, along the sidewalks or especially access to vendors or stores.

FOR PASSERSBY, ON RELATING TO BUSKERS

1. I've been photographed, filmed, and tape recorded while busking; none of which I minded particularly, but I think it would be reasonable to expect a tip for it.

2. I've had people want to tip me by giving me a two or five and taking back a smaller amount, or just want to change bills for coins; again, I don't mind this, but the person should wait until I finish a tune then ask for permission. Until then, hands out of the case!

3. If you like the music but can't give much or anything for a tip, it's still OK to respond to it (by stopping to listen, letting the kids dance, talking to the busker between tunes etc.). Perhaps some buskers will disagree with this, and be annoyed if someone tips 5 cents or stops to listen without tipping at all. But personally I find that small tips or people responding to the music provides a lot of encouragement. When busking is a crucial part of your income, and you go for a stretch of time without any tips, it can get really discouraging; a kid dancing or someone smiling at me can give me the energy to keep going.

Additions, arguments?

Marion"

Happy New Year

As we enter the waning hours of the year I suppose some reflection is in order. The question was raised on another site and I echoed it here as to whether or not Piping was in a recession. I put together and posted a little survey. Judging from the responses I can only assume that Pipers are far too busy to take time to reply (read prosperity) or they can no longer afford their internet connection!

This got me thinking (very dangerous). There really are many different economies to consider. If you work for a large company you haven’t seen a raise, probably have experienced some manner of work furlough, and possibly a cut in wages and or benefits, all the while experiencing no cut in living expenses. This economy really sucks!

On the other hand, if you are self employed and you service a local need you are probably doing rather well. You have not experienced any reduction of income and so your purchasing power relative to your neighbor who is sweating out a “pink slip” in his next check has improved.

For example, you are the village Piper. People continue to die (sad but inevitable) and you are continuing to pipe them home. People are depressed about the current economy, but they continue to socialize at the pubs, one of the last amenities surrendered. So, you continue to get gigs there. Now your compensation may not always be in cash (maybe car repairs, meals, chickens, pigs, etc.) but you are still compensated.

Maybe we need to reorganize our society around the micro economy, rather than the macro economy and let the bankers and brokers eat each other.

Just my thoughts at the end of a rather remarkable year. Regardless, have a Happy and far more prosperous 2010.

Slainte,
Pops

Veteran's Day Parade

Well... it seems that on my last visit to the cemetery I managed give my right knee a pretty good twist. While it is bad enough to have to put up with the discomfort, I have now missed the Veteran's Day parade in Anthem yesterday, and will in all likelihood miss the Veteran's Day Parade in Tempe as well. El Zaribah Shrine is participating in both! I just cannot bring myself to pipe from a "float". It just doesn't seem right.

While getting old is better than the only known alternative, it is beginning to have some draw backs!

El Zaribah Shrine Ceremonial

Saturday I had the honor and pleasure of piping for the El Zaribah Shrine's fall class of 2009 initiation. Seventeen new nobles were brought into Shrinedom!

A hearty welcome to you all! There is much hard work ahead for you, but it will be the most rewarding work you can possibly imagine. As exemplified in the Arch Degree, the need is great. But just as great is the fellowship of good men doing great work.

Our Ceremonial was held at the Nautical Inn in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. This is the home of the London Bridge (sort of an oddity for a desert city). Google it, it is an interesting read.

The Fallen

First of all I realize that it is usually a mistake to post anything "political" on this forum. However, that being said, I attended my first Patriot Guard Riders funeral today. It was very moving, for many reasons none the least of which was the tear filled expressions of thanks from the freinds and family.

The purpose of the PGR honor guard was to shield the family and loved ones of the deceased from the obscenities and insults of a group of Topeka "Christians".

Suddenly it occurred to me what a great honor these protestors were paying to the deceased. Captain Corey Jenkins gave his life to insure them the freedom to hurl insults and obscenities at his greiving family. Such was the value he placed on personal liberty.

Captain Jenkins, you are a far better man than I!

I’ve read the bios on so many pipers now and there seems be some very common threads. They fall into the one or more of these categories:


1.) I am the most experienced piper alive (at least in this area).

2.) I play at the highest level possible (as defined by those who should know).

3.) I am very competitive and have won many prestigious awards (surely you’ve heard of them).

4.) I have been playing most of my life (maybe even longer).



Wow, not much room there for anyone else!


Well, I thought I should write my bio.

“I am a piper who plays for the joy of playing. I leave and always will leave competition to athletes, businessmen etc. and of course to many bagpipers. I have no idea what level I play at I only know that it brings me great joy, and if you enjoy hearing me play I will be happy to play for you as well. I will not play for anyone who has not already heard me play, and I will only play for such a person at thier request. I do believe that if my piping is advertised, promoted, and whored out like a business the joy will leave and I can’t bear to think of that. I also believe the joy is contagious and infects those who hear me. So it is my mission to protect the joy my piping brings, and share with those who so desire. Nothing more, nothing less.”

A passing

I parted with an old friend this past week. I closed my Ebay store. for over a decade I have been importing and selling bagpipes, harps, bodhrans, sporrans, pins, brooches, etc. With the recent economic meltdown I had a horrible holiday sales season, and with our moving, and starting a new company there just wasn't time. I sadly put the remaining inventory in storage and vowed to re-open upon retirement.



Now I will focus on my own piping with what free time I have! Things are beginning to settle down and I have actually found time to play again. I discovered that horses (the neighbor has four) have a fine appreciation for piping, which of course is what you would expect from such a noble beast! And, as I have told you before, my dogs love to sing along. All in all it is quite a spectacle.

While the neighbors themselves have yet to express their opinion on piping, at least they have not shown up at the door with pitch forks and torches!

All things considered life is getting back to a pretty good place. :-)

Slainte,
Pops

A "New Day"

Arrrgh... We are finally moved out of the old digs and into the new. It's a "Horse Property" about a mile north of the old location. No horses, but lots of construction equipment, and now after almost a month I can get back to my pipes!

Tonight they really punished me! After four weeks without touching them my lips and cheeks "blew out" in no time at all. Its going to take a little time to get it back I'm afraid. But hey, its Summer, parties, parades, camping , a few weddings, a GREAT time to be a piper (but then any time is a great time to be a piper if you think about it.)

Enough rest, back to the pipes you slackard! Blow, blow your lips off! Swear you'll never leave them alone so long again! :-)

Slainte,

Pops

Extended absence!

Wow, it has been a while. A lot has happened and is happening. The Family is lauching a new business venture, a construction company, and all hands have turned to. Doesn't have anything to do with piping, but it sure sucks up every available minute. My poor pipes are sitting over in the corner chair giving me a very baleful look. I've got to get my act together though as there are parades just around the corner, and a wedding coming up, not to mention several birthdays..... it is bad to be a slacker!