Drumming Mad 3

Nideggen

November 2 - 4 2007
Drumming Mad 3 Nideggen 2007 runs as a complete success!!
A musical learning feast was had by all on the subject of “Ensemble Playing”.  112 pipers and drummers from Holland, Belgium, France, Finland, Switzerland and Germany all took part last weekend in what was the biggest and best ever Drumming Mad workshop to date.
Friday night kicked it all off with some jamming by pipers and drummers in the foyer setting the mood well.  Because what was to come could only be described as truly amazing.  All the teachers gave us a recital that will be remembered for a long time.  Benedikt Groh, LD Dean Hall and Maik Reckziegel played a 2/4 march and some dance tunes together.
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for photos page
Then Bernard Bouhadana of the Field Marshal Montgomery treated us with some brilliant solo piping.  Benedikt was joined by LD Carel Ooms and lead tenor Robbert van Gorb of Antwerp and district for a great set.  Then Alastair Dunn, pipe sgt. of the Field Marshal Montgomery took the stage and played a blinder with 2/4’s and 6/8’s followed by multi medal solo winner Stuart Liddell of Simon Fraser University Pipe Band who spell-bound the audience with more terrific piping.
3rd in the world soloist Steven McWhirter also of SFU joined Stuart and played the sets that he had played in the worlds solos less than a week before in the Glasgow worlds solos.   The crowd was anxious for more action and more action is what we all got. The best mini band many had ever heard then took the stage.  Stuart, Alistair, Bernard and Steven were joined by Haggis MacLeod lead tenor of the Field Marshal Montgomery and Jarrod “Skippy” Watts of the Band Club Australia.
They played their hearts out for 20 minutes leaving the crowd in total ecstasy wanting more and the lads played another set which nearly set off the fire alarm it was so hot!  I really can’t think of a word to describe it but 3, magical, electric and inspiring.  One young lady from Batavorum told me afterwards that she was so motivated by seeing and hearing it all that she “will never stop practicing”.  That’s what it is all about, inspiration.
Saturday morning started at 9am with a “band meeting”.  Each of the groups met together to discuss the weekend’s objectives, discuss the tunes and plan the day’s “practice”.
Then our groups split up to work on composition, theory, technique and discuss ensemble.
Throughout the day the bands met on pads and chanters and then later on pipes and drums to get in touch with the ensemble feeling.  Ensemble being the theme of the workshop meant that we really focussed on playing together as one band.
The bands all had varying degrees of tune difficulty from introduction to 6/8 marches right through simple time marches, Jigs, a March Strathspey and Reel and the top group learning a very cool mini Medley.
Saturday night we had a movie night watching some DVD’s including the World Pipe Band Championships 2007.  Then we had an impromptu jam session with Alastair Dunn, Steven McWhirter, Maik “Banana Drops” Reckziegel, “Haggis”, “Skippy” and many others playing any percussion instrument they could find.  Ok the pipes were slightly overpowered but we all had a great night ;-)
Next morning kicked off again at 9 and we all worked through till 2 when all the students met to play Green Hills of Tyrol and I'm No' Awa' Tae Bide Awa' then it was once through Scotland the Brave to finish up.
A message to all the students that came is to remember that the workshop only gives you your new direction, you have to continue the work yourself at home, that is when the real long lasting improvement happens.  This means to practice hard, take notes and try to apply all the tips and knowledge that you have received at this Drumming Mad workshop.  So work hard on this great musical interest, piping and drumming.
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for photos page
A very big thank you goes out to the following people on the supporter team:

Ralf and Almuth Granrath, Alissa McKeagg, Ralf's Jolly Barmen, Vicky and Moons, Stefan Rau, Peter "boom boom" Heidelberg and Michael Schemel.

Thank you for your ready for action attitude.

I would like to thank the sponsor of Drumming Mad 3 Nideggen 2007

With whose help makes the event so possible

Thanks a lot Donald!
Finally many thanks to the teachers who came and gave their all to teach us

Dean

J.

Hall

 Maik

Reckziegel

 Carel

Ooms

 Jarrod

"Skippy"

Watts

 Steven

McWhirter

 Stuart

Liddell

 Norman

"Haggis"

MacLeod

 Bernard

Bouhadana

 Alastair

Dunn

 Robbert

van Gorb

 Benedikt

Groh

 Ralf

Granrath
Now if you weren't there, you have really missed a great workshop but don't dispair!
This was just the first of a series of workshops planned to improve Ensemble playing.  It is an ongoing process that will continue well into your musical life.  Stay tuned to Drumming Mad for news on the next workshop scheduled to be run at in either March or April of next year.

We also have a "workshop email notification service", if you are interested please click here for the email address and request to be included on the Drumming Mad Newsletter list.

Well done to all participants who competed the course and we look forward to seeing you and your fellow bandsmen and women, boys and girls at the next Drumming Mad Workshop in 2008!!

 

 Dean J Hall, Drumming Mad Workshops 2007
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