Band or banned . . . Highland gaming . . . Why? Informing members . . . Concrete or quicksand . . . Should I stay or should I go? Super . . . Pet sounds . . . Resolved . . . Remembered or dismembered . . . Worn out . . . Standards . . . Music or winning . . . Playing favourites . . . Library . . . Weekend warriors . . . Time out . . . Big deal music . . . Worldly or other-wordly . . . Make your pick . . . Constructive or destructive dialog . . . Select selection . . . Bound for GLA . . . Musical impressions . . . Playing by degrees . . . Enough already . . . Legal limits . . . Reeds, chanters, drums . . . Playing decisions . . . Fun factory or glue factory . . . Weekend warriors . . . As young as you reel . . . Band suits . . . Originality in the ranks . . . Party time . . . Getting in tune with the straight and narrow . . . Ho-ho-ho-hirum . . . Leadership intensity . . . Relationships . . . You're welcome . . . Time to tune in . . . In the swing of things . . . Vintage reeds . . . Getting schooled . . . Break to reality . . . The big solo piping events . . . World class or worlds apart . . . Pick your six . . . Dangling digit . . . Bagskyping . . . Gosh dangit . . . Hamburger week in Glasgow . . . Waist-belt tightening . . . Betrothed to the kilt . . . Part of the show . . . Keeping things moving . . . Fair/unfair comment . . . Major prediction . . . Enough is enough . . . Piob groupies . . . Independent section . . . Change management . . . Us and them . . . Worn out . . . Appetite for instruction . . . Going for the gold . . . Shaking loose some change . . . Just for a listen . . . Tight sporran strings . . . Police policy . . . Tune-efficiency . . . Pet sounding . . . Misty water-coloured memory . . . New leaves . . . Your community . . . Gotta have it . . . Ho-ho-ho-hirum Buff volunteers . . . Active or inert . . . What's that you say? Live or vid? Raising money . . . Top honours . . . Top of the heap . . . Personal outlay . . . Challenges challenges . . . Regrouping the group . . . Job/hobby? Content with content . . . Show me the money . . . Avocation or vocation . . . Age of majority . . . The abyss . . . Aftermath . . . The even bigger one . . . The big one . . . Final straw . . . Success at Maxville . . . The cost of tuition . . . Bass and tenor drums. . . Cool for school . . . Pay-per-view . . . Staying tuned . . . Win or lose . . . Unreadable feedback . . . Open critiques . . . Off-days . . . M&M weekend . . . Changing loyalties . . . Post-contest . . . Focal point . . . Less or more ceol mor . . . Other interests . . . Restitution . . . Size matters . . . Practicing hard or hardly practicing? Blair Atholl or bust . . . For want of love or money . . . Worn well or worn out? August enjoyment . . . Gain and pain . . . Competitive fitness . . . Running for office . . . Keeping you informed . . . Ch-ch-ch-changes . . . Keeping time off . . . Wallet repercussions . . . Sonsie? Learning or not . . . The sound or the look . . . Enough already . . . 2009 Readers' Choice Awards . . . 2009 Readers' Choice Awards . . . 2009 Readers' Choice Awards . . . 2009 Readers' Choice Awards . . . Holiday giving and getting . . . Sentimental journey . . . Authenticity . . . Getting started . . . World's best mid-section . . . Ceol mor . . . Staying informed . . . List the five greatest pipe band drummers. The best of the best . . . Trick or reed! Budgets . . . The devolution of the Polis . . . Diminishing returns? Absentee balloting? Percussions . . . Hit the road, Jock . . . Righting wrongs . . . Judging judges . . . Out with the old . . . Gently down the stream . . . Singing in the rain? You be the judge . . . And the victor will be . . . Glasgow bound . . . On or off the guest list? Same old same old? Incessant invective . . . Accompanying drumming . . . The price of your instrument . . . Anything goes . . . Heir to the drone . . . A matter of preference . . . Artistic license . . . The competition . . . Sustainability . . . Turn it up to 11? Teaching pipe bands . . . Conflict of interest? Assessing tenors and bass . . . Endorsements . . . Instruction deconstruction . . . Rent or buy? Natural or synthetic . . . Show travel . . . Working hard or hardly working? Piobaireachd or not? Orchestration . . . Loyalty and durability . . . Sound policy . . . Band transfers . . . Musical diversity . . . In or out of puff? Work and play? PR disaster or practical reality? Brand new or second-hand . . . Protectionism or pragmatism? Learning . . . All in the family . . . Yes, he can? Hard at work or hardly working? Social media . . . Turning over a new musical leaf . . . The spirit of giving . . . Working on next year . . . The spirit of giving . . . Democracy . . . Selection parameters . . . Recordings . . . You judge . . . The muse . . . Gender discrimination . . . Celebrating success . . . The Canadian election . . . Supporting you hobby . . . Truly professional piping and drumming: Antique or modern? Ready, willing and able? Recharging the batteries . . . Importance of the gatherings . . . Attention? Post-contest confab . . . Changes a-foot? Well then . . . You predict: What percentage of us actually go? North American Championships: Is your baby covered? What do you think? You predict: Saying goodbye: How prizes should be read out: What's under your arm? Your beginnings . . . Dealing with stage-fright: Players not playing? The role of a pipe band adjudicator: Reciprocity between associations: Does money buy better sound? What should bands play in a contest? What are your bad weather preferences? We've revamped your magazine! Let the piping and drumming world know! Pipe band medleys Poll 1
01/01/2008 Does your New Year resolution involve piping/drumming?
Yes : 29.1%
No : 42.5%
I don't make New Year resolutions : 28.4%
01/03/2008 What's your favourite non-news section of pipes|drums?
By The Left . . . : 09.9%
Features : 19.0%
Interviews : 29.9%
Set Tunes Series : 07.3%
Style Guy : 16.8%
Trailing Drones : 17.2%
01/07/2008 Which is the the world's most exciting band?
Field Marshal Montgomery : 20.4%
House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead : 04.8%
Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders : 20.0%
Simon Fraser University : 18.6%
St. Laurence O'Toole : 29.6%
Other : 06.6%
01/10/2008 Which Grade 1 band in general has the best ensemble sound?
Field Marshal Montgomery : 28.0%
House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead : 09.6%
Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders : 12.3%
Simon Fraser University : 27.2%
St. Laurence O'Toole : 19.8%
Other : 03.1%
01/12/2008 Which Grade 1 band is most creative?
Field Marshal Montgomery : 12.0%
House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead : 10.3%
Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders : 31.8%
Simon Fraser University : 22.5%
St. Laurence O'Toole : 17.7%
Other : 05.6%
01/15/2008 Which Grade 1 band has the best mid-section?
Field Marshal Montgomery : 06.5%
House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead : 27.9%
Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders : 25.5%
Simon Fraser University : 12.8%
St. Laurence O'Toole : 21.0%
Other : 06.3%
01/18/2008 Were your wedding day and honeymoon scheduled not to conflict with a piping/drumming event?
Yes : 38.2%
No : 27.0%
Not married! : 34.8%
01/22/2008 What's more fun?
The day of the World Pipe Band Championships : 29.2%
The week leading up to the World Pipe Band Championships : 55.7%
Don't know; haven't attended either : 15.1%
01/25/2008 Have you ever been heckled for wearing a kilt?
Yes : 81.4%
No : 18.6%
01/30/2008 Do you think Highland piping and pipe band drumming should be offered in all schools that have formal musical instrument teaching programs?
Yes : 71.6%
No : 28.4%
02/01/2008 Would you consider making a vacation of the Piping Live! festival even if it didn't coincide with the World Pipe Band Championships?
Yes : 30.8%
No : 69.2%
02/05/2008 Pipe band drummers receive:
More respect than they did 20 years ago : 67.3%
Less respect than they did 20 years ago : 06.5%
About the same amount of respect that they did 20 years ago : 26.2%
02/08/2008 How do you feel about the World's being in Glasgow through 2012?
Pleased - it's where it should be held. : 46.0%
Ambivalent - don't care where it is. : 17.3%
Disappointed - it's time for a change. : 36.7%
02/11/2008 Are you planning to play or have you already played in an indoor competition this winter?
Yes : 46.0%
No : 54.0%
02/17/2008 How often does your band bring in experts to conduct workshops?
At least once a year : 29.9%
Once every two years : 05.5%
Once every five years : 04.1%
Never : 50.8%
I don't play with a band : 09.6%
02/21/2008 Do you usually take your practice chanter / sticks & pad with you on non-piping / drumming vacations?
Yes : 63.3%
No : 36.7%
02/26/2008 Should bands be required to start with two three-pace rolls in competition?
Yes, always : 29.2%
Yes, but only for MSRs : 55.9%
No, they should always be permitted to do whatever they want : 14.9%
03/02/2008 What do you think of practice chanter or drum pad competitions?
Why not? Let everyone compete! : 64.0%
No way! What's the point? : 36.0%
03/04/2008 Which US presidential candidate do you think most appreciates the pipes?
Hillary Clinton : 15.6%
Mike Huckabee : 09.5%
John McCain : 55.4%
Barack Obama : 19.6%
03/10/2008 How ready is your band for the competition season?
Let's get it on! : 18.3%
Still a few weeks away : 22.9%
Need another two months : 25.3%
Maybe by August . . . : 11.1%
We're competition-fit in the Southern Hemisphere! : 07.0%
I don't compete with a band : 15.4%
03/13/2008 How physically fit do you consider yourself to be?
Prime condition : 06.1%
Physically fit : 30.7%
Need to be more active : 50.2%
A total couch-haggis : 12.9%
03/17/2008 Did you play in any St. Patrick's Day events this past weekend?
Yes : 38.3%
No : 61.7%
03/19/2008 Which best describes your pipe-major?
No-nonsense, ultra-serious and thinks he/she's always right : 27.4%
Fun-loving, one-of-the-boys/girls but not in control : 09.5%
A good person, listens to others and leads by example : 51.8%
I don't play in a band : 11.3%
03/22/2008 How do you feel about the RSPBA's decision to drop Best Bass-Section awards?
It's the right thing to do : 20.1%
It's the wrong thing to do : 62.3%
I don't care either way : 17.6%
03/27/2008 Are you planning to attend any piping/drumming summer schools this year?
Yes : 23.2%
No : 76.8%
03/30/2008 How old is your personal kilt?
Less than a year : 07.5%
One to five years : 19.5%
Five to 10 years` : 18.4%
10 to 20 years : 20.5%
Older than 20 years : 14.7%
My only kilt is the band's : 19.4%
04/03/2008 How often do you practice during non-piping/drumming-related vacations?
Every day : 15.3%
A few times : 37.2%
Never : 40.0%
I don't take non-piping/drumming vacations : 07.5%
04/07/2008 Do you keep a special budget for piping/drumming expenses?
Yes : 25.7%
No : 74.3%
04/10/2008 Which do you enjoy playing in more?
Band competitions : 63.3%
Band concerts : 29.2%
I don't play in a band : 07.5%
04/14/2008 What are your band's chanters made of?
Plastic : 60.9%
Wood : 31.8%
I don't play in a band : 07.3%
04/18/2008 Does your band's mid-section practice "functional tuning"?
Yes : 39.1%
No : 16.9%
What the heck is functional tuning? : 40.5%
I don't play in a band : 03.5%
04/20/2008 What do you think of accredited judges and professional development?
Should be a requirement to maintain their status : 85.9%
Should not be a requirement to maintain their status : 14.1%
04/24/2008 How many of your band's competition tunes have been changed for this season?
All of them : 20.7%
About half of them : 35.5%
Less than half of them : 22.0%
None of them : 09.7%
I don't play in a band : 12.1%
04/28/2008 Do you think your band would get better competition results if it played easier material?
Yes, for sure : 22.1%
Maybe : 26.6%
Probably not : 39.7%
It's not possible to play easier stuff! : 06.7%
I don't play in a band : 05.0%
04/30/2008 How much would it matter to you if your band changed its name?
A great deal : 35.6%
Somewhat : 19.9%
Not much : 19.1%
Not at all : 17.6%
I don't play in a band : 07.8%
05/05/2008 Does your band have a 'feeder' band or bands?
Yes : 44.4%
No : 49.0%
I don't play in a band : 06.6%