It's not easy being green... or is it?
I went with the band Palmetto Pipes and Drums to the Charleston Highland Games last weekend. If you've never been subjected to bagpipes and drums non-stop for eight hours, I must say it is an experience. It took me another twenty-four hours to stop hearing bagpipes, especially "Scotland the Brave." I really had a great time. All of the band members are so warm and welcoming. Okay, so I know you are asking... how many more Brown/Black/African-American/non-White people were there? Well, as observers, there were a few teenagers, who seemed to be a part of a group of some sort and not really interested. There was one bass drummer playing with St. Andrews Presbyterian College's band. One band had an Asian drummer. There is a young woman in our band of Asian and some other ethnicity (adoptive parents are not) who plays the pipes. I was the lone very brown piper (and I don't have my pipes yet... I am just on my practice chanter).
I did not try any haggis. Maybe next time, now that I've read a bit more about it and supposedly it tastes a heck of a lot better than it sounds like it should. Shoot, I eat chitlin's (chitterlings), fried and stewed, and beef tripe... can it be THAT bad?
This is the point in the essay in which I say I am used to being the lone brown person, but geez! I realize the whole bagpipes thing is strongly attached to Scottish heritage stuff, and some people of color feel like any non-color heritage and history is constantly pushed down their throats. Maybe men of color don't want to wear the kilts and sporrans (the purse-looking thing). The piping community is so small there is a lot of "everybody knows everybody." I was an unofficial chaperone for two of the teens in the band for the weekend, and they knew other teens from all over the East coast. They all get together at camp every summer (and I'm thinking about going!). They know two of the best Pipe Majors in the world. Now, I realize my chances of finding a blonde and blue kinte-cloth wearing African drummer are probably slim-to-none, but am I THAT different? If I wasn't "in touch" with who I am, would I wear my hair like I do? I'm into African stuff, particularly art, and Native American stuff, which encompasses the other two parts of my three-part (at least) bloodline. So what's the deal? Why must I behave in a certain manner just because of the color of my skin and texture of my hair?
Ahem.
Yesterday, I had a lesson with one of the aforementioned world-known Pipe Majors, Edward Neigh (rhymes with eye). He was awesome, and I learned so much. It was such an honor and a treat. I am hoping to progress at a rapid pace and compete some time next fall.
Piping is still very male-dominated, but women are slowly joining the ranks. Our band has only two women, the aforementioned teens I watched most of the weekend. There were some bands with women of all ages, and on the whole, the teens in this region seem to be about 1/3 female.
My family and co-workers think I am crazy, but I really am enjoying myself and I'm excited about doing something totally new. So there.
I did not try any haggis. Maybe next time, now that I've read a bit more about it and supposedly it tastes a heck of a lot better than it sounds like it should. Shoot, I eat chitlin's (chitterlings), fried and stewed, and beef tripe... can it be THAT bad?
This is the point in the essay in which I say I am used to being the lone brown person, but geez! I realize the whole bagpipes thing is strongly attached to Scottish heritage stuff, and some people of color feel like any non-color heritage and history is constantly pushed down their throats. Maybe men of color don't want to wear the kilts and sporrans (the purse-looking thing). The piping community is so small there is a lot of "everybody knows everybody." I was an unofficial chaperone for two of the teens in the band for the weekend, and they knew other teens from all over the East coast. They all get together at camp every summer (and I'm thinking about going!). They know two of the best Pipe Majors in the world. Now, I realize my chances of finding a blonde and blue kinte-cloth wearing African drummer are probably slim-to-none, but am I THAT different? If I wasn't "in touch" with who I am, would I wear my hair like I do? I'm into African stuff, particularly art, and Native American stuff, which encompasses the other two parts of my three-part (at least) bloodline. So what's the deal? Why must I behave in a certain manner just because of the color of my skin and texture of my hair?
Ahem.
Yesterday, I had a lesson with one of the aforementioned world-known Pipe Majors, Edward Neigh (rhymes with eye). He was awesome, and I learned so much. It was such an honor and a treat. I am hoping to progress at a rapid pace and compete some time next fall.
Piping is still very male-dominated, but women are slowly joining the ranks. Our band has only two women, the aforementioned teens I watched most of the weekend. There were some bands with women of all ages, and on the whole, the teens in this region seem to be about 1/3 female.
My family and co-workers think I am crazy, but I really am enjoying myself and I'm excited about doing something totally new. So there.