The best place to be in January

You have to admit, the months between November through March constitute the slow season for piping (unless you live in the southern hemisphere, or perpetually warm places like Florida or Arizona).  The competitions, highland games, parades, festivals, piping schools, and most other occasions for pipes and drums happen in the warmer months, and who can blame them?  You can't pipe while wearing gloves, and thermal underwear with a kilt just looks silly.  During the winter months a piper will pass the time by tinkering with pipes, learning new tunes for the next competition season, following gossip on piping and drumming forums , devoting time to other hobbies, and, occasionally, practicing.

It's true that there's not much happening in the way of piping during the winter, at least until there's a Winter Storm.  It has to be one of the largest collections of pipers and drummers anywhere in the world during the off season, and if it's not the largest it's certainly one of the most prestigious.  The event covers Martin Luther King weekend from Friday through Sunday.  Friday has gold and silver medal piobaireachd and light music competitions and gold medal drumming competitions.  Saturday consists of workshops taught by some of the big names in piping: Stuart Liddell, Jack Lee (he knows why), Angus MacColl, Fred Morrison, Chris Armstrong, Colin MacLellan, and Mike Cusack, among others.  Saturday night is a concert (where those videos were recorded in 2008) followed by the Winter Steam party.  Sunday has some more workshop sessions and some pretty bad hangovers.

I've heard great reports about Winter Storm for several years, and I'm very excited to be going for the first time.  I'll be taking my computer, and will be posting updates and cool information here as I am able.  I'm also taking my cameras and will be taking some random videos whenever I see fit.  They will magically appear on YouTube when I get a chance to process them.

I'm wicked excited.  Should be a great weekend!