{The Long Sail Home - RNSIT 2010 Finale}

I try to find videos that are posted on YouTube because some are only posted on Facebook and I can't share them here on the blog. Hopefully I'll post a lot more soon. This is shot from the audience (obviously) and I'm on the side of the stage (right hand side of the video) that you cannot see. But I'm there, playing my ♥ out 'cause I LOVED this song in the finale! Ahhhh....can't wait 'til next year!

{Another Video of BAF @ RNSIT - 7 July 2010}

{Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo 2010 - Closing Ceremony}

A little more video for you to watch....our feet are KILLING us at the end of this. 22 minutes of standing at attention! Sheesh!

{Kimberley Pipe Band Sings to Band of America's Few on the 4th of July}

This was SOOOOOO amazingly awesome! What a wonderful thing for them to do! We were all in tears @ the end and felt all the love and heart that they put into it!

{BAF in Halifax!!}

PHEW! I know people have been waiting to see photos of us, etc. We've been SO busy, I haven't had a lot of free time to put stuff up here, or even download my own pictures etc. Last night was our first FULL dress rehearsal. So everyone was in their uniforms and we had full lighting cues and everything was AMAZING! Here are some pictures...we look HOT out on the floor! I'm in the very back on the far left-hand side. They didn't use the percussionists for the set bands, so Shannon said, "Uh...didn't you practice the clarinet? Why don't you come up on set with the clarinet?" So I grabbed a clarinet and a flip-folder (thank goodness THAT music isn't memorized!) and am now in the set band too...as well as the "Hits of the Blitz" sequence on the floor. MUCH happier about doing that and not just sitting around! Shanny is so smart...probably why we've been friends all these years! I'm on the right hand side of the set for the clarinet stuff. Hopefully I'll be able to get some closer up pics of that soon. Meghann has arrived, she got here at 2:30am Halifax time on June 29th. I'm a happy Momma to have my baby here! We move into the rental house today, so that should be nice! They have air conditioning and a pool! WooHoo!

{4 Days & a Wake-Up 'til Halifax!}

4 more days and I'll be on a plane to Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada! Amazing how fast the time has flown! Meghann flies out in 10 days to meet Vince and Aleks and then drive up to meet Shanny, Derek and I already in Halifax. I can't wait to start posting some pictures, eh?!

{Couple of Updates!}

Firstly...no change in Mike's back yet. Though they say it takes 3-5 days to know if the epidural works. Today is 3 days after the injection...so if it doesn't work by Saturday, we'll have to get him scheduled for a 2nd one. The waiting is hard...but we're hopeful. We've heard from MANY people that their 1st one didn't work but the 2nd one does.

Secondly...11 more days before I leave for Canada to rock Halifax with the Band of America's Few! There's been a slight instrumentation change for me...I will no longer be playing the clarinet, but instead will be a percussionist clanging my 'ol favorites...the cymbals! We had 2 snare drummers drop out, so we had to be creative. 2 other musicians jumped over to snare and my friend Shannon's son, Derek, will be joining us on bass drum and then I'm filling a cymbalist spot. I WAS trained by the Corps to do it...and did my fair share of it @ MCRD San Diego, so it's nothing new! It's ALL good because the needs of the band come FIRST...and it's about being with all my brothers and sisters in the Corps again for a wonderful musicial time in Nova Scotia! Can't wait until Megs joins us and we have a wonderful time together!

Thirdly...hoping that all the illnesses that keep on plaguing my lovely Momma will just QUIT! You are in our prayers and we ♥ you!

{Band of America's Few...Support Your Former Marine Musicians!}

Many of you already know the story...but I'll tell it again!

This summer an opportunity presented itself to a Marine Musician friend of mine. The Marine Corps bands used to participate in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Canada every year. It's a HUGE entertainment extravaganza attended by people from all over the world and includes performers from all over the world. About 10 years back, the government decided to quit funding trips such as this. So the international community has been begging Marine bands for 10 years to come back. Since the government won't fund it, it can't happen, no matter HOW badly the Marines want to participate. A wonderful man, Guthrie Woods, a Canadian came forward and talked to the Marine Musician friend of mine and said, "What if you got together a bunch of your FORMER Marine Musicians, and I paid for uniforms to be made specially for you guys, and I got sponsors to provide instruments that you guys don't have access to?" Matt said, "I think I can DO that!" It was all approved through the Headquarters Marine Corps, and "The Band of America's Few" was born! I will be performing on clarinet this year...and Meghann will get to attend as well for 1 week with me! What an opportunity for us both...she, of course, never got to see her Marine Mommy perform, so this will be the next best thing! An AMAZING group of former Marine Musicians has been assembled and we will "Take Halifax by Storm" in June/July 2010! We are an ongoing group and will continue to support other "missions" that arise...we've already been requested for quite a few "gigs" and invited back for the 2011 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo! The PayPal widget to the right @ the top of the blog page is to encourage you to donate to our non-profit organization...and help foster the goodwill that Marine Musicians have always provided to the local and international communities! Every dollar helps...so give a dollar, give 10...whatever you can, it'll be MUCH appreciated! The widget only shows what's been donated to "The Band of America's Few" through the widget...we've had our fundraising going for about 3 weeks now and have gotten a lot of donations, this is just one more way to get our name/story out there!

Our Logo in Brass form...for our buttons and belts

Our embroidered Logo on the windbreaker

Here is the promotional video from the Tattoo website...how cool is THIS?!? Did you see the Marines?