Rafael To The Rescue!

Future Band member and good friend, Rafael Lopez has helped me to make the appearance of this blog more accurate.  Rafael, or 'Rafa' as he is referred to by his inner circle is also a (former) member of the Scottish Tartan Society.  Rafa pointed out that the use of the University of California, Riverside tartan, while appropriate, was not 100% accurate as it did not demonstrate the manner in which the sett repeats correctly.

Rafael came to the rescue!

Rafa sent me a picture file culled off of the official tartan registry records that better displays thread count, sett repetition, etc.  This blog now uses that representation thanks for Rafa's keen eye.

Rafael is a developing piper, having survived the beginner's class I teach at UCR.  By ancient tradition, beginners are asked to memorize and be able to play five tunes on the practice chanter, sans sheet music.  That accomplished, Rafa is now in the 2nd level class where he is transferring that learning to the bagpipe.  His goal now is to be able to play all eight of the Western United States Pipe Band Association massed bands tunes:

• Amazing Grace
• No Awa Tae Bide Awa
• Scotland the Brave
• The Green Hills of Tyrol
• When the Battle's O'er
• Highland Laddie
• Barren Rocks of Aden
• Bonnie Dundee

Please visit the UCR Pipe Band website to find out how you can learn to play the Great Highland Bagpipe or Scottish-style drum.

Bad News for UC Riverside, Good News for UC Merced

Kyle Hoffman

Kyle Hoffman, UC Riverside's Assistant Vice Chancellor Alumni & Constituent Relations, has been hired by UC Merced as their Vice Chancellor, Advancement effective 21MAY12.

Kyle Hoffman is an effective advocate for the UCR Pipe Band, our best friend on campus. 
Under his leadership as the Executive Director of the UCR Alumni Association, the UCRAA Board of Directors provided funding for the Band when it first started in the fall of 2000.  Kyle has also been instrumental in developing programming that includes the Band at key UCR events such as Commencement, Homecoming, Convocation and the Chancellor's Dinner.  His continuing support of the Band was most recently seen in the agreement Kyle hammered out between UCRPB and UCR's Risk Management group to allow UCR affiliate resources to be used to offset the cost of liability insurance that the Band would otherwise have to pay in order to perform on campus. 

Kyle Hoffman "gets it." 
He understands the value of tradition and use of symbols such as the pipe and drum at UC Riverside in developing and maintaining alumni and constituent relations.  Kyle's talents will be allowed to flourish in a developing environment at UC Merced, the UC system's tenth and newest campus.

On behalf of the University of California, Riverside Pipe Band, I wish Kyle Hoffman our very best wishes for success and happiness at his new home in Merced.



A Note about Avery...

Those who followed the link I provided for Avery Lynn Canahuati's blog http://averycan.blogspot.com or who catch up on news via Google or Yahoo already know that Avery died on Monday of this week.  She went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.  Her Dad tried CPR, rushed her to hospital...all to no avail. 

This was apparently not expected, but then the curve balls we are thrown in life typically don't come with advanced warning.

Play your pipe or drum and be thankful for the opportunity to do so...