Cape Breton's Magazine

couldn't--I can't even work my feet. That's all I can do. (Did people like your mother--people who could jig like that, would they jig and other people have a little dance?) Oh, yeah. There was no music. Oh, yeah, I often saw that. They'd come to the house. There'd be no violin player, or the pipes wouldn't be going good or something like that. All New Honda They'd have a little stepdance, and she'd jig for them. Strathspey and reel. Just as good as I'd play it on the chanter. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I saw that many's the evening. (See, I don't want to make this up. That's why I ask the question, but I ask it care? fully, because I want to know if this real? ly happened, you know. We hear of people learning by ear. And clearly, you learned by ear. And I have to hear it from you to really know how that was done.) Yeah, yeah. Here, today, all they can play today is by note, eh? They haven't got one minute of idea of what pipes played by ear means. They think that's not worth nothing. And it's worth the weight in gold today. Selling and Servicing HONDA Automobiles for 17 Years CTcTHl'feV' 229 King's Rd. Sydney 539-0112 pr-yi Built Without Comproiviise. iMi HOKTID A HOnXD A. At our time, that's all we learned, by the sound of the tune. Mother played first, and that's how we learned it. But today, there's not such a thing as ear.... ('X'penence'he A'rt afi'ood 'mnff Cape Breton Island Originals If it's true that life imitates art, Cape Breton Island offers an endless pallet filled with celebration and the colour of life. Beyond the spectacular natural setting and wonders like the Cabot Trail, you'll find music and folk and traditional art in their natural settings. Ask anyone who's ever visited Cape Breton Island, good living has been honed into a fine art. You can sense it in the works of our artists and musicians, but you really have to be here to feel it. This fall, the sounds of the Celtic Colours International Festival will echo against the foliage-covered landscape, in fitting tribute to the people and the land. Yes, life does imitate art on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia's Masterpiece. To experience the art of good living, call Ashton at: 1'800-565'9464 Explore Our Websit, :: http://w- Piping comes from your heart, from your soul. If you've got it in you, it's no trouble to play it. But when you've got to learn it by note, that's a horse of a different colour. There's no trouble today for a pip? er to play a tune by note. But that's as far as he can go. He can't play the reels--he can't play that as good by note as he can by ear. Because there's no volume to it. There's not the volume to it--that's the mainstay of it. I can get the best piper in the country to play a tune here, the way he plays it, by note. And I'll bet you five dollars--I'11 play the same tune, and he'll be up on the floor dancing. Eh? They haven't got the rhythm. No rhythm. (Do you think it's something the Curries have--or maybe the MacMullins had--that's different than, say, what others have?) Maclntyres are known for pipers, and Mac? Mullins, at that time. They were full of music, the Mac? lntyres . The Currie had no music. (Do you think that in some way the Maclntyres and the MacMullins were blessed with this?) Oh, yeah. (Here Alex began to talk