Erin Long Benefit

I’m here! But I can’t seem to upload music through the WP app. So just pics for now.

The Sudbury Colonial Fair & Muster of Fyfes &…

The Sudbury Colonial Fair & Muster of Fyfes & Drums is coming up and will be held on Saturday, September 27th this year. It is a great family event and I urge you to attend. Also, here is the line of march for those interested.

Here is a picture of me at the Sudbury Fair.
me
 
I would place this photo around 1979. If you look closely in the dark shadows of my vest, just next to my elbow you will see an oval. That oval was actually a medal. Back in the 70’s, along with muster buttons, the muster committee made these lovely little commemorative medals. The artist of the medals and the buttons was a man named Les Longworth, a fifer from Sudbury who, ironically, celebrated his birthday on April 19th.
75
I was able to dig up my collection of these little works of art. Here are the medals that I still have, starting with 1975:
75

76
79
I believe this is 1981.
81
And, here are the buttons starting with 1976:
76
77
78
79
I don’t know where 1980 is. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
81
82
83
84
I believe ’85 was the year that there was a hurricane and the Fair was canceled. Fifers and drummers still made their way to Sudbury and camped for the weekend.
85
’86 is the year I started fifing and my first time playing at the muster.
86
87
88
89
90
Unfortunately, the quality of design dropped dramatically in 1991 and I ultimately stopped buying the buttons. However, I should add, that the 1991 button did have a cult following. There are those that applauded its minimalist approach.
91

Meet Michael Rode…

Michael Rode
 
Michael is a run-away. He claims he was not getting the attention he craved at home. So, he hit the street. I welcomed Michael (all the kids call him Mikey) into my home where he has found love and attention.

Michael’s father tells me that he regrets that he neglected Michael and wishes him well. In fact, he sees how happy he now is and has asked that I adopt Mikey and give him a proper home and the attention he needs. I truly believe, however, that one morning the sun will rise and Michael’s father, seeing the error of his ways, will wish for Michael’s safe return home.

So, it is with some regret that I must inform Michael’s parents that I do not feel that it is right or honorable to adopt Michael. However, I will welcome him into my home and I will do my best to serve as a proper foster parent until such time that you desire his return. Until then I will take good care of him.

Colorful Guests

Colorful Guest
 
I thought it would be nice to mix things up a bit and invite some colorful guest bloggers to post at baconworks.com. I plan to include people that have been influential to me in a variety of ways. You will be able to tell they are a guest blogger by the colorful banner at the top of their posts. It will look something like this:
 
Guest Blogger
 
Stay tuned (no pun intended)!!!

Fun with Twitter

All sorts of fun tonight. I just connected baconworks.com to twitter.
 
twitter
 
So, now every time I post to baconworks.com a tweet will automatically be sent to twitter. Incidentally my twitter account is http://twitter.com/baconworks. Lastly, if you have no idea what I’m talking about then you might want to check out this useful newbie guide to twitter. Suffice it to say, you can now be notified on you mobile phone when I post a new article.

facebook page

I created a new facebook page today called baconworks which can be found here.
 
facebook page
 
Apparently a page in facebook terminology is different than your standard-run-o-the-mill facebook account. Check it out. You’ll notice that somehow I became a fan of myself. Oddly enough, I can’t seem to figure out how to become an un-fan in the event that I decide that I really don’t like myself anymore.

…and, just moments before I posted this, I noticed that Sally has also become a fan. Thanks Sally. Now I don’t feel so lonely.

baconRadio

Since February of 2007 close to forty mp3’s have been posted to baconworks.com. Unfortunately they are scattered all over the site. So, why don’t I put them in one place you astutely wonder? Good idea.

I’m pleased to introduce baconRadio.
 
baconRadio
 
You will always find the banner for baconRadio on the top of the right sidebar on baconworks.com. Just so you know what you are looking for…it looks like this:
 
baconRadio banner
 
When you click on that banner a brandy new window will open and music will automatically begin playing, which will look something like this:
 
radio screenshot
 
You can play any tune you like from the list. In addition, clicking on one of those nifty little circles to the right of the tune will link you back to the original blog post where that tune was first introduced.
 
example
 
Try it now! All the cool kids are doin’ it.

Let me know what you think.

Jigs for Pigs

Jigs for Pigs
Last weekend was the Deep River Ancient Muster, for those not in the know. At the muster, I handed out a little book of jigs to fifty random people…free. Free baffles people. They don’t know what to do and I always get great reactions.

The last time I handed out a free book at a muster I met a guy named Chris Myers, who decide that he should hand out free music as well. The funny part was that I didn’t actually meet him until he passed around tunes on a card a year later. Apparently I had given him one of my books and he was inspired to continue the giving. That’s the kind of payback you can’t put a price on.

Here are the liner notes as well as a list of links to the tunes that were included.

The inconvenient truth of global warming got you down? Jigs.
Do our Middle Eastern escapades have you pining for peace? Jigs.
Wondering if you’re in shape enough to ride the sixteen miles to work on your bicycle once the price of gas exceeds the spot price of gold? Jigs.
Tired of reels? Jigs.

If you answered yes to any of the above questions … Jigs for Pigs is for you! I used to write reels. This year, all Jigs.

Admit it, we’ve all been a bit piggish lately. It’s time to trim the fat.
To help ease the pain … Jigs for Pigs

Indigo – article, music
Stone’s Mongrel – article, music
On the Mend – article, music
Blaze in the Barn – article, music
The Nobel Train – article, music
Franklin’s Harem – article, music