Flight Corporal Kalisie Kenneally & Flight Sergeant James Cook,
517 Flight Lieutenant Graham Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron
My name is Kalisie Kenneally. I’m from 517 Flight Lieutenant Graham Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, based in Greenwood. My instruments are flute and piccolo.
Three of our squadron members recently participated in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, July 1 to 5, as show musicians. This was my first time performing in the Tattoo, and it was a lot of fun!
Days were long and tiring, up to 12-plus hours, but also very rewarding. We had three weeks of training, and I made many new friends and enjoyed spending time with them in the evening, which we called “dock time,” at a dock on land, and enjoying the sunset by Halifax Harbour on the “dock.”
It was a great experience. It’s also great this opportunity was given to the Cadet program. It was super fun to be in the Canada Day parade, which everybody was a part of. I played the piccolo in the Canada Day parade.
Everyone had a job in the RNSIT shows, such as being part of the gun crew, flag parties, pipes and drums, fanfares and the massed military band. I was super lucky to be chosen as one of 10 musicians to join the military massed band. In the RNSIT shows, I played the flute. It was super cool playing with professional musicians in the massed bands, not only from Canada, but Germany and Belgium, too.
I hope there are more chances like this in the future and, if there are, I will gladly take them.
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My name is James Cook, and my Tattoo adventure began when we were invited to attend and learn at the Atlantic Regional Advanced Music Training RDA in early March. This was a music camp for around 50 musical Cadets from across the Maritimes. Following that, about 45 Cadets were selected to participate in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. We left June 12 to stay at Shearwater for three weeks of training before performing at the Tattoo.
I immediately started meeting new people, and meeting up with old friends from previous Cadet music workshops. It was interesting to see Cadets trying to also fit in exams and graduation events during this rehearsal time.
We sometimes practiced for over 12 hours a day. I was in Pipes and Drums and, at the Citadel, we worked with the Nova Scotia Highlanders. They helped so much with the music and taught us so many things I will definitely keep with me through my Cadet career, and with life. We marched and performed and practiced our drill on the parade square. I even have a couple of friends that I played with who are working at the Citadel right now for the summer. We also all got to perform in the Canada Day parade in Halifax.
I think the first moment where I went, “Wow, I’m actually in the Tattoo,” was when we first walked into the Scotia Bank Centre, seeing behind the scenes and the loading area. Walking out onto the floor and just looking up at those bright lights – I don’t think I will ever forget that feeling. The second day before show week started is when we started scene run-throughs. I met a couple of Australians, Mathew and Ryan. Mathew was a bass drummer, also known as a “vegemite guy” because he brought a whole bag full of vegemite packets. Ryan was a fellow snare drummer who I performed beside on most scenes. We were all giving each other gifts and trading things. The Germans gave us lanyards. I gave chocolate toonies. The Australians gave mini koalas. I even traded Ryan for his hat. I also received my high school yearbook while I was away and, since I couldn’t ask my classmates to sign, I got my fellow Tattoo participants to do it.
During the night shows, we would get back from the barracks at 11 p.m. I think my favourite memory is definitely the “dock.” At the barracks area, there was a dock on land and, every night when we had time, we would go and just sit there. As the days went on, we grew closer together, talking about life, our own Cadet squadrons, where we were from and our love of music. We would just watch the sunset behind the city. It was beautiful every night, even on days where you could only see fog. Some of the best memories and conversations I’ve had were during our time at the dock.
I definitely enjoyed my time at the Tattoo. I keep in contact with all the friends and people I met. I’ve grown as a Cadet, a leader, a musician and a person. I would love to be able to participate next year. It was such a wonderful experience, and I’m so glad I joined Cadets so I was able to do it.
