Stuart MacKay: It Doesn't Have to Be Hard
I got involved with piping in my early twenties when I saw pipers from the SA Irish Regiment band playing and decided I wanted to…
Tag: your bagpipe should be easy
Hamish Brown: Long Haul Piper
My father played before I came along. My uncle, Colin Craig, was at the time an open grade solo player. He was my inspiration. I…
Joe Moore: A History of Piping
The story goes my mother held me up as a baby in 1952 as the Scots Guards played the Garb of Old Gaul at the…
Matt Evans: A Friendly Affair
It's a funny thing but I initially had NO interest in the bagpipes. My friend Tim wanted to learn and knew I played other instruments.…
Steven Grahl: What One Student Learned About the Importance of Proper Reed Strength and Its Effect on Piping Enjoyment
I originally wanted to learn to play the pipes to continue the honored tradition in the American fire service and to restart the service band…
Hard Reeds: Pros and Cons
To illustrate the fallacy that hard pipe chanter reeds are somehow desirable, I often ask students to lay out pros and cons. We often "come…
Can you play your bagpipes with your nose?!?
I recently had a student mention to me that their uncle told them Donald MacPherson could play his bagpipes with his nose. And, I have…