The Pipe Band Community

This weekend, the Chattanooga pipe band will be having a clinic with one of the finest pipers and drummers in the North America. This will be wonderful opportunity to continue to develop the band and capitalize on last years big win at Stone Mountain. Winning once is great, but to repeat that same feat the fallowing year is something else. I hope that we get a lot accomplished this weekend.
One of the best aspects about the bagpipes is that there is always a great community awaiting you where ever you go. Many of the pest people I have meet in my life are friends that I met in different pipe bands. Over the years, I have moved around a bit and have had the opportunity to play in 4 different pipe bands. Each one is unique. From age to skill level, moving to a new city and meeting the pipe band is always exciting, never knowing what you will find and how you will fit into the band. After moving to Chattanooga, I was delighted to find that the local band is full of talent and genuine people.
Now that I am working at McCallie to set up a pipe band at that school, I look forward to planting the seed that could develop into a great program. The development of a band full of competitive musicians is my priority. I hope that this band will develop into a program that wins competitions and has the opportunity to travel far and wide for competition and performance opportunities.
For those of you looking to learn the bagpipes, take a look at the pipe band in town and visit a practice. It is a great chance to get a sense of what the band environment can offer you and how inviting the bagpipe community can be.

Playing Funerals for the Fire Department

Recently I have had the privilege to perform the bagpipes for a number of fire departments in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. The effort that is put into creating a memorable funeral on the part of the fire department is remarkable. They are always well attended and the grandeur of the service is every bit as involved as a military or police funeral. In the towns and cities were I have played these funerals, there is a real sense of the loss to the community. The whole area has a very somber tone on the day of a fire fighters funeral.
One of the more memorable funerals that I have played in recent months was for a retired fire chief. They had three helecopters fly over the grave site and a procession that was about a mile and a half long from the church to the cemetery. I walked in front of the fire truck that was carrying the casket and played for the whole march. There was media coverage for the funeral as well. Being a part of a an event that had so much to it was a thrill.
Over the next few weeks, I will be contacting all the fire departments in the area in the hopes of developing relationships that will open more opportunities to be a part of these events. I also had a thought that I might start teaching a group lesson to a fire department and perhaps plant the seeds that would develop into a fire department pipe band. There are times that are slower at fire stations, and this might be a fun and unique way for these folks to spend there down time developing a unique skill and learning something new together. I look forward to hearing the reactions from the fire departments when I suggest it.
Thank you brave gentlemen and ladies for your dedicated service and for the opportunity to be a part of providing these fallen hero's with a special tribute.

Played at a Unique Funeral

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to play at a funeral service near Nashville where the ashes where scattered. This is the first time that I have played at this type of service in a long time and I found myself wondering why. The park where the funeral took place was beautiful with a large lake and a beautiful tree under which the service took place. I took up a position down the shoreline and played highland cathedral and Danny boy on the bagpipes before the service started. Then amazing grace when the ashed where being poured into the lake. It was a very moving scene.
Generally, these types of services are very simple and the bagpipes add so much. Once again, the opportunity to add such a moving and unique element to a service like this is always an honor for me. I hope to have the opportunity to play at more services like these.

Learning the Pipes

I found myself thinking about the process of learning the pipes today and wanted to share my insight. Compared to other instruments, the bagpipes are very simple. There is only nine notes, no sharps or flats and no cords. While there is not as much to master as one would with a classical instrument, developing the muscle memory takes time and focused effort. One approach that I have had success with has to do with getting off the scale as quickly as possible. Rather than going up and down the scale all the time, it is important to jump around from note to note. This will insure that when these note transfers start to show up on music, your fingers have already played them and the learning process will not be stifled with learning something new.
The main focus needs to be on taking the thought process out and have your playing become more of an automatic response. When I am playing a tune, I don’t think about the notes that must be played, rather I hear the way the tune would be played perfectly in my head and allow my fingers to follow what I hear. Don’t get frustrated at the beginning. To develop your skills with the pipes, it will take a lot of repetition at the start that some might feel is boring, but it is essential in building a strong foundation that will carry your talents for the rest of your life.
Another important aspect is that you don’t rush things and skip ahead. The music memory that is developed in the early stages is a sort of hard wiring and can have a negative effect on your development if it is not perfect. Never play at a tempo that is too fast for you to play perfect. If things start to fall apart as you speed up, pull it back a bit and focus on perfection. Remember that you do not have to be seated at a table blowing into the instrument to be practicing. While you are watching television, have your chanter in your hand and keep your fingers moving. Even something as simple as placing your fingers on a table or your leg and moving your fingers will help to develop dexterity and muscle memory. I was on the pipes playing the senior class to graduation just 8 months after I started the instrument and I feel that has a lot to do with the fact that the chanter was in my hand all the time and I worked hard in that first year to pour a strong foundation.
If you have ever had an interest in learning the pipes, please contact me and I would be delighted to assist you in finding a competent teacher, or I can start working with you if you are in Chattanooga, Tennessee or on Skype. I have found that video conferencing is a great way to get started with the instrument and have had great success with it. Stay positive, and work at it every day. The pipes will add so much to your life as it has to mine. From the thrill of sharing the instrument with others in the community that will be in place to support you to the pipe bands all around the world, you are sure to have a unique and full filling experience with this powerful instrument.

Here we go

I have started researching how one goes about developing a substantial web presence and think that things are starting to come together. I have also secured the services of a company that will assist me in insuring that my websites will get the attention they deserve. ProBagpiper.com has had a lot added to it and I will be adding a lot of new content. It is all about pleasing Google and having yourself out there in every way possible. My Facebook and You Tube pages should start to get some much needed attention as well. I am optimistic to have this really start to develop and I will be able to share my talents with more people in the area. Thanks for everyone’s support and I look forward to posting updates about how things are developing. Have a great one.

Teaching at McCallie

I have been given the privilege to develop a Bagpipe Program at the McCallie Prep School in Chattanooga Tennessee. This is a fine institution of learning and I feel that the bagpipes will add to an already well established prestige that the school has developed in over a hundred years of teaching boys to be men. With the support of Dr Lewis Cisto, I look forward to the continued growth of the program and the positive effect it will have on the lives of my students. One amazing thing that the pipes offer is opportunity and community. Pipe bands are abundant, and I have found that they are generally filled with some great people. I myself learned how to play the pipes at Wasatch Academy and the effect on my life has been substantial. With the continued interest from the students and growth of the program, I look forward to this area becoming an epicenter of talented pipers and Celtic influence. Let the good times role. Happy piping.

Welcome

In an effort to share the melodious sound of the bagpipes with every corner of the internet, allow me to welcome you to the inaugural post on The Professional Bagpipers blog. I will be posting additional information, videos and experiences here to better establish myself as a professional musician and make it easier for those who would like to hire me for a performance or begin the process of learning the pipes themselves an easy one. Welcome, and if you have any questions or comments, please let me know. Happy piping.