CT Piper

Playing Bagpipes In Cold Weather

2011-03-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Don't do it.
The choice may not be yours.
Sometimes you have to play at a graveside during the coldest part of the year. In Northeastern US this can be brutal. A bagpipe can simply freeze shut. You need to keep air circulating through the pipes to prevent them from icing up. Then there's the matter of your facial muscles, which go slack in the cold weather and make it impossible to clamp down on the blow pipe. Fingering can be a problem too when you can't feel the holes in the chanter.

I once played a policeman's funeral on a windswept cemetery hill in weather that was 5 degrees Fahrenheit without wind. The windchill brought the temperature well below zero. I had handwarmers stuffed into the backs of my fingerless gloves, but I still had trouble moving my fingers. I had to wrap handwarmers around the base of my blow pipe stock to unfreeze it at one point. During the breaks I held handwarmers against my face to get the blood circulating. The bugler, playing Taps, could not make a sound come out of his bugle except something that sounded like a frail hiss.

All in all it makes for good stories but bad piping.

CTPiper Domain Name Kidnapped

2011-02-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, my original domain www.ctpiper.com lapsed during a period of immense labor on my part and someone else has now registered it.
I greatly miss the domain and will attempt to recover it in the future.
I'm also thinking of simply developing a new name.

In the meantime you can always reach me here on my blog: www.ctpiper.blogspot.com

Gig Masters

2011-02-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Gig Masters is an internet site that allows musicians to post their contact information. I just received a 3 month free subscription to list my name on Gig Masters, so I'm interested to see what comes of it.

The sound of the bagpipe should be all the advertisement you need, but word of mouth helps too.

Bagpiper's Home For Sale

2009-11-28T04:34:00.001-08:00

I'm selling my house, even though it's a perfect location for bagpiping. It's in a neighborhood, but has some seclusion. Unfortunately, we've simply outgrown it.

East Hampton Funeral

2009-11-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

I played at a funeral in East Hampton, Connecticut, yesterday. I wish I had remembered my camera because the view of the lake was spectacular. East Hampton is a hidden gem.

Is Bagpiping in Recession?

2009-11-22T04:54:00.000-08:00

I don't see as many as I used to. Has the effect from Braveheart worn off?

Tuning A Bagpipe

2008-06-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Tuning? It's not easy. You've got 3 drone reeds. Those are the easy ones. Then you have a chanter reed, which is composed of two cane blades pressed and tied together with a small space between them. It's sort of the same concept as when you take a blade of grass and stretch it between your thumbs and blow. Air passing over the flexible surfaces causes them to vibrate, which creates sound. Once you have the sound, then you have to adjust it for each note on the chanter. Covering a hole on the chanter makes the chanter "longer", or at least lengthens the distance that the sound must travel before escaping into the environment. The farther the distance, the deeper/lower the tone. Cover all the holes and you have the lowest note, Low G. Since chanter reeds are made from wood/heavy grass (cane is sort of like bamboo) the surface is absorbent and reacts to heat and moisture. Your pipes might be in tune in the shade, but as soon as you walk into the sun all the notes go sharp on you.

Next, put 30 pipers together in a band and you've got a problem that sometimes takes weeks to solve. Some bands never solve it. But when it's right, it's great.

Wedding Plans and Bagpipes

2008-02-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to make those wedding plans, which is part of the fun of getting married (hopefully). Some brides and grooms have very specific ideas about how they want the bagpipes incorporated into the celebration. Some have just a general idea. By far the most common use of a piper is to have the piping occur while guests arrive and when the ceremony concludes. Piping at the reception is often requested, too. Piping during a wedding ceremony is a little more complicated, but easily accommodated. In any event, the important thing is that the pipes are there.

January Funerals Hartford County and Middlesex County

2008-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

January has been a big month for funerals, which means cold weather piping. Luckily, the temperature has hovered around 32 F., which isn't too bad if there is no wind. If it gets much below that, the valves on the pipes can freeze shut. We sometimes use hand warmer bags to apply heat to key areas of the pipes and the face. I once played at a funeral in New London during the winter. The temperature was 5 degrees, and there was a horrible wind slashing across the cemetary. Everything froze shut. It was a military funeral with a bugler. The bugler was supposed to play taps, but he couldn't make a note. It was painful.

Bagpipes Bagpiper Hartford Glastonbury Manchester Farmington Avon Simsbury Rocky Hill Middletown Portland Hampton Haddam

2008-01-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Because of the increase in gasoline prices and crude per barrel, I have had to increase my prices. I was recently asked for an explanation of my charges. In general I charge $200 to $250 per event, whether it's a wedding or a funeral. I may charge more if there is a lengthy trip involved. While it's true that a funeral performance may only require a few tunes, there is more time required for tuning and preparation that may not be immediately apparent to the client. Unlike a guitar, which tunes in a few minutes, or a piano, which is always in tune, the bagpipes require careful preparation and the tuning for an important performance should begin days in advance. While pipes are becoming easier to care for, they still require a lot of special attention. They're not cheap, either, a new chanter reed costs about 8 dollars.

So when it comes time to pay the piper, fear not, it is money well spent and well earned.

Happy New Year Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008

2007-12-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

2007 was a good year for piping. I purchased a new set of pipes: David Naill DN4. I can't say enough about these pipes. Their tone and quality of sound are miles beyond most of the other pipes out there. As I've stated elsewhere, and I've heard other people say it too, the sound of pipes goes right through you. These pipes go through you and reverberate in ways that sets your soul to singing. After playing them you feel changed, realigned, expanded, invigorated and calm. I'm keeping the pipes my father gave me, but I can't see going back to them.

Bagpipes Hartford New Years Party

2007-12-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Busking is not common in Hartford. It may be due to a lack of impoverished musicians. It may be due to municipal hostility. It may be due to lack of tradition. It may be due to lack of generous, willing, giving and knowledgeable audience. It may be due to lack of readership and information. I once saw an elderly man sitting on an amp, playing guitar on the street corner between Max Downtown and the Goodwin. He also had a voice microphone. He played blues. I was surprised he was there. Then I was disappointed by the number of people making a show of ignoring him. Most walked past looking at the sky or something far ahead. The thousand mile stare. Meanwhile, all these songs about bad luck, bad habits, crummy insights, hollow wishes, fractured embraces, decaying remembrances and bad relationships poured out over the streets. I gave him all the cash I had in my wallet: fourteen bucks. He looked at me like I was a dead man.

If you enjoyed the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks, you probably have a soft spot in your heart for buskers. I plan on attending the 6pm fireworks in Bushnell Park. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the park were covered with buskers. Or a crowd of them in front of the statue of the guy who invented anesthesia.

Connecticut Bagpiper Glastonbury Bagpipes

2007-12-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

Connecticut has its own Poet Laureate. It has a State flower and a State insect. Should the subject ever come up at the Legislative Office Building, I'd like to put my name in the hopper for State Piper. I've written several tunes commemorating the State: The Witch Hazel Jig, I-84 Lament, and Twain's Reel.

If not me, then someone. Please! The State needs a Piper!

Should someone else occupy the State position, I'll attempt a town appointment in Glastonbury, which sorely needs good piping and cheaper coffee.

Gordon Duncan, RIP (1964-2005)

2007-12-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Gordon Duncan committed suicide on the 14th December, 2005 at his home in Edradour, Pitlochry, Perthshire.

I can still remember exactly where I was when I learned of the death of the piping genius virtuoso Gordon Duncan. I was sitting, chanter in hand, ready to get going on a new tune across the table from John Menzies of Edinburgh, when he suddenly said, "By the way, did you hear Gordon Duncan died?"

What a loss. A loss of music, teaching and innovation. Please buy and listen to his music as a tribute to his greatness.

Birthday Bagpipes

2007-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

I recently played the bagpipes at a birthday. It was a surprise. The wife of the birthday boy had me begin playing outside and slowly approach the house, so the music began as barely preceptible inside the house. As I got nearer, it became clearer, and then she saw the realization dawn on her husband's face. A bagpiper!

There's nothing like being surprised by a piper, unless you're the opposing army.

Earth Resonance Frequency

2007-12-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

There is a very low tone that surrounds everything we do. It is created by friction produced by magnetic fields surrounding the earth. There is a theory that the soundwaves from the bagpipes can lock into the earth resonance frequency, thereby plugging the listener into that massive and ancient power turbine. The power to heal. The power to change one's life. The power to touch the departed. All of these are within reach of the music.

Christmas Tunes

2007-12-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

I love playing Christmas music on the pipes. Many tunes, however, do not translate well to the limited range of the piping scale. The ones that fit, though, sound beautiful, especially in the snowy woods from far away in the shadowy moonlight. They sound great on a street corner too, but the opportunities for busking are limited these days with rigidly enforced State and Municipal ordinances. If you do happen to trot past a busker, please throw in an extra shilling. It's a silent way of saying, "Music is good and pure and worth something. A pox on Toys R Them, Bergdork Goodman and Slacks Fifth Ave!"

Towns I've Piped In

2007-12-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

My goal is to pipe in every town in Connecticut, but I've got a long way to go. So far I've played bagpipes in every County: Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland, Windham, New London, Middlesex, New Haven and Fairfield. The towns where I pipe most frequently are: Hartford, Manchester, Glastonbury, Middletown, Portland, New London, Norwich, East Hampton, East Haddam, East Hartford, Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, Chester, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Southport, Bridgeport and Whigville. Now that gas prices are soaring, I'm trying to stay within Hartford and Middlesex counties.

Being Scottish

2007-12-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

There is no need to be of Scottish descent. You can have a piper at your event no matter what your background.

Greek Orthodox

2007-10-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I played while people exited the church after a Greek Orthodox wedding. I was lucky enough to see some of the ceremony, which was very beautiful and very solemn. I don't know if I was the first piper to play at that church, but the people seemed to enjoy it very much, proving once again that pipe music is universal. I received a request for "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," and I was happy to play it, several times. I also played, The Wearing Of The Green, Danny Boy, and A Nation Once Again. The Greeks are certainly no strangers to Irish themes, and vice versa. I know this, thanks to James Joyce, I think.

Church Music

2007-08-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

I recently played in a very large, old church in Northeastern Connecticut. Pillars throughout the church reached up to a very high, arched ceiling. There was no organ music, only the bagpipe. I played at the beginning, during and at the end of the ceremony. Candles flickered behind the altar, sending smoke to plume up within the vacant space below the ceiling, lost beyond the lights. The entire ceremony seemed to be removed from time and circumstance and transported to a sacred realm. The bagpipes, which operate as a result of air flowing rapidly through long and short spaces, are similar in concept to a pipe organ. Human ingenuity, trial and error, a love of beauty and a sense of awe have worked together to produce instruments perfectly suited for holy moments.

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend weather cooperated with all the bagpiping events despite the weatherman's midweek gloom and doom. I played at a wonderful wedding along the Connecticut River and the conditions were perfect. It's great to see the boats gather for the pipes. Many people had parties and, of course, we honored our fallen. There is nothing like timing the cutoff to Amazing Grace just as the jets fly over!

Locations

2007-05-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

A small airport is the location of the next wedding I will play, and I am excited to play for that event. I am keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that we receive fine weather on the day. New England weddings have always got unstable weather to throw into the mix as a possible wedding reality. You can bet that the superstition of hanging a rosary from the close line to insure good weather did not originate in the Caribbean. Bagpipes will carry on rain or shine, however, and can even be used to entertain while waiting for the weather to change.

Mothers' Day

2007-05-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

My mother lives on an island off the coast of France, so I was happy to have her in the States for Mothers' Day today. I played some of her favorite tunes, especially, Cumha Raonuill Mhic Ailein oig. We had scones and enjoyed the fine weather.

Cemeteries

2007-05-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

The word "cemetery" comes from a Greek word meaning "sleeping place", which is a perfect way to describe these peaceful, landscaped parks of commemoration. I have always been a fan of cemeteries, and Connecticut has many beautiful spots where history and wit are carved in marble and the sunlight falls quietly on the lawns.

I have played at many funerals. Bagpipes and funerals are linked by tradition, but there is more to it than tradition alone. The sound of a bagpipe, playing the proper tune, is a perfected distillation of the soul intoning the unspeakable anguish of mourning. The instrument was developed over centuries by increadibly sensitive and gifted people who wanted a sound to accompany two facts of life: War & Death. That it also became useful for celebrations was a happy byproduct. I still cannot play without being caught in the grip of something more than just music. The vibrations of the instrument go through your entire body and stir something that otherwise lies dormant. I have heard some pipers speak of feeling transported or lost when playing, and it is true that the music can tranport you to another place.

Playing for the Governor

2007-05-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have played for former Governor Rowland and for Governor Rell. It is always a special occasion, and the bagpipes are recognized as adding a hightened sense of importance to the event. I like to think I was hired because of my special talents, but I learned differently at the last function I played with Governor Rell. The function was at the Connecticut Convention Center, and it began with a cocktail hour for the participants. There were about 500 guests enjoying 3 or 4 open bars outside the ballroom, waiting for Governor Rell to arrive. I was hired to play upon the arrival of the Governor and parade her into the ballroom where the event was to take place. Just before the Governor Rell arrived, the event co-ordinator said she hired me because they needed something loud to get people's attention to let them know the Governor was entering the room. Well it worked! And I might add that the Governor's approval ratings have never been higher!

Amazing Grace at Weddings

2007-05-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Amazing Grace is a wonderful tune that I never tire of playing. It is probably the most often requested tune at any event. Traditionally it is considered a funeral tune, however, and therefore it is generally discouraged from being played at weddings. Weddings are celebrations, and some guests at the wedding may have very sad memories triggered by the tune. Whenever this tune is played for a large crowd, invariably there are people in tears. That being said, I will always play it if the Bride requests it. The Bride is the ruler of the wedding, and I can't agree with those pipers who flat out refuse to play it.

Keeping In Touch

2007-05-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

The best way to get in touch with me is through email. There is a link on my website at www.ctpiper.com for email, or you can email me directly at shax2020@yahoo.com , which I check daily.

My summer is filling with bagpipe events, so please contact me as soon as you know you'll need a piper.