Andy’s Blog
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Adding Bagpipes to Your Wedding: A Touch of Tradition
Using bagpipes at a wedding adds a dramatic, traditional, and deeply resonant touch. Of course, bagpipes have been a staple of royal weddings in Scotland and England for centuries. For example, at the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, a military band played bagpipes as the couple made their way to Westminster Abbey.… Read more
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Bagpipe Chanter Reed Lore
Want to start an argument? Just ask a group of bagpipers what is the best way to “break in” a new cane reed for a bagpipe chanter. Answers will range from “do nothing and just blow it in” to wetting the reed to using sandpaper or scraping the flat sides of the reed box with… Read more
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Learning Bagpipes is a Journey
Ten years ago, I began learning to play the bagpipes. Specifically, I chose to play the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipes (as there are about 130 variant types of bagpipes in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East). It just sort of happened. Learning a new musical instrument is a lifelong journey that brings joy and personal… Read more
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The Rusty Piper
What can you construct from a bucket of rusty scrap metal railroad spikes, horseshoes, and square nails? A mess in your backyard, of course, if you have a stick welder handy! This weekend I pieced together this little garden sculpture of a rusty bagpiper. I soaked the gathered pieces in white vinegar first to loosen… Read more
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Raven Bagpiper
Someone recently asked me, “Why did you chose the name, Raven Bagpiper? Are you a Baltimore Ravens fan? Or are you named after Edgar Allan Poe’s dreary midnight visitor a raven, Nevermore?” Nope! I’m just fascinated by ravens! And I think ravens and bagpipes fit well together. Ravens and mankind are deeply entwined within daily… Read more
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Hogmanay
Hogmanay (Hog-Man-Nay) is what the Scots call New Year’s Eve. And they celebrate Hogmanay across Scotland with a grab bag of quirky, festive traditions involving visits to loved ones, singing, gift giving, whiskey drinking, juniper smoke, fireballs, and cold plunges. First Footing. A first-footer is the first person to enter the house after midnight on… Read more