On Piping in a parade

Pipers, as musicians, for the most part, live to perform. There are many different personalities that take up piping. Some are quiet, some boisterous, some bossy, some followers, some very dedicated, some are in it just for fun, some humble and some outwardly proud (the list could go on and on). Yet to a man or woman, we love the sound of piping, and I believe we all hope to be asked to play for others. Playing solo can be daunting in that you are putting yourself ‘out front’ for all to hear and see. Some of us love that; others not so much so. Here is where playing in a group or even a pipes and drums band can have its advantages. Parades give us all a chance to perform in the company of others to entertain many who we may march by. The band (pipes and drums) acts as one unit, each supporting the other.

The band on parade is both a musical and visual performance. The picture: the skirl of the pipes, accented by the Scottish snare drums, tenor drums twirling their sticks, the base drum keeping the tempo, band members marching in tight formation all feet marching in unison, lines and diagonals straight, kilts swaying to the temp and music. The music is heard above all else, yet rivets spectators’ attention as the band performs, or even marching sprightly to the drum line’s cadence. The pipe major as the band’s leader calls the tune; the drums roll off; the pipes strike-in in unison; music flows with an ancient musical sense sometime with two part harmonies of the pipes. Combine that with the visual of the band wearing kilts of a specific tartan, jackets, shirts, hats, hose, spats, shoes and you have a stunning performance on parade. In the lead is the Drum Major in his (her) regalia including the traditional long mace used in commanding the band’s march. The Drum Major is not just a figurehead, but functionally leads the band throughout the parade and represents the band at reviewing stands with his salute. 

But there are challenges in piping for parades. First there’s the music, both piping and drumming. A band such as ours has a sense and focus on including all who love the pipes (and drums) and want to participate. We encourage every level of piper to improve the musicianship in learning tunes and improving technique. And from all levels and age of piper we encourage each other to improve and join in whenever possible. This year the Stewart Tartans marched in five parades and a myriad of performances. All are encouraged to join in. I love that about this band. The circular argument comes into play here. No matter your level of play, you are encouraged to join in, but by doing so you need to dedicate time to your instrument and musicianship to play well as you join in. And build the physical stamina to play for extended periods of time. There is a learning curve, but it’s not an insurmountable one.

Second challenge is marching and playing. Ok, I may trip on occasion when walking and chewing gum at the same time. Piping and marching is akin to that. It takes concerted practice. Beginning with learning the music to the point where you can concentrate on both playing music and marching in formation. Add on top of that the visual commands of the Drum Major or Pipe Major (if the DM is unavailable) indication when tunes begin, stepping off, when to mark time (marching in place), when to stop playing (or repeating / keep playing), etc. Are your arms swinging to the height of the other pipers; are you dressing (aligning) yourself to the person to the right, and in front. Then to put it all together as a marching performance and make it look easy. That’s all part of the performance.

Yet, when done right, the band sounds and works as one. The crowd appreciates the professionalism of the band’s performance music, marching and appearance, and the clapping / cheering rings in your ears. Afterwards, someone may come up to you and say a simple thank you… making all the hours of work worthwhile.

On bagpiping in Yosemite

Ask a bagpiper what he did on vacation… or better yet ask a piper’s spouse, companion, girl friend, kids, friends or spouse what they did on vacation, and you’d probably not be surprised to find out that he or she played the pipes somewhere along the way. Much like the golfer, snow boarder, tennis player or runner who takes their fun with them, piper’s do the same. Through the years there have been many such getaways. Playing the pipes at the beach in Santa Cruz, Eureka or Santa Barbara, at the snow, in the mountains, Scout Camp, Church Camps has brought many great memories for me.  One of the longest traditions for me has been to bring the pipes along backpacking in Yosemite.

I remember years ago hearing bagpipes played outside the Yosemite Lodge in the valley. My wife Janet and stood spellbound listening to the piper play. I’ve no idea what he played as it was before I picked up the pipes. I hoped then that someday I could return the favor playing for others. I have carefully packed the bagpipes, strapping them to a backpack and played in the back country of Yosemite. My grown kids and I have backpacked every year but one the past twelve or so years. The stories are numerous so I’ll just share a few.

Early on a group of twelve men from church hiked from Tuolumne to Vogelsang, elevation 10,100 ft (3078 m) and played for the guys there, later playing at Merced Lake then on top of Half Dome. I’m sure people looked at me playing on the Dome (elevation 8800 ft) and thought I was crazy, but loved it. Playing at that altitude is not that easy, and the concert was short but sweet. Broken down, the pipes weigh close to eight pounds.

I’ve played the pipes by lakes and streams. One favorite time was last year with family and friends. We had hiked from the Cathedral Peak trailhead to Sunrise trail camp to Little Yosemite, climbed Half Dome and then down to Happy Isles in the Valley. We stopped for lunch at a pristine lake on the way to Sunrise, so pulled out the pipes and serenaded our group. The first night we stay at Sunrise which has always reminded me of Lord of the Rings land of Rohan in it’s beauty. Played pipes in the evening, this time entertaining the adjacent  High Sierra Camp. The next day it was on to Little Yosemite Valley hiker’s camp where I played a medley of tunes for the backpackers.

The only negative that I have ever received backpacking was from a Park Ranger. We had stopped for lunch at the bridge over the top of Nevada Falls. So I marched and played across the bridge. Just so happened that a ranger was nearby and felt my playing was too noisy and intrusive. As I finished my set, he approached me asking me to stop or he could issue me a ticket based on some obscure park regulation. I said I’d stop, much to the laughter of our party. Friends were able to capture Highland Cathedral on video.

If you play the pipes, take ‘em with you. If you hear ‘em, encourage the piper to keep playing!
Cheers, John B

On Piping in the Bay Area

The US has a number of large Scottish communities in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Each is unique in how it supports the culture, arts and music of Scotland. Each also has a large number of excellent pipe bands. The communities of our fair bay support bagpiping in a big way. I’d like to share with you why the San Francisco Bay Area is a great place for bagpiping. Here are a few ways that make piping here so wonderful:

Great Bands – Growing up in California’s Central Valley, if there were any pipers, I did not know of them; pipe bands were unheard of. Today, in the Bay Area alone are many fine band; Prince Charles Pipes and Drums, Stewart Tartan Pipes & Drums, Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco, Monterey Pipes and Drums, Piedmont Highlanders, Santa Cruz Pipes & Drums. All are nonprofit organizations that welcome visitors as well as give training to pipers and drummers alike.

Highland Games – Within one to 1.5 hours driving in the Bay Area there are many Scottish Games featuring bagpiping, dancing, etc. Ones either recognized by the Western United States Pipe Band Association (WUSPBA.org) or are just plain fun are: Ardenwood Celtic Festival (April), Sacramento Valley Games (April), Modesto Scottish Highland Games (June), Mt Tamalpais Piping & Drumming Competition (June), Santa Cruz Scottish Festival (June), Monterey Scottish Games (July), Pleasanton Games (Labor Day). Big or small each of these has charm and enough bagpipes to keep most of us satisfied.

Year round instructors & bagpiping Summer Schools – The West coast attracts a number of high quality, amazing energy Summer schools. Balmoral School of Piping and Drumming (Sonoma State Univ. - June) has been part of the Bay Area scene now for several years and features some of the world’s best pipers as instructors. The rest of the year the Bay Area has a number of world class pipers who give instruction from basic chanter work to professional level training.

Scottish Community – Scottish culture has flourished in the San Francisco Bay area for almost 150 years. The oldest society is the Caledonian Club of San Francisco which organizes and puts on the Games in Pleasanton over Labor Day weekend. They and the East Bay Scottish Society and South Bay Scottish Society also sponsor other events during the year. One of the prominent traditions is the Burns Supper celebrating the life of poet Robert Burns who was born January 25, 1759.

Food lovers - The Bay area has attracted Scottish, Irish, Celtic and British cuisine lovers since the Gold Rush when men and women were drawn hear for the wealth that California promised. Like people of all cultures, tastes and smells of the old country have always been desired. There are many Pubs throughout the Bay area worth visiting for a pint and a taste of homemade foods.

Weather – The Bay Area has great bagpiping weather through most of the year. With the exceptions of a few really hot days of summer or the cold blustery days of winter, you can play bagpipes outside almost year round. Last evening for example: In the South Bay (San Jose) the day’s high reached the mid-80’s and yet by 7:30pm I was out practicing in in t-shirt and shorts in temps of low 70’s with a slight breeze. Last April, in preparation for the SF St Patrick’s Day Parade, our band was practicing our marching into the evening in light jackets. You just canna beat the weather here!

On Bill Millin - D-Day bagpiper, June 6, 1944

William “Bill” Millin is remembered for playing bagpipes during the D-Day landing in Normandy. During the war, British Army regulations restricted bagpipes to rear areas. Bill’s commander, Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, Commander of 1 Special Service Brigade, ordered Bill to play during the landing. When Bill mentioned regulations, he recalled Lovat saying, “Ah, but that’s the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn’t apply.” Bill played "Hielan' Laddie" and "The Road to the Isles" as his comrades fell around him on Sword Beach. Millin recalled later that he’d spoken with captured German snipers who claimed they did not shoot at him because they thought he was crazy. Long remembered and honored, Bill passed away in August of 2010.

Thanks to all the thousands of servicemen who have sacrifice! - John B

On the Scarlet and the Black, and Bagpipes in Rome, June 4, 1944

When we think of World War II, many different areas of the conflict come to mind. Many of us have parents or grandparents who served in the Pacific, or Europe or the Africa campaigns. Some family stories are legend (wait for it) …dary and are shared generation to generation. Say the words June 1944 to a WWII veteran or history buff and the first thought will probably be D-Day, June 6, 1944. Yet a scant two days earlier combined British, French and US forces liberated Rome, Italy on June 4. In the S.F. Bay Area, we have a rich heritage of patriots who served or currently serve in the armed service. Bagpipes, in both British and US regiments have been, and are, part of that heritage.

Summer, for me, means more time to read. I’m not sure why exactly. Maybe it was the years of growing up in a small town where kids went to the library for summer reading clubs. Whatever the reason, I seem to find more time to read during the summer months. This past week I finished reading a book: The Scarlet and the Black: The True Story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, Hero of the Vatican Underground,  by J.P. Gallagher. It chronicles a great story of the selfless sacrifices made to save and hide Italian Jews, downed Allied airmen and escaped Allied POWs in the Vatican and surrounding areas of Rome during WWII. The story revolves around Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest working in the Vatican under Pope Pius XII and O’Flaherty’s team responsible for saving some 6500 men, women and children from under the noses of the Nazis and Italian Fascists. The book was a delightful read about a marvelous Christian who reaches out to hide and care for and protect those opposing the Axis. Then interestingly, he reaches out to one Nazi with the love of Christ who were captured after liberation of Rome, put on trial and sentenced to prison, specifically Colonel Kappler, the Monsignor’s wartime “archenemy.” After the war, Kappler had only one visitor, O’Flaherty, who visited him each month. The love of Christ must have been present and through their conversations as Kappler became a Catholic, being baptized by O’Flaherty in March, 1959.

But what about the bagpipes? The passage that prompted my comments above came near the end of the book:

At 7:15P.M., on Sunday, June 4, the head of the American Eighty-eighth Division entered the Piazza Venezia in the heart of Rome. Across the Tiber the sound of the pipes reached the Vatican. Pope Pius heard the skirl through the wide open windows of his study.

Looking on the web I found references to bagpipes and a news reel of the Liberation of Rome on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc9iCEZeb2M

Note: Hollywood found out about the Scarlet and the Black and made a movie in 1983 starring Gregory Peck as O’Flaherty.

On blackwood for bagpipes

The tone and look of bagpipes owes much of its beauty to the wood from which it is made, blackwood.  Harvested from the Mpingo trees of East African countries, the wood’s density and color are desired for making not only the chanter, drones and blowpipe of the pipes, but other orchestral instruments such as clarinet, oboe and wooden flutes are made from this amazing wood.

Take a look at your pipes; feel its weight, look at the detailed work done of the instrument. Most of us just know that their favorite pipe maker has the wood and the skill to literally turn the blackwood into a fine sounding instrument. Theirs’ is a story work looking at as well. Bagpipe makers such as David-Naill & Co. season their Blackwood up to four years, according to their site: http://www.naill-bagpipes.com “ensuring that bores remain true and mounts do not come loose due to wood shrinkage, thus insuring the stability of the finished product.”

The Mpingo tree is grown predominantly in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique. Some estimate that Kenya is all but harvested out of wood with Tanzania approaching such within the next 15 to 20 years. Because of their seasonal growth patterns, the mature tree takes from 70 to 100 years to reach a harvestable size. When cut crossways, the tree’s heartwood has the prized blackwood surrounded by a layer of softer cream colored wood and bark that is unused and is considered scrap material. The older the tree’s growth, the more dense and darker the wood.  Because of its growth patterns, the tree is often very grizzled in appearance. This gnarly grizzled appearance translates into heartwood that is not always usable for wood that is to be turned by lathe for straight instruments such as the pipes. The Mpingo conservancy states that as much as 90% of the heartwood is unusable for instrument product. Its use remains valuable to wood carvers who can use the wood grain patterns to enhance their work.

Yet the Mpingo tree is coming close to commercial extinction by some accounts. The Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative is working with international agencies to better manage this amazing tree.  For more information on such check out:  http://www.mpingoconservation.org  Their web site has quite a bit more information on tree growth, harvesting, quality, black market harvesting etc.

We play them, maintain them, some of us even pamper them, but at times we all take our instruments for granted. The next time you pull them from the pipe case, take a minute to look at the wood and reflect on not just the material or maker of the instrument, but think about the creator of the universe who created the lowly mpingo tree and it’s biosphere unique particular to just that small patch of planet Earth.

On preparing to compete with bagpipes

So you are thinking about competing! This is an excellent decision and one that will kick-start your musicianship into high gear. Here are some thoughts on getting ready to compete. I’ll speak to the full preparation for going to the competition and all the particulars of the day at a later time. Here, I’ll address you, your music and your instrument.

You’ve made a great decision in wanting to improve your music by competing. For most pipers, the idea of performing for someone is part of our decision to play the bagpipes. Some may play merely for the pure academic effort or just self-enjoyment. That’s great. Most of us, however, want the opportunity to play for someone. At church, a wedding, a reception, or even a funeral, most pipers have an innate desire to perform. We have one (if not the) loudest instrument around, so might as well play for someone. So in preparation to perform, we need to bring together our music, practice and instrument together to a high enough level that our performance will be pleasing (hey, they might even pay us for doing a good job). Simply put, competing is a performance. You are performing for a judge, other competitors and even family and friends supporting you. And overall you’re not competing with anyone but yourself. You may be performing for a placement (or medal), or for the accolades of those who hear you. Or you may be competing to get the professional critique of the judge. To me, if you do your best, regardless of the outcome, you are a winner. Sounds like good reasons to play and sound your best.

Sounding your best is more easily said than done. It takes dedication and focus on our art. It takes untold hours of practice with your instrument (and practice chanter). It takes maintaining and knowing how your pipes are set-up. As our pipe major repeatedly says, “you must have confidence in your playing, from the attack to the last note. It will show in your music” We sometimes think that practicing our tunes is paramount to any performance.  Yet there is much more. Here are a few ideas to consider.

Daily skill exercises - Take part of your daily practice to review your base skills. Practice your D-Throw, doublings, grace notes, grips, etc. Let’s be real, you won’t (and can’t) do it all every day, but you should do some every day. Even ten minutes of structured exercises will improve your overall performance. Concert pianists and professional singers do warm-up exercises prior to their performance. You should too.

Music - Choose music within your ability. Ask your instructor, or pipe major or fellow pipers what they are playing or might suggest for you. Listen to pipe music on CD’s, MP3’s, go to Youtube.com and watch/listen to other performers and competition bands. You want to be able to perform well, so choose tunes you like and are technically within your capability. Go looking for the music. Friends may have it to copy, or you may find a bagpipe supply shop that sells music books. There are a couple bagpipe web sites that have compiled tunes and where they were published. Being comfortable with what you play is key to a solid and pleasing performance. Liking what you play aids in keeping you motivated. I personally like 6/8 marches for their feel, yet a steady diet of such would become boring. Try different music styles. As you choose tunes consider that you may wish to compete with the music through both grades 4 and 3, or longer. You can always change, but it does take more to bring the piece of music up to speed.

Practice on chanter – Your chanter is your friend. It’s not a substitute for playing your pipes, but it’s a wonderful tool for honing your skills and can be played almost anywhere. I play mine in the car at stop lights (get used to more than a few looks from other drivers), or on the couch at home, etc. Sometimes I play blowing through the chanter. Other times I’m just practicing fingering. Start your tune on the chanter. Start slowly, playing every phrase with appropriate embellishments. Memorizing tune take time and concentrated practice. I recommend not learning tunes on the pipes. Sometimes I will practice with my feet tapping left, right, left, right, as if marching to the tune. It can help with putting emphasis on the music. When you have the tune technically down on the chanter, you may wish to play with the sheet music on the pipes. I find that the squeaks and squawks of learning a tune best left for chanter work.

Practice with a metronome – The time signatures are there as an aid to you. Practicing for everything but piobaireachd (which is a whole different music form) with the metronome. As you compete, you will be judged on your timing and tempo, so work with metronome. Start by getting used to playing that 2/4 march at 68 beats per minute then gradually increase the tempo to 85 BPM. The metronome will force some discipline into your tempo and force you to correctly play new embellishments within the beat, on the beat, etc.

Practice your pipes – Even while you are learning your competition tunes, play your old standard tunes to keep your bagpipes working at their best. Play every day for 20 – 30 minutes if you can. This will build and maintain stamina in your breathing, arms and lips. Add your competition set as you learn them. This will increase your confidence in playing as you come up to speed on the tune(s). March! If your competition requires you to march, then practice marching as you would in the competition. You will be playing on the march at some point. It’s great to practice. It will help you be better prepared for competition day. If you plan to complete a slow air of two minutes length, you should be able to play triple that length without getting winded. On the day of competition you will be pumped up with adrenaline and the only way to counter this is to practice and be prepared for whatever you might encounter.

Record your practice – This takes guts, but as they say, “no guts, no glory.” Recording can be an audio recording of the music, or a video of your playing. Even if you are not ready to compete, watching yourself play should inspire you to correct parts more readily that just playing. It is not a depressing to be avoided thing. Most pipers, at some point, think with confidence, that we are better players that we are. Recording your practice will give you a dose of reality. I like to use a small digital camera on a small ‘monkey grip’ tripod that I can take with me and setup to record as I play. I can review immediately (and then delete J) and correct my playing. I can also take it back home for review.

Practice, practice, practice – Practice until the tunes are ingrained in your memory. A piping instructor I know said it took playing a tune 100 times to become competent with the tune. He added that after that the hard work begins in refining the tune. I was taught to memorize tunes one line at a time (approx. 4 bars of music). As it becomes ingrained, you may be able to envision the page of music and focus in the moment on where you are in the tune. At competition time you don’t want to lose your place in the tune. That would not be good.

Tune your pipes – Get in the habit of always tuning your pipes. It takes practice. How you tune is a topic for another day. Suffice it to say that every performance should be on a well-tuned instrument. Buy the tuner that can tune up to 480+ Hz or app for your iPhone, etc. and get into the habit of tuning your pipes to the best they can be. And not just low and high ‘A’. Get used to taping and re-taping holes. The goal is always the same, at practice, performance or competition; your pipes should be in tune. Tip: When you compete, arrange ahead of time for another piper, or your instructor, to help you tune.

Play for people – It could just be a friend, family member, piping instructor, or other piper. There’s a certain amount of self-imposed pressure playing before a recording device, but playing for someone takes the pressure to a whole new level. Remember, you’re trying to prepare your playing for a performance in front of a judge. Play for a friend and fellow piper. You want the honest feedback, but from someone you can accept criticism. Take turns judging each other. If you have a piping teacher, play for him or her as if in competition. This should include tuning, warm-up, telling the judge name and tune, marching for the 2/4 march, saluting at the end, etc.

Watch competitions – Before you compete, go to another competition and watch solo competitors compete. Watch how a friend has competed. Always be respectful to competitor and judge alike. Clap, if appropriate. Also, if appropriate, bring your camera and record a couple competitors in your grade for review at home. (Think of football coaches recording the competition and reviewing later). This will help you prepare mentally.  

Preparing you, your music and instrument for competition has many facets to consider. It’s never too soon to start. Like our parents told us, practice does make perfect (or closer than w/o practice). If you work, at a full time job, fitting in practice may be challenging. Can I fit in 20 minutes chanter work at lunch, and add practicing pipes after work for 20 minutes more? I’ll speak to the day of competition and the sundry things to consider at another time. Start today.  And if you think about it, most, if not all of these thoughts apply to a non-competitor who wishes to master his instrument. They are just sound habits to get into in order to be the best musician for any performance.