Feb 7, 2022
I play a lot of funerals on an annual basis. It’s been a substantial part of how I have made a living for the last 25 years. Of course, people don’t wait for good weather to die or get buried. Sometimes it’s just plain miserable. Nevertheless, as a bagpiper, my job...
Sep 25, 2021
I have been playing gigs on a full-time basis for the last 25 years. Here’s what I have found: People who aren’t prepared don’t stay in the market. They don’t have enough technical ability They don’t have enough repertoire. When I started my “Bagpiper For...
Jun 6, 2020
Are you ready to “gig”? I mean, are you really READY to gig? I have taught many students during these last few decades. A lot of those students have been intrigued by the thought of playing for money. I don’t discourage them, for sure, but I do want to make sure...
Apr 15, 2018
When I started playing the bagpipe, I had already been playing the piano for 4 years. I was terrible at rhythm. My piano teacher would yell “Count, Gary, count!” but I still struggled. The problem, in reality, was that my piano teachers never actually taught me the...
Mar 1, 2018
I hear a lot of bagpipers tell me that they have a hard time memorizing tunes. That’s a true struggle because a good bagpiper is a person who can play a list of tunes by memory. It’s pretty much essential. The first question that I ask these people is; “Can you sing...
Jun 4, 2017
I think that one of the greatest things about playing the bagpipe is marching. I think most of our audience thinks so as well. I play a lot of weddings and funerals in the course of a year. When the bagpipe is allowed to play inside the church I always recommend a...
