Frank Rowe remembers growing up attending all of the gigs his father and grandfather played in as members of the Campbell Highlanders.

Forty-three years later, Rowe is pipe major of the traditional bagpipe and drum band based in Andover.

The band, which started in 1978, is named for Morris Campbell, who taught bagpipe lessons in Andover for years. His son, Bruce, is still with the 13-member troupe.

Rowe was born in Lynn, of Scottish and Irish descent. He works for Conte and Sons Funeral Homes in North Andover.

via Bagpiper finds connection to Scottish, Irish ancestors - EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA.

“Five Characters in Search of an Exit”

I am all set to record the Twilight Zone episode titled “Five Characters in Search of an Exit”, set to air on July 4th, 2009 at 11:00 AM EST on the SciFi channel, on my local cable carrier. This episode features a Bagpiper as one of the 5 characters looking for that elusive exit.

This episode was originally aired in 1961 and I remember seeing it when I was a kid, but I wasn’t into bagpiping then !

After becoming aware of the episode again when researching Bagpipes in the Movies, I have tried to remember to record the show when it airs on TV again over the last couple of years, but I always missed it. There is a Twilight Zone Marathon this 4th of July Weekend, Check you local TV Listings !

Opening Narration:
Clown. Hobo. Ballet Dancer. Bagpiper. And an Army Major. A collection of question marks. Five improbable entities stuck together into a pit of darkness. No logic, no reason, no explanation. Just a prolonged nightmare in which fear, loneliness, and the unexplainable walk hand in hand through the shadows. In a moment, we’ll start collecting clues as to the whys, the whats, and the wheres. We will not end the nightmare, we’ll only explain it, because this is the Twilight Zone

UPDATE:

After searching for additional information about the episode online, I found that you can watch on your computer at CBS - (Click Here to Watch):

Not that I am going to watch online with my 15″ MacBookPro, I will reserve that pleasure once I can watch on my 52″ TV, when it airs on the SciFiHD channel. For those with with two SciFi channels on your tv, make sure you record the HD version of the SciFi

FOR MANY people, a series of major life changes (and not just one) are required to create an entirely “new life”.

North Carolina native Bill Haneman arrived at his unlikely career utopia – making uilleann pipes for a living – in two stages. Twelve years ago he emigrated from the US to Skerries in north county Dublin with his wife and sister-in-law – that move across the Atlantic was change number one.

But having made that first leap of faith, he sensed that another change was required and so he subsequently made another brave leap into the unknown, ditching his job in the IT industry to become an instrument maker in 2007.

via Tuned in to a new way of life - The Irish Times - Tue, Jun 23, 2009.

Someone once said the definition of a gentleman is a person who knows how to play the bagpipes — and doesn’t.

But don’t tell that to the scores of pipers who will be taking part in the 18th annual Canadian International Military Tattoo at Copps Coliseum tonight and tomorrow.

And don’t think of mentioning it to the thousands of enthusiastic military band fans who will come out and cheer for more at the event that will feature five pipe bands and six other military bands.

One of the pipers will be Chief Warrant Officer (retired) John Terence, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada.

via TheSpec.com - Local - Bring on the bagpipes .

LEGENDARY piper Bill Millin yesterday returned to Normandy — and was reunited with the bagpipes he played to lift morale on D-Day.

Brave Bill, 86, piped stirring tunes as he landed on Sword Beach under heavy fire in 1944.

He had looked set to miss the commemoration when the Government refused to meet travel costs — but The Sun stepped in and paid for him.

Yesterday he was handed his old bagpipes, which are kept in a museum at Pegasus Bridge.

The widower, from Dawlish, Devon, also led a parade by a French bagpipe band — which struck up Scotland the Brave in his honour.

He was given a celebration dinner and bagpipe concert — and besieged for his autograph.

Modest Bill said: “I feel very honoured — the welcome has been wonderful. It’s good to see how many people still remember what we did.”

via Bagpipe legend Bill Millin returns to Normandy | The Sun |News|Campaigns|Our Boys.

The New Westminster Police Pipe Band and other well known performers are holding a Celtic evening at Massey Theatre June 25.

Entitled Pipe Up, the program includes selections by the New Westminster Pipe Band—current Grade 2 Pacific Northwest champions—as well as the reigning world champion SFU Pipe Band.

The concert will also mark the North American debut of The Shee, an all-female band from Scotland, which combines powerful vocals and instrumental prowess. The group performs Scottish folk, Gaelic and Bluegrass music.

via New Westminster News Leader - Police, SFU pipe band performs.

“Is laughing at the young cute gay Bagpipe player on THE TODAY show with Kathi Lee..telling her not to SUCK…but Blow…I just peed my self on that comment..

via VIEWS FROM A BROAD: CUTE GAY BAGPIPE PLAYER tells Kathi LEE to Suck not blow.. ( video).”

The Piper to the Sovereign - referred to as the “Queen’s Piper” – steps into the Palace garden. He is wearing a  kilt of Royal Stewart tartan and two eagle feathers in his headwear.  The Queen and Prince Philip listen as he tunes his bagpipes. For the next fifteen minutes, the Queen’s Piper plays a selection of bagpipe tunes below the dining room window.

via The Queen’s Piper « Lisa’s History Room.

The World Pipe Band Championships is heading out on tour for the first time this year as part of Scotland’s Homecoming celebrations, paying a visit to some of the summer’s top events.

The Homecoming Scotland Road to the Worlds will see various pipe bands appearing at events across the UK in the build up to the championships - the world’s biggest pipe band competition - which return to Glasgow Green this August.

via World Pipe Band Championships on Homecoming road this summer | Music | STV Entertainment.

GAWD bless the police, as Old Mr Anorak is wont to say ever since he heard that bagpipe-playing Shaun Cartwright has been detained for a breach of the peace.

There is a reason why the military plays bagpipes - to instil in the men a desire for bloody battle and to make them realise that there is nothing less to fear.

As reporters, Mr Cartwright’s bagpipes have been seized. But he was later released and told it was not in the public interest to press charges.

As the Scots Daily Record puts it:

Exclusive: Busker arrested and has bagpipes confiscated by English police for ‘causing distress’

via Anorak News » Blog Archive » Bagpipe Player Arrested For Playing ‘Distressing’ Music.

WITH their tartans billowing in the breeze and sounding, as Pipe Mayor Owen McCrohan so aptly put it - “like the 8th Argylls” - the Valentia Pipe Band marched proudly through the streets of Cashel, Co. Tipperary, after winning the Munster championship.

The significance of this great and historic achievement is not fully reflected in the two magnificent trophies which came to the island on Sunday night but rather when one contemplates the fact that, in winning the Munster award, the Valentiamen beat 13 other bands and, in the Open event, were only barely edged into second place by New Ross and District who, last year, were placed 8th in the world championship.

via Valentia are top Munster pipers - Lifestyle, frontpage - Kerryman.ie.

The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association – host of the World Pipe Band Championships each year — has recently decided to upgrade Oran Mor to Grade 1 for the 2009 season. In 2008, the band competed in Grade 1 in North America, but was not approved for an upgrade in Scotland.

via Oran Mor Pipe Band - News and Blog: RSPBA upgrades OMPB to Grade 1.

A CHAMPIONSHIP winning pipe band is facing an unenviable dilemma – after being double booked to play in front of the Queen and make an appearance at the Brit Awards the same night.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are in such demand they have been asked to play at the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo next month, but the pipers have also been nominated for a prestigious Classical Brit Award the same night.

Now the band’s pipe major is desperately trying to make his Royal excuses and take his band to the awards ceremony on May 14.

The Edinburgh-based pipers have been nominated for album of the year for Spirit of the Glen: Journey, which was recorded in the middle of war-torn Iraq last year.

The Guards began recording the album at a small Scots studio early last year, but were forced to shelve their plans when they were called away for a six-month tour of duty.

via Pipe band in awards dilemma « Deadline Press & Picture Agency.

Sandy Keith, a native of Scotland who had taught bagpipes as a city employee for nearly three decades, is out as director of the City of Dunedin Pipe Band.

The city terminated its contract with Keith on April 15 after an incident March 28 during the Dunedin Military Tattoo at Dunedin High School, city officials confirmed Friday.

“He was terminated for inappropriate behavior in the eye of the public at this military tattoo,” said Vince Gizzi, the citys director of parks and recreation. “We have letters from the person who was kind of getting yelled at and cursed at and we have letters from witnesses.

via Dunedin pipe band chief Sandy Keith is fired for yelling, swearing - St. Petersburg Times.

Rap Artist Eminem new album (2009) features a tune called “Bagpipes in Baghdad” - Very interesting use of pipes in Rap Music

Buy it on iTunes now -

As a bagpiper, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service in eastern Connecticut for a homeless man who had no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in the remote countryside and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man, did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight.

I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw the vault lid already in place.

I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long but this was the proper thing to do. The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I played out my heart and soul.

As I played the workers began to weep. I played and I played like I’d never played before, from Going Home and The Lord is My Shepherd to Flowers of the Forest. I closed the lengthy session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, “Sweet Jeezuz, Mary’n Joseph, I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”

A Timaru policeman won’t be walking the beat this August he’ll be keeping it instead at one of the world’s biggest music festivals.

Constable Ian Ireland is set to perform at the 2009 Edinburgh Military Tattoo as part of the Auckland Police Pipe Band. At the same time, the City of Timaru Pipe Band will also be in Scotland performing at the world pipe band championships and the Temuka Pipe Band will be taking part in a tattoo in Switzerland.

Mr Ireland, who has played for most of his career with the Methven and Ashburton pipe bands, answered an advertisement in the police magazine last year which called for more officers to join the Auckland-based band. There are more than 30 members in the band but only about five are sworn police officers.

As the southern-most member, Mr Ireland has had to learn his drum scores alone, although he does plan on flying to Auckland for an overnight practice in June.

via On-the-beat copper - news - timaru-herald | Stuff.co.nz.

- BETA VERSION -

This is a beta of a mobile optimized version of the Bagpipe Network. I have tested it with the Apple iPhone and and works well. Please send us your comments. Visit http://www.bagpipenetwork.com/mobile/ to test out the new site.

We have also added a few new tunes at Songs:

• Battle of Waterloo
• Arthur Bignold Of Lochrosque
• A Man’s a Man for a That
• Loch Lomond
• America the Beautiful

Dear Readers,

We want to inform the bagpiping community of reports of  “Phishing Emails” that are targeting bagpipers via email.

There are plenty of informational websites about email scams where you can learn, report, and protect yourself. Visit the links below to learn more about “Phishing Email Scams”

I received an email recently from one of these scammers and it was very apparent it was a scam. Below are a few of the “red flags” that appeared in the email.

1) Subject Line “URGENT BAGPIPER NEEDED“  - (All in caps and creating sense of rush)
2) Date of the performance was in the past - (they forgot to update the email)
3) Requested your personal information
4) Email full of Grammar and Spelling errors ( Clue: a pirate with computer skills )
5) Third party will pay the fee (Rich Uncle ?)
6) Already agreed to hire without speaking to you. (Hurry up and  send me you info so I can pay you !)
7) Money is awaiting - please just send me your info (No negotiations in this weak economy - RED FLAG !)
8) Did not ask about your experience, what you wear, what you play (Again just send me your info first to collect your money - staring to send a theme yet ?)

This same scam has been going on for years. The scammer just changes the subject line and the story to target their intended victim or group.

Some ways to protect yourself:

1) Google !
Search for the person’s name, email address, mailing address and phone numbers to see if there is any history. No results - be very cautious. There are a lot of people that have some internet history (ie: TheKnot Wedding Website, FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, AOL, news articles, address, forums postings, phone, email)

2) Never send/refund money to the individual -
Most scams will request you to cash a check or money order first for an amount that is larger the then your requested fee and then ask you to send excess money back. The check will bounce and you will have just given the thief free money !

3) Speak with the person on the phone.
Some scammers may speak with you but you can weed out those that will not.

4) Request a deposit.
It’s a great way to protect yourself from last minute cancellations and scams

5) Never send you personal info
Scammers will request your social security numbers, bank accounts, home address etc so they can send you your payment

6) Wedding Invite
Anything can be faked, but a bride or groom will not have any problem sending you their wedding invitation. It’s a great way to make sure you have the correct information for the event and you can also verify the event if it is suspect.

7) Grammer and Spelling Errors
Look for emails that appear to have been written by a 10 year old.

8) Get a PO Box
Protect your home mailing address and use a PO Box

9) Get a business phone line.
You can get a toll free number for as low as $2.00 a month and their are free voice mail services that you can use.

10) Block Caller ID
Block you home phone number with caller ID block - call your phone company for instructions.

Cheers and please stay tuned and stay safe !

Bagpiper.Com

Reference Websites with tips to Protect Your Self for Phishing Emails:
▪ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt127.shtm
▪ http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/phishing/identify.mspx
▪ http://www.us-cert.gov/nav/report_phishing.html
▪ http://www.antiphishing.org/

Email Copy:
Actual Copy of Email from the Scammer

A bagpipe practice on the Cut at Carnegie Mellon