It is now only a few weeks until our annual New York Piping and Drumming school to be held in St Josephs school, Babylon, Long Island. This year we have 5 excellent teachers giving instruction and we have given things a little shake up in terms of the piping options – a change which we hope will provide greater flexibility and choice.

This year we are offering 3 options:

Five day school with group classes rotating around instructors Mon – Fri

Half week workshop sessions. Mon – Wed for Novice/ Intermediate Levels and Wed-Fri for Intermediate/Advanced Levels.

The workshop programme and descriptors can be found in the PDFs at the bottom of this website page – http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/new-york/workshops-individual-tuition/

Individual workshops can be signed up for as required at $40 per session

Those taking the group classes for the week will also be able to select workshops as they please through the week.

Each day will conclude with an Instructor recital. Also to round the week off the Invitational Metro Cup Solo Piping Competition is held in Newark which is a short train ride away from Babylon.

For more information and booking visit http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/new-york/

Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to enjoy a great week of piping and drumming with instruction from world class teachers.

Best wishes

Roddy

30-34 McPhater Street

Glasgow

G4 0HW

Tel: 0141 353 0220

Fax: 0141 353 1570

http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk

http://www.pipingfestival.co.uk

Dec. 19-20, 2009

Tickets are now on sale for the 2009 edition of “The Pipes of Christmas.” The Celtic Christmas classic will celebrate its eleventh season with performances in New York and New Jersey this December.

NEW JERSEY CONCERT – SAT. DEC 19

Two concerts are scheduled for 2PM and 8PM on Saturday, December 19 at Central Presbyterian Church located at 70 Maple Street in Summit, NJ.

NYC CONCERT – SUN. DEC 20

The “Pipes” will also return to New York City on Sunday, December 20 at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, located at 921 Madison Avenue (at 73rd Street). The Manhattan concert begins at 2:30 PM.

The concert presents the music of Christmas accompanied by a selection of readings taken from Scripture and the Celtic literature of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Featured performers include Andrew Weir from the film “Braveheart,” uilleann piper Christopher Layer, three-time New Englad fiddle champion Paul Woodiel, the Solid Brass ensemble, Scottish harpist Jennifer Port, and the Grade III Kevin Ray Blandford Memorial Pipe Band of Redlands, CA.

Order Tickets Now

General admission tickets for the NJ concert are $50. Tickets for the NYC concert are $60.

Tickets for all performances are available via mail order. A downloadable ticket order form can be found on the concert’s website at www.pipesofchristmas.com.

Tickets for the NY concert may also be purchased online at www.smarttix.com or by phone at (212) 868-4444 or by mail order.

Premium VIP seats are available at both venues through membership in the “Friends of the Pipes of Christmas.”

About “The Pipes of Christmas”

Since making its debut in 1999, “The Pipes of Christmas” has played to standing room only audiences. Given the popularity of the program, a second concert was added in 2001 to accommodate the high-demand for tickets.

That same year, the concert began an award-winning partnership with HomeTowne Television by broadcasting concert highlights on Christmas Eve to an estimated 40,000 cable subscribers. Four productions have received the prestigious Telly Award for television production excellence.

Now a cherished holiday institution, the concert has provided audiences with a stirring and reverent celebration of the Christmas season and the Celtic spirit. Audience-goers return year after year to experience the program, many reporting that the Pipes of Christmas has become part of their family’s annual holiday traditions.

Piping Scholarships

Proceeds from the concert help fund three annual music scholarships. The Alex Currie Memorial Scholarship for Bagpipe was created in honor of the famed Canadian piper and is administered by the Gaelic College in Nova Scotia. An additional piping scholarship – The Pipe Major Kevin Ray Blandford Scholarship – is awarded annually by the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland.

Chicago Celtic Pipe band looks for new members:

“About 12 bagpipers gathered inside the Estelle Sieb Community Center in Norridge Nov. 23 to practice with Pipe Major Chris Boyle.

The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band meets at the Sieb Center at 7:30 p.m. every Monday (except holidays).

The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band had an open house for Ridgewood High School band students at the Sieb Center Nov. 23. Neil Hansen (left) and Paul McHugh play the bagpipes.

The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band had an open house for Ridgewood High School band students at the Sieb Center Nov. 23. Instructor Charles Reece (mirror, right) helps students with a traditional drum rhythm.

The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band had an open house for Ridgewood High School band students at the Sieb Center Nov. 23. Instructor Charles Reece (middle) helps students with a traditional drum rhythm.

‘We just sit at the table, we start walking through all the new tunes, breaking them down, working on it, building them up,’ Boyle said. ‘As we get further and further in the year we spend more time on pipes. We’re working on the technique of playing, blowing, keeping a steady tone with the bagpipe, and then work on the finger execution so that we get it as tight as we possibly can. That’s the ultimate goal is basically to sound like one.

‘Then the drum corps will be working on their thing,’ he added. ‘They write specific scores to the tunes that we’re playing. So we get a nice integrated balance between the two different corps and that we have a nice solid sound.’

Pipe band manager Jim Enright said Ridgewood High School band members were invited to observe the practice in hopes of becoming new members.
“

(Via www.pioneerlocal.com – Read Full Article.)

Roddy MacLeod • Piobaireachd: “New Music” – Press Release

I am pleased to tell you that 5 new manuscripts have now been added to the site. These are The Old Men of the Shells, The Old Woman’s Lullaby, The Prince’s Salute, MacLeod’s Salute and My King has Landed in Moidart.

This brings the website close to completion of its first stage which includes 46 tunes. I hope to be adding new recordings very soon.

Best wishes, Roddy MacLeod.

(Via Roddy MacLeod Website.)

15th – 19th February 2010

In 2010 we have made some changes to our school to allow you more flexibility in the schedule.

As normal we have an option for piping and drumming students to be taught throughout the entire week in groups of similar ability where instruction is given on all aspects of piping and a variety of new music is covered. The all inclusive cost of this option is $600.

This year we have also introduced the options of two half week piping packages (each priced at $300) which are entirely workshop based. From Monday to Wednesday we offer a series of workshops suitable for Novice – Intermediate standard pipers and from Wednesday to Friday we offer a second workshop series for Intermediate to Advanced level pipers. The workshops offered can be viewed on the New York School page on our website – scroll down to find a PDF brochure. I am sure you will agree there is excellent coverage of a number of major topics on offer.

In order to be as flexible as possible we are also making the piping workshops available as a pick ‘n mix option for $40 per workshop so that students can come to as few or as many as they wish. All of these options are available to book online here

We are offering an “early bird special” which will run from now until the 1st January 2010 where students will receive 10% off the quoted price. In addition to this we are offering a family discount of 10% (two or more people from the same family) and a band discount of 10% (five members or more of the same band). This early bird special is available online via the booking form page.

The school is held during President’s week so we hope that having it during this vacation will make it easier for you to attend. Also, we link in with the Metro Cup piping competition which is to be held on February 20th at the Holiday Inn, Newark. This event showcases some of the worlds top pipers in competition including some of our instructors so we hope this might appeal to you as a great way to end a fantastic week of piping.

I really hope that you might consider coming to our New York school. For more information on the school and booking please visit www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/new-york/ and for information on the Metro Cup please visit www.themetrocup.com/

I would be pleased if you would pass this on to your band members and anyone else you believe would be interested in our school.

Sincerely,

Roddy MacLeod MBE,
Principal

The National Piping Centre Ltd.
Registered in Scotland no. 139271, Charity no. 020391
The Piping Centre Trading Ltd.
Registered in Scotland no. 162342
Glasgow International Piping Festival.
Registered in Scotland no. 256248, Charity no. 34875

Every journey starts somewhere and learning to play the pipes starts here with a 10 week course.

You will learn on the practice chanter to correctly play the scale, embellishments and a tune or two.

The weekly 6:30 to 7:30 pm class starts on Tuesday November 10th and runs for 10 weeks with Christmas and New Years off.

No experience is necessary. You don’t have to know how to read music. You don’t have to have huge lungs.

Read More and Contact Band

I will lead “Ornamentation Boot Camp” — a workshop for tin whistle, low whistle and flute players — on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at The Irish Arts Center, 553 W. 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Manhattan.

The class is for musicians who are comfortable playing Irish dance tunes at a moderate pace, but who are new to ornamentation or who would like to review the techniques. The workshop will start with instruction in cuts and strikes, and then move on to long rolls, short rolls, and crans. Each ornament will be presented in the context of a tune, so you will not only learn techniques, but you’ll also come away with a series of new pieces to add to your repertoire.

If you have attended a previous Ornamentation Boot Camp, please note that I will be teaching all new tunes in this one. So if you would like to review the techniques and learn some new tunes, please sign up. Players of Boehm-system flutes are welcome to attend as always.

The fee for the workshop is $45. Irish Arts Center members, children under sixteen and seniors receive a $5 discount.

Space is limited. To register, please call Rachael at The Irish Arts Center: 212-757-3318, ext. 209, 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday.

Best,

Bill Ochs

467 W. 46th St.
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-247-3231
E-mail: billochs@pennywhistle.com
Web: www.pennywhistle.com

I will lead “Ornamentation Boot Camp” — a workshop for tin whistle, low whistle and flute players — on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at The Irish Arts Center, 553 W. 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Manhattan.

The class is for musicians who are comfortable playing Irish dance tunes at a moderate pace, but who are new to ornamentation or who would like to review the techniques. The workshop will start with instruction in cuts and strikes, and then move on to long rolls, short rolls, and crans. Each ornament will be presented in the context of a tune, so you will not only learn techniques, but you’ll also come away with a series of new pieces to add to your repertoire.

If you have attended a previous Ornamentation Boot Camp, please note that I will be teaching all new tunes in this one. So if you would like to review the techniques and learn some new tunes, please sign up. Players of Boehm-system flutes are welcome to attend as always.

The fee for the workshop is $45. Irish Arts Center members, children under sixteen and seniors receive a $5 discount.

Space is limited. To register, please call Rachael at The Irish Arts Center: 212-757-3318, ext. 209, 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday.

Best,

Bill Ochs

467 W. 46th St.
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-247-3231
E-mail: billochs@pennywhistle.com
Web: www.pennywhistle.com

The CBOI’s performance, “The Crossing: Celebrating Cultures and Connections,” will be led by renowned conductor Maestro Gearoid Grant and will include performances from tenor Emmanuel Lawler and uilleann piper Patrick Martin. In addition, the acclaimed Drum and Piping Corps will perform as well as over 500 children from New York City area schools, including St. Sebastian’s (Woodside, NY), St. Margaret’s (Pearl River), Fairfield County Children’s Choir (Fairfield, CT), St. Williams the Abbott School (Seaford, NY.)

Read Full Article

By Chris Apps

The Complete Guide to Highland Bagpipe Reeds is a 57 page updated and improved version of the Bagpipe Reed Adjustment booklet. Whereas the small booklet focused solely on molded chanter reeds the new larger book also includes information on ridge-cut chanter reeds, drone reeds and practice chanter reeds. There is a chapter explaining the different chanter reeds and the necessary tools to adjust/maintain them. You’ll also find information on setting up and maintaining the pipes for optimum reed function. The book is filled with photographs and diagrams to illustrate the techniques discussed. The book can be purchased with or without an Apps reed mandrel. Orders are being accepted for the publication date of 10/16/09.

$30.00 book only
$38.00 with mandrel

Order yours today at https://store.appsreeds.com

All classes take place on the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs located at 9751 Bonita Beach Road, east of U.S. 41.

For more information or to register for lessons and classes at the First Academy of Music, call Cheryl Bauer at the school at 239-992-3410 or visit firstacademyofmusic.org.

via Music classes begin Monday in Bonita Springs | news-press.com | The News-Press.

As the annual festival of Piping Live! kicks in, Claire Sawers finds there are plenty of fans on hand to debunk the aging myths about bagpipes

In Germany they’ve got the doodlesack; in Sweden, the säckpipa; and in Italy, the zampogna. Nearly every country in Europe has some version of the bagpipe, giving the instrument a range and diversity that stretches way beyond that lone piper standing in his kilt on Princes Street, squeaking out ‘Scotland the Brave’ for tourists in ponchos.

Roddy MacLeod, director of Piping Live!, the international festival that attracted 25,000 visitors last year to Glasgow, thinks people will be surprised at how vast the modern day piper’s repertoire is. ‘Everyone has heard a piper playing ‘Highland Cathedral’ or ‘Scotland the Brave’, he says. ‘But new music is written for pipes all the time – from all around the world. Modern technology also means pipes can now be recorded and balanced with other instruments without drowning them out, so we’re seeing more experimental styles cropping up. The festival was set up six years ago to bring those styles together.’

via Bag of tricks: Piping Live! | The List.

A 25-STRONG team of traditional Scots musicians scaled one of the country’s top Munros to blast their drums and pipes at 3200 feet.The hills were alive with music as members of the Williamwood Pipe Band, dragged their equipment – featuring 10 sets of pipes, two side drums one tenor and a bass drum – up Ben Lomond last Sunday.

As well as playing the likes of ‘Scotland the Brave’ and apt tunes like ‘Gaelforce Wind’ and ‘High Road to Gairloch’, the members of Williamwood also raised an impressive s3000 through sponsorship.

Drummer Grant McDowell said: “We are delighted we completed our challenge to the top of Ben Lomond.

“It was very tough in the soaring heat, but positive team morale and motivation ensured that each and every one of us completed the climb successfully.”

The money will be used to help fund the south side band, which first formed in 1945 by the 128th Glasgow Company of the Boys’ Brigade.

via Glasgow pipe band drums up support – the Glaswegian.

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.

Rhythm and Phrasing Boot Camp for Flute, Tin Whistle and Other Instruments

If you take only one master class ever, this is the one to sign up for. Why? Because as the saying goes, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.” And this class will teach you how to get your Irish groove on.

Learn the secrets of the lilt, that magical quality that gives Irish music its unique charm and buoyancy. Learn where and how to accent. Learn where to breath while maintaining the flow of the tune. Learn how to take a tune from any recording and play it in fifteen minutes. Learn how to take a tune off the printed page and make it come alive. Learn the secrets of playing for dancing. Learn about root-pedaling, the punch-and-drive style, offbeat emphasis, and more.

While the class is designed primarily for tin whistle and flute players (Boehm system included), players of other instruments are welcome to join. The class is open to anyone who can play Irish dance tunes at a moderate pace and would like to improve his or her rhythm and phrasing.

Bring your instrument and a notebook. A recording device such as a tape, digital or mini-disc recorder is also highly recommended.

The class fee is $45. IAC members, teachers and seniors receive a $5 discount.

To register, contact Rachael at The Irish Arts Center: 212-757-3318, ext. 209, 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday, or rachael@irishartscenter.org.

For questions about the workshop, please contact me at 212-247-3231 or billochs@pennywhistle.com.

Sincerely,

Bill Ochs