Currently a Grade 1 piper with both the Western & Eastern  US Pipe Band Associations, my musical background began 43 years ago with the violin, and over the years has included the french horn, sitar, oboe and clarinet.  Recently, however,  I have   devoted  most of my time  to Indian music and piping, with formal training, piping schools, and workshops, including ASU School of Music,  The Balmoral School of Piping and Drumming,  The Invermark College of Piping ,  The Jimmy McIntosh School of Piping and Drumming , the North American Pipers Gathering  for alternate pipes , the Kirsten Studio for the Performing Arts, the Ananda Asram School of Indian Studies, and the LearnQuest Academy of Hindustani Music.

What I play - equipment

My bagpipes are all made by Dunbar Bagpipes of Canada.  The P4a pipes are full metal mounted, made out of a product called Delrin,  and use a Canmore zipper synthetic bag.  They are not  susceptible to cracking and are much easier to maintain.  The Dunbar DB-2a pipes are blackwood, with silver  metalwork, and  also uses a Canmore zippered bag.    I use Balance Tone (synthetic) drone reeds, and either Gilmour, or Harris medium chanter reeds.  When performing, depending on the location, I use a Dunbar Delrin or a Dunbar Blackwood; both are the "Elite II" model.   My smallpipes are both John Walsh in 'A'  & 'D'.  My other instruments include  a 1896 Thibouville-Lamy violin,  a custom  Srishti sitar crafted in Calcutta  India, and a Buffet R-13 clarinet made in 1988.  

           

BAGPIPE MUSIC

Traditionally, bagpipe music can be categorized into
several major groups:

     > Dance Music - Strathspey, Reel, Jig, Lilt, Hornpipe

          > Marches - 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, & 9/8
                > The Laments - Mainly used for funerals

                     > Piobaireachd - The classical music of the pipes

For general performances, I play a mixture of each of these, and
also some of the more modern compositions.  There are thousands
of bagpipe tunes available, so if you are looking for something
special, I will do my best to find it.  Many of the Scottish Clans
have their own tunes and if available, I will perform those at
your request.  I also perform many of my own compositions, and
will also compose a tune for your special occasion at no cost. 

    
   

A Grade 1 solo piper & member of  The Eastern & Western US Pipe Band Associations, Clan MacKay,  Pipers and Pipeband Society of Ontario, The Scottish Piobaireachd Society,  The Piobaireachd Society of Central PA,  The Lowland and Border Pipers Society, The American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers (ASCAP), The Maine Arts Commission, The Maine Songwriters Association, The Sangeet Society & The Hindustani Music Circle.  Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator - AI1B