Be a Stronger Bagpiper III: Literally by Vince Janoski

Here’s a story familiar to many. You show up at band rehearsal and the Pipe Major is doling out new chanter reeds. Oh boy! You get yours and pop it in but then the practice session continues for a while and it is finally, mercifully over and you’re drenched in sweat, your sides hurt, and [...]

The Ebay Bagpiper: Devil Drone Reeds by Vince Janoski

Wherein Pipehacker purchases and test drives assorted bagpipe junk from ebay—so you don’t have to. If you spend any time sorting through the bagpipe offerings on Ebay you’ve seen them. The strange and wonderful variety of “off-brand” drone reeds from just about every continent on Earth. Serious pipers will simply give these goofy entries a [...]

No More Frozen Pipes: Good Bagpiping Warms It Up 2013 by Vince Janoski

No more do pipers hibernate like bears in the winter months of the eastern USA. As winter wanes and spring waxes anew, there are a slew of opportunities to warm the ears with great live bagpiping, warm the fingers and start off your 2013 competition season, or warm your brain with workshops and lessons. Here [...]

What You Need to be a Better Bagpiper by Vince Janoski

Where do you want to go with your bagpiping? Have you ever asked yourself this? It’s a fair question and one that might make you uncomfortable to think about. We tend to be stuck in the present when it comes to piping. Cramming on tunes, hammering your repertoire, all keep us focussed on what we [...]

5 Ways to Set Better Bagpiping Goals by Vince Janoski

The beginning of the new year is always the perfect time to assess where you are in your bagpiping. Goal setting is a ubiquitous start-of-year activity that benefits lots of folks, and bagpipers are not exempt. Sometimes though, the act of setting the goals themselves can be a daunting task. You know what you need [...]

10 Personal Bagpipe Resolutions for the Coming Year by Vince Janoski

Now that we are on the brink of another year’s turn, it seems a good a time as any to refresh your list of bagpiping resolutions. A happy, healthy, and prosperous year to all! The hubbub of the holiday season is over. You can now focus more on bagpipes! Whether or not you are considering [...]

10 Bagpipe Performance Goals for the New Year by Vince Janoski

Happy Hogmanay! The start of another year is upon us. As you reflect on the things that have influenced your bagpiping over the last ten years, you can begin the year by setting musical goals as part of your New Year’s resolutions. A good way to guide yourself through your next year-long ritual of bagpipe performance and competition.

Bagpiping New Year’s Resolution Week 2013 by Vince Janoski

Happy New Year! This week is Bagpiping New Year’s Resolution week at Pipehacker. A good way to kick off the first week of the new year is to take stock of your bagpiping achievements and goals and plan for a bigger and better year. There a plenty of helpful posts here at Pipehacker to help [...]