Watch the Treacherous Orchestra Live at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival by Vince Janoski

For those who have had the burning desire to see the band Treacherous Orchestra perform live since reading my review of their latest CD release can get your fill via today’s live stream of their performance at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival. Their concert begins at 5 pm local time, 12:00 pm eastern US time. Follow [...]

Maestro of the Pipe by Vince Janoski

In this awesome video we see Luigi Lai of Sardinia, living master of the launeddas, also called the “triple pipe.” The instrument has been played since the bronze age and uses the same split cane style reed that is still used today on Highland bagpipe drone reeds. The style of music and playing bears some [...]

Pipehacker Project: Recording Your Professional Personal Piping Performances by Vince Janoski

You’re serious about your bagpiping, right? Of course you are. You take all the necessary steps to treat your instrument with care and acquire all the skills and knowledge you need to play good music. So why wouldn’t you treat other aspects of your bagpipe progress with the same import? It always surprises me that, [...]

World Pipe Band Championships Gets the Treatment It Deserves by Vince Janoski

The new promotional video for the World Pipe Band Championships, otherwise know affectionately as “the Worlds,” has been making the rounds. It’s sweet, and elevates the event with a treatment that I know gets me excited. How about you?

The Passing of Donald MacPherson by Vince Janoski

It’s a sign of the passage of time when the great ones embark on their journey to Tir nan Og. Donald MacPherson had his heyday long before the internet, so most of us must be content with the experience of seeing him in recital, or hearing the tunes on “A Living Legend.” Even in his [...]

Pipehacker Review: Treacherous Orchestra by Vince Janoski

When you first look at their album cover for Origins, Treacherous Orchestra appears as if it is just the latest thrash metal group or DJ-dance-hall-fusion-electronica band. Never would you suspect an ensemble that pays a great deal of homage to their Celtic traditional roots and puts forth a sound that is like a Scottish country [...]

This Week in Ebay Bagpipe Finds by Vince Janoski

Ebay is a great place to find enterprising pipehackers hawking their latest creation. A casual search will usually turn up a thingamajig that defies explanation or can leave you speechless. Behold the Bagpipe Mute. I think we’ve all seen a piper or three who could stand to be heard less. At least their hands will [...]

Web Media for the Solo Piping Junkie by Vince Janoski

This past episode of the BBC’s Pipeline features winning performances from the Northern Meeting. Satisfy your yen for excellent piping with Jack Lee’s winning Silver Star, former winners MSR performance, Nail Stewart’s Gold Medal Rendition of “Tulloch Ard” and Angus MacColl’s unique rendering of “Lady Margaret MacDonald’s Salute” from the MacArthur Ms. If you’re ever [...]