Hacking Bagpipe Competitions: Create a Meaningful Experience by Vince Janoski

The first round of the Bagadou championships was held in Brest, Brittany a couple of weeks ago. An amazing event. The contest features the top level bagad ensembles performing for about ten minutes to a relatively large audience by the sound of it. Viewers of the online live stream numbered near 2,000 at one point. [...]

Bagpipe Chain Reactions and Meltdowns by Vince Janoski

I don’t know why, but the demise of the City of Chicago Pipe Band leaves me feeling extra sad for American bagpiping. Sure, I’ve seen good bands come and go in my time, but this hits at a particular time when US piping and drumming seemed to be on a general upswing in quality and [...]

The 8 Secrets of Success—The Bagpipes Edition by Vince Janoski

Pipesdrums’ recent brief interview with Denny & Dunipace Gleneagles PM David Clunie highlights the very important challenges that face a band making the jump from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Rightly so, a higher grade can certainly become a “graveyard” and mean certain destruction for some bands. Clunie covers the very important nuts-and-bolts that should [...]

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 [...]

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?

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 [...]

Pipe Bands: From Good to Great by Vince Janoski

What is the missing link that keeps good and very good eastern U.S. bands from becoming very very good to excellent? While there are singular examples who come close, in general there have been few who even show signs of cracking this “glass piping ceiling.” It is easy to pin this missing element on people-oriented [...]

Worlds Afterglow: NY Metro and Stuart Highlanders at the Worlds—Video by Vince Janoski

A great representation by eastern US bands at the World Pipe Band Championships this year. Here are videos of NY Metro and Stuart Highlanders in their final rounds. This year’s Worlds saw qualifying heats in every grade of competition, I don’t think that has ever happened before. Each of these bands had to play in [...]