It’s spring approaching summer here in the eastern US. And you know what that means? That means the Highland games and bagpipe competition circuit has begun in earnest. Many pipers are eagerly pressing their kilts, spending hours of practice time, and preparing their instruments for…well, another year of the same merry-go-round of MSRs, piobaireachds, and pipe band medleys. And on it goes.
If you’ve been in this bagpipe competition game for any length of time, you can’t help but confront the absolute toil of it all. Sure, there is growth opportunity, the chance to “strut your stuff” before a judge. But then what? The sheer monotony of bagpipe competition here in the US can wear you down after a while. Bill Livingstone once likened competition to a “millstone,” and he’s right. Lots of great, interesting stuff goes in, only to be crushed into a homogeneous powder. Read More
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