In my experience, most people have never seen a bagpiper outside of a highland festival or street parade. They’ve never seen the case that pipes come in, nor have they heard someone strike up a set that has been sitting idle for an hour or more. If you ask any piper they’ll be happy to tell you that bagpipes are the most finicky instrument ever made.

I’d like to give some information on what to expect from a piper if you’ve never dealt with one before. I don’t mean to sound ominous but knowing ahead of time that the piper needs space to tune, or how long it may take, can save you some stress on the day of your event. I’ll break it down from the morning the piper wakes up.

Continue reading What to Expect when You’re Expecting (a Piper) →