CAN SELLING PIPES BE FAR BEHIND ?
]]>I will lead “Ornamentation Boot Camp” — a workshop for tin whistle, low whistle and flute players — on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at The Irish Arts Center, 553 W. 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Manhattan.
The class is for musicians who are comfortable playing Irish dance tunes at a moderate pace, but who are new to ornamentation or who would like to review the techniques. The workshop will start with instruction in cuts and strikes, and then move on to long rolls, short rolls, and crans. Each ornament will be presented in the context of a tune, so you will not only learn techniques, but you’ll also come away with a series of new pieces to add to your repertoire.
If you have attended a previous Ornamentation Boot Camp, please note that I will be teaching all new tunes in this one. So if you would like to review the techniques and learn some new tunes, please sign up. Players of Boehm-system flutes are welcome to attend as always.
The fee for the workshop is $45. Irish Arts Center members, children under sixteen and seniors receive a $5 discount.
Space is limited. To register, please call Rachael at The Irish Arts Center: 212-757-3318, ext. 209, 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday.
Best,
Bill Ochs
467 W. 46th St.
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-247-3231
E-mail: billochs@pennywhistle.com
Web: www.pennywhistle.com
RI-RGS combined BB-GB bagpipes band at CCiLI2006 en Yahoo! Video ]]>
This is a custom set of Swedish Bagpipes that I just finished. Sorry for the low quality video. I do all my video recording with my digital camara so the sound quality is not representative of the pipes in person.
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Two years ago, UC Riverside became the only college in the country to offer music majors the chance to concentrate on bagpiping or Scottish drumming.
It made sense. The university’s nickname is the Highlanders. Residence halls have Scottish names: Aberdeen-Inverness, Lothian and Bannockburn. And the school has its own tartan plaid registered in Scotland.
It appeared to be working. The bagpipe band started winning competitions. The world-class bagpiper hired to lead the program started to be recognized on campus. Alumni were excited. Students enrolled to continue studying the bagpipes.
That all changed last month. The university’s $51 million budget gap this school year led officials to lay off the bagpipe and Scottish drumming instructors.
]]>on the Piobaireachd Club page. ]]>
The under-threat Strathclyde Police Pipe Band is causing “considerable strain” on overtime and frontline policing despite severe cutbacks in the time officers devote to playing and practising, an official report claims.
Assistant Chief Constable John Neilson’s initial report, published yesterday, highlights the problems of covering officers taking part in events and competitions.
However, he says efficiencies introduced since 2007 have already seen total funding for the pipe band – which is paid for through the police budget – reduced by 78%.
The cost, which was £42,477 in the 2007/8 financial year, now stands at £9235. But, as income generated by the band through performances is £5000, the total cost to the force has been cut to £4235.
However, the report for the Scottish Police Authority says that “no matter how much income is generated [by performing at commercial events], it is never sufficient to cover the cost of abstractions to frontline policing.”
]]>I will lead “Ornamentation Boot Camp” — a workshop for tin whistle, low whistle and flute players — on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at The Irish Arts Center, 553 W. 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Manhattan.
The class is for musicians who are comfortable playing Irish dance tunes at a moderate pace, but who are new to ornamentation or who would like to review the techniques. The workshop will start with instruction in cuts and strikes, and then move on to long rolls, short rolls, and crans. Each ornament will be presented in the context of a tune, so you will not only learn techniques, but you’ll also come away with a series of new pieces to add to your repertoire.
If you have attended a previous Ornamentation Boot Camp, please note that I will be teaching all new tunes in this one. So if you would like to review the techniques and learn some new tunes, please sign up. Players of Boehm-system flutes are welcome to attend as always.
The fee for the workshop is $45. Irish Arts Center members, children under sixteen and seniors receive a $5 discount.
Space is limited. To register, please call Rachael at The Irish Arts Center: 212-757-3318, ext. 209, 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday.
Best,
Bill Ochs
467 W. 46th St.
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-247-3231
E-mail: billochs@pennywhistle.com
Web: www.pennywhistle.com
Universal Piper is a new instrument that aims at faithfully reproducing the sound and the playing sensation of bagpipes of any types.
The idea of this new instrument emerged facing the limitations encountered with a real bagpipe while composing, rehearsing or playing on stage, especially with other tempered instruments (guitar, piano).
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ISLAND GP Kieron Cooney is a man with a plan — to introduce you to bagpipe music as you have never heard it before.
The award-winning piping hot doc has produced a new CD featuring a contemporary mix of bagpipe music, violin, guitar, keyboards and even rock music, all in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.
The Road Ahead album includes a diverse range of songs, from Amazing Grace to Queen’s We Will Rock You, and features the talents of vocalist Charlotte Barton Hoare and electric guitarist Jamie Griffin. There will even be a special guest appearance by former IW High Sheriff Alan Titchmarsh.
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