October 2, 2002
Bagpipers sound off about instrument
Grand Traverse Highlander band practices pipes without fanfare or kilts
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Between performances in full ceremonial dress, members of the Grand Traverse Highlander Pipe Band gather weekly without fanfare - and sans kilts - to hone their skills.
Every Monday evening, pipers and drummers gather at the Central United Methodist Church in street clothes. During good weather, the four drummers gather outside, snare drums set on the bed of a pick up truck. Their staccato sounds reverberate off nearby buildings as the sole tenor drummer provides a counter point.
Pipers, meanwhile head to the church's large basement room, where they will soon shake the walls with the bagpipes' well-known wails. The pipers first practice on their chanters for an hour before firing up their full bagpipes. They work through their performance repertoire, tweaking notes and tempo as they play songs such as "Farewell to Nigg" and "Rowan Tree."
By the end of the evening, the pipers and drummers gather for a joint rehearsal.
"The practice is critical," said Ed Risk of Traverse City. "What we did tonight may seem trivial but when you stand on the field where the band is playing, you should sound like one."
A veteran musician, Risk has also played the clarinet and saxophone. Acknowledging that the sound of bagpipes is not for everyone, he said the instrument has captivated him.
"This is the one instrument that I've played that people have no gray area about: they either love them or they hate them," he noted. "For me, the bagpipes feed my soul, there's a relationship between the sound and yourself. It's a peaceful expression and I enjoy it."
Pete Deneen has been the band's Pipe Major off and on for the past 14 years. Deneen is a music teacher at Traverse City East Junior High School and has played saxophone with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Northwestern Michigan College's Community Band and the Encore Music Society. The veteran musician said that the pipes are not necessarily harder to play, just different.
"As with any instrument, it is not too hard to play the bagpipes poorly," he said. "But it takes a lifetime to master them."
Deneen said that highland bagpipes are actually four different instruments rolled into one. The bag, which pipers fill by blowing into before a set, acts as a third lung, especially for the instrument.
"You have to fill the bag up so there's enough air to jump-start all four pipes at once," he said.
Modern technology has made the bagpipes easier to use and care for than its forebears. The bags are now made of Gortex and are more reliable and durable than previous animal skin ones. Three of the instrument's four reeds are plastic and require minimal adjusting. In addition, dehumidifier cartridges, one for each pipe, helps prevent corrosive moisture buildup in the instrument.
"The actual bag doesn't require much maintenance though the pipes themselves are made out of hardwood and from time to time need oiling both inside and out to keep the wood from drying out and cracking," Deneen noted.
While they practice in street clothes, Deneen said the pageantry of a pipe band is attractive to him. He remembers even as a child being drawn to the music, following a pipe band whenever he saw one in a parade.
"I would never actually perform in my instrument without my uniform," he said. "There is a resonance for me with the pipes. For as long as I can remember, I've always been drawn to the sound."