What started you piping?

[PJ]

In 30 words or less, what was it that began your interest in piping?

For me it was hearing Davy Spillane in Moving Hearts in the 1980. Then Liam O'Flynn in the 'Cal' Soundtrack.

PJ

[benwalker]

Atlantic Bridge.......... Then Declan Mastersons End Of The Harvest Recording
The first 3 tunes made me search out a set of pipes, the run for the hills

[TnWhistler]

For me it was both RiverDance and a set of Spillane tunes called A Day in September (I think, started with My love is in America, etc.). Also I started sitting in playing some whistle and bodhran with a band Sigean, Zac Leger was the piper, he really inspired me, as well as a chance meeting with Eamonn Dillon on the ship I worked on.

Zac has moved onto his own band and now I am playing pipes and whistles with them. Zac has some mighty big shoes to fill.

Timmy

[Antaine]

a severe bump on the head

[travhicks]

A 1999 Chieftains concert at The State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. The show opened up with a slow air by Paddy Moloney, and I was hooked. That was the first time I had ever seen a piper live and in person, even though I had plenty of recordings with pipes in the mix. There was something about the combination of solo piping, the tone of the pipes, and the mechanics of the whole thing that mesmerized me. I went back to the office that night, surfed the web, and found Fiona Doherty's name and address (at the time she was living near my town). I called her up, and she invited me over for a lesson on the whistle and a piping demonstration. Not long after that, I got connected with Willie and Siobhan Kelly and started whistle lessons with Siobhan. They got me in touch with Seth Gallagher. I visited Seth, on a day when Jerry O'Sullivan was up for some reeds, and I put my name on his list for a practice set. When I got the set, I started piping lessons with Willie.....5 years later, and I'm on my second set of pipes (a 3/4 B set by K+Q), trying to play whenever I get a chance, and still in love with the instrument I fell in love with at that Chieftains concert.

[Keith]

Seeing a video of Robbie Hanna playing at the Ceol exhibition at Chief O'Neills Hotel in Dublin in August 1999. That was that: hooked ever since. Got a practice set in December 1999, and I'm still at it...

[djm]

Well, I got my first two girls in 1975, and had them working the warehouse district. Added a few more girls the next year and was finally able to buy me one of them pink Caddies all tricked out, plus the hat with the big feather trim, and then ... oops! You said piping, didn't you? Sorry!

djm

[MikeyLikesIt]

My Irish history class in high school three years back. Didn't start til this past summer though. But i know I'm never gonna stop!

[PJ]

Now, now!! No call for that.

[benwalker]

something like this DJM

[uilleannfinlander]

saw Mc Kenna and Hugh(?) with Magenta music in Finland 93, (there was 2 pipers in a band) ,.. got hooked... and 96 got my halfset from Roberts , and same year got a week pipeteaching by D.Moynihan(Calico), (met also Liam O'Flynn
during Irish Festivals 98)... but still going strong with piping, even no teachers available (sometimes during festivals only) , btw Lunasa is coming this year to Finland.

[brianc]

Ben!

And he's holding... FOUR DOLLARS!

hahahaaaaaaaaaaa

[Antaine]

I was absolutely obsessed with Irish culture, and loved music...I could find nothing more quintessentially Irish than the UP. Even the harp is used around the world, and the fiddle is definitely not of Irish origin...

[carel]

Liam O'Flynn
Planxty

ca 1978

[Patrick D'Arcy]

O.C.D. & A.D.H.D.

P.D.