Perth Bagpiper

Did you know it’s Bagpipe Appreciation Day today?
I did my bit this afternoon by popping into 6PR and had a chat with Tod Johnston about all things Bagpipe. It was as a good bit of fun.

www.perthbagpiper.com.au
6PR Perth

Meet some of the team. I’ve just tweaked some of my sets of pipes ready to hire to some of my students.
Like any good sword with character, I have also named the sets I own.
First up we have Audacious, this is the set I usually play myself. She is a beautiful set of 1972 Gillander & McLeod’s, Stirling Silver & Ivory currently with a Ross hybrid bag, Crosier drone reeds & a Gilmore reed in a Shepherd chanter. (Pictured here with original chanter)
Next we have The Entertainer. A 1956 set of Hendersons. Imitation ivory that has coloured similar to most of that era, on a Ross hybrid bag, Crosier drone reeds and a Gilmore reed in a McCallum chanter.
Then we have Mother’s Minder. 1967 Robertsons. I grew up learning and playing these pipes since I was at high school. Originally they were the set my mother learned on. Currently the have a leather Gannaway bag, Canning drone reeds, a Gilmore reed in the Shepherd chanter.
The final set pictured is Steady as she Blows. This is a 2023 Wallace standard 0 bought specifically for learners to hire. They produce a solid tone without the fancy trimmings. Currently they have a synthetic bag, Canning drone reeds and a Sigma reed in the Wallace chanter.
My other sets, Grandfather’s Knowledge, True Gentleman & The Trainer are either hired or resting at the moment.
My students that are hiring these sets this term will continue their love of the pipes.
Have you named your pipes? Do your pipes have a defining personality & character?

www.perthbagpiper.com.au

Here are some useful tips pipers could use in the upcoming Perth Bagpiper Solo Competition on 28 June 2026.
Entries close this weekend. Entry form available on the Downloads page at www.perthbagpiper.com.au/downloads
This points listed in the attached article are suitable for any piper player by themselves. Stay calm & steady, be prepared and be specific in your accuracy.

What a solo piping judge notices in the first 10 Seconds (and how to win them over) Those first few seconds don’t decide the whole performance—but they do set the judge’s expectations. The good news: most of what gets noticed early is completely controllable. Here’s what a piping judge is picking up almost immediately, and how you can make those first 10 seconds work for yo...

Congratulations to Keir & Charlotte on their wedding yesterday. Playing for your guests at Cabaret Cave in Yanchep was wonderful. The acoustics inside were unique.

🍀🍀Big day leading the St. Patrick’s Day Parade up & down Beaufort St in Mt. Lawley today. 🍀🍀
Photos coming later, a bit hard to do a selfie while playing the pipes!!! 😁

Perth Bagpiper will host another solo competition in early July. This will help WA pipers (and drummers) to aspire to improve their skills.
Competitors, follow the link to see the solo requirements.

For this year's Solo Piping contests our Vice Principal of Piping, Adam Britten, has prepared the tune selection requirements for each grade. Please download the pdf from this link:https://pipebandswa.com.au/Assets/2026_Piping_Requirements.pdf

Yesterday, five of my students collected their brand new bagpipes. They are now set to continue their piping journey.
We are also starting new beginner classes in Fremantle & Hamersley from 28 January.
Contact us to find out how you can get started.
https://www.perthbagpiper.com.au/learnbagpipes

It’s an exciting time for 5 of my adult learners.
They will be playing their new sets of pipes this term as their next step on the journey of piping fun.
Current classes resume from January 28.

New Beginner classes also start in the last week of January. Send us a message if you want to know more. Or click this link below
https://www.perthbagpiper.com.au/learnbagpipes