Pops got me thinking...

You know... When I started playing the bagpipes for money, it was rare to find a “professional piper” in Salt Lake City. Perhaps we were behind the times, but back then, most pipers played for their band. All proceeds, from group or solo shows would go to the band. The non profit bands would use that money for equipment and expenses to travel to competitions. There were not very many pipers out advertising for work. At that time I was able to keep a nice little business just by handing out cards. Not so anymore! Pipe Bands are still flourishing and getting the funds they need, but there are pipers coming out of the wood works advertising as professionals. Some really are, and some are not. It’s the ones that are not that bother me.

In the last couple of years I’ve seen a huge influx of armature, hobby pipers advertising as "professionals". Guys who don’t have the experience or the ability to play, maintain or even tune their instrument are charging good folks hard earned money to butcher simple tunes at private and public events. Don’t get me wrong I encourage all to play and enjoy it regardless of your playing level. I encourage all levels of pipers to accept payment offered to them from clients who know what they're getting. But for a piper who has little to no experience to advertise as a professional is just wrong. In the past couple of years I’ve seen advertising tactics from some of my “competitors” that make me sick! Piping organizations advertising as a “Grade 1 piping Service” that have no idea how the grading system even works. Pipers claiming years of experience, that date back to way before they had even touched a practice chanter. Pipers using sound bites as tune samples that are actually someone else playing.

This one is my personal favorite:

All of us received a letter inviting us to play at the base of the Twin Towers after 9/11. Is there a piper in the U.S.A. that didn’t receive the invitation? O.K we all got one. Some went to play. Some did not. If you went to play, that’s great. If you didn’t, that’s great. The fact that you were invited doesn’t give you any more credibility than every one else. Please, Please, Please! Can pipers stop using the invitation as an advertising point? Can’t we be honest with our clients?

I hope not to be misunderstood. What ever your level of piping, I hope you continue. I hope you love it. I hope you get work. I just think we need to be honest about what level of piper we are. There are a lot of pipers out there better than I. I once had younger fingers and was much better then I am now. However… when you log onto one of my ads, I’m not trying to mislead anyone, all of the comments are true and all of the recorded samples are me. (With the exception of a couple that I recorded with a business partner.)Clients can hear what they are getting.

Well,,, like it or not those are my thoughts for today.

I’m out