Bagpipes for Beginners: Summer Kick-Start

Bagpipes For Beginners

Have you ever wanted to learn the Bagpipes? Kick Start your musical journey this July with an expedited beginner's course in Bagpiping offered by The Celtic Arts Foundation. No prior musical experience is required, just a willingness to learn and have fun! This ancient Scottish instrument evokes an incomparable emotional response among listeners and performers alike. In terms of traditional instruments, the Great Highland Bagpipe might stand alone due the duality that exists between the instrument itself and the music the instrument produces. The functionality of the instrument can seem mysterious and complex, yet the sound produced by the bagpipe is almost instantly recognizable. In this course you will experience first-hand the power and sonority of the instrument while gaining a fundamental understanding of this enigmatic Scottish art form.

This course will lead into an 8-week course starting in late September. At the end of the Kick-Start, be sure to confer with your instructors to determine which fall class to sign up for.‍

Five Tuesdays and Thursdays in July!

Youth (ages 8 to 12) and Adult/Teen (13 and up) will run on the following dates:‍

Tuesday July 15th 6-7pm - Class 1
Thursday July 17th 6-7pm - Class 2
Tuesday July 22nd 6-8pm Masterclass Workshop
Tuesday July 29th 6-7pm - Class 3
Thursday July 31st 6-7pm - Class 4

Tuition includes the four 1-hour classes, one 2-hour Masterclass Workshop, printed materials to keep, and the use of a practice chanter while they are in class (and take home during the series).

In this course you will:

• Develop a foundational understanding of the Great Highland Bagpipe
• Learn both traditional and contemporary music
• Learn to read bagpipe sheet music
• Learn practice techniques and strategies to further develop your musical skills
• Develop confidence as a performer
• Meet new like-minded people

Tuition includes the 8 classes, printed materials to keep, and the use of a practice chanter while they are in class (and take home during the series).

If you or your student would like to register and need financial assistance, please email Cayley@CelticArts.org

If you would like to make a donation to support his program, please click here.

Your Instructors!
Instructor Zephan Knichel has been actively teaching the bagpipes for over 20 years. He is a veteran member of the world-renowned Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and competes with them every Summer at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The SFU Pipe Band is currently ranked 4^th in the world. Zephan also competes as a soloist all over North America and in Scotland. He has competed at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban and the Northern Meeting in Inverness several times, winning prizes in both Light Music and Piobaireachd. Zephan works full-time teaching individuals, group classes, pipe bands, and at various piping schools all over North America.

Vienna Scheyer plays bagpipes with the grade 2 Cascadia Pipe Band in Seattle. Her first instrument is the fiddle, and she plays smallpipes too. She brings a unique perspective with one foot in the pipe band world and the other in traditional music and aims to give students a foundation to enjoy playing music in whatever settings they find fulfilling.

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