Band offers lessons for bagpipes, drums
Recognizable from miles away, the humming and distinct melodies of bagpipes and the pitter-patter and booms of drums are a staple at community events such as parades and memorials. One local pipe band is inviting the community to be a part of these sounds.
“The track that I’ve taken in my pipe band career has taken me all over North America. It’s taken me to a number of parades, competitions,” said Dennis Schindler, the pipe major leader, or leader, of the Clandeboye Pipe Band. “You get to meet new friends that have similar interests, and your pipe band community grows as you experience it more and more. I have friends all over the world now because of my interest in pipe band.”
The Clandeboye Pipe Band is hosting an open house on September 30 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Clandeboye Community Hall. The event is free, and people are invited to stop by any time during those hours to check out what the band offers.
Schindler, who helped found the band in 2018, said the goal of the event is to attract new members and to expose more people to this style of music.
Even those who have never played either bagpipes or drums are welcome to join the band, which has various experience levels within it. Instructors are there to provide lessons to the musicians.
The first level of the band is for the absolute beginner. The second level is for those who have played either instrument and want to get back into it but need some remedial work. The third level is for people who are comfortable with their instrument and are looking for a place to play in a relaxed environment.
Those interested in joining the band don’t need to own bagpipes or drums. For bagpipes, beginners start on a practice chanter, which is the part of the instrument with finger holes that creates the melody. Those learning drums can begin with a drumsticks and a practice pad.
“There may be a small investment for drumsticks and a practice pad or if we run out of practice chanters, but you don’t need to spend $1,000 or $2,000 on a set of bagpipes or a drum in order to start learning the instrument.”
Schindler has been playing the bagpipes for more than 50 years, starting when he was 12 years old. He competed at a high level until he was about 30 then took some time away from the instrument. About 20 years ago, he got involved again and has been playing since.
“It’s a difficult instrument, but if you’ve got patience and you practice, you can continue to improve, and you can take great pride in that through your performances and your competitions,” Schindler said. “It teaches some discipline, and it teaches the need for practice, and it teaches teamwork, and it teaches an instrument that is realistically one of the most difficult instruments in the world to play, but the rewards for playing it vastly outweigh the work that I’ve ever had to put into it.”
In addition to learning how to play instruments, Schindler said members will also learn about the cultural aspects of the music the band plays.
“There are tunes that are associated with certain historical events that we make sure that we let people know why these tunes were written and when they were written,” he said. “Many people in our band come from that heritage of Scottish-Indigenous heritage, and they’re growing their knowledge of not only their Métis history but the Scottish history as well.”
Schindler said the band is looking for players of all sorts, but he said he especially encourages those interested in drums to inquire because there has been a shortage of drummers in the province in recent years.
Drum major Ron Bedard joined the band in February after taking a break from playing with pipe bands for about 20 years. He highlighted the transferable skills of drums to other instruments and styles of music.
“All instruments have a rhythmic element to them, so we will teach that, we teach the rhythm, we teach the timing, we work on the groove,” Bedard said. “There’s a lot of elements that can carry over to all instruments.”
People of all ages are welcome to play in the band. While current members range from 10 years old to into their 60s, Bedard said most of them are older adults.
“Older players are interesting to work with in that they’re not as easy to teach as younger people. They have developed habits over the years, and they’re pretty steadfast in their ways,” Bedard said. “But they’re open minded and willing to learn, so they are actually accomplishing things that they never did before. It’s extremely rewarding as an instructor.”
Those interested in learning more about or joining the band can attend the open house on September 30. For those who can’t make it, the band can be reached by email at clandeboyepipeband@gmail.com or on Facebook by searching for the group “Clandeboye Pipe Band.”
