The 'Pied Piper' of the Pend Oreille

They say that a photo is worth a thousand words — but this photo is worth a thousand smiles.

The story behind the photo starts with a yard sale in summer 2022, when Bill, a retired professor from Ohio, picked up a cheap set of bagpipes. When he was a child, his family lived in Scotland, and his father played the Great Highland Bagpipes. Bill had always dreamed of playing, so he emailed me at the Albeni Falls Pipes and Drums of North Idaho. Could I help him learn? His family has been coming to North Idaho every summer since his grandparents bought a cabin in the 1950s. I assured him that I would do everything I could, and, If he studied and practiced, he would see his dream fulfilled.

AFP&D was based in Sandpoint when my family joined in 2005. As I learned about my MacKay clan heritage of pipers, I knew that bagpipes were in my blood. The passion to play was as strong as it had been in my teens when I first heard bagpipes, though I wasn't sure about taking up something new in my 50s. The band members, who all had similar journeys, encouraged me to join and taught me to play. Based on my experience, I had no doubt that Bill could be successful. I told him where to buy a practice chanter and how to study online, and reminded him that, once he was back in Ohio, we’d only be an email away.  

Bagpipes are a unique instrument in that once the bag is filled with air, sound flows continuously through the “drones” (long pipes playing a constant note) and the “chanter” (fingered part that plays the melody). Since air is constantly coming out of the bag, the music never stops, so one can’t “tongue” notes like on a woodwind instrument, and one has to insert “embellishments” to differentiate notes. The drones, chanter and embellishment give the bagpipes their distinctive rhythms, harmonies and melodies. 

Bill returned with his practice chanter in spring 2023, and we loaned him a set of bagpipes and a uniform. We had several new pipers-in-training, so we met weekly to practice the band’s tunes. By the time he returned to Ohio in the fall, he left with new-found confidence, knowing a dozen tunes and having marched in three parades (with corked-off bagpipes). Bill’s own bagpipes arrived a few weeks later — a 70th birthday present from his wife — and he set to work, studying online with a piping school, and occasionally emailing for our advice.  

He’s now getting ready for our parade season by taking his pipes out for a stroll along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Every evening, as the drones strike in, a small army of children comes running from every direction and follows him down the road. He sent me that photo that a parent had taken, and I smiled to see the excitement that Bill brought to all of these children by reaching out for HIS dream. He truly is the Pied Piper of Pend Oreille.  

The story shows that you are never too old or too young to pursue a dream of learning to play the pipes or drums. It's thrilling to bring joy and smiles to others, while also fulfilling your own destiny. If you, or someone you know, enjoys bagpipe music, or has played drums with marching bands, or just loved hearing them, please invite them to contact me to join a program this summer that will have them on the road to perform with us next summer. We welcome all ages, and there’s room for other family members who’d just like to carry a banner or flag. We are a family-oriented band and a non-profit organization created to promote the heritage of Scottish pipes and drums. If the desire is there, let us help you make it happen. 

Check out our website at www.albenifalls.org and, at the bottom of the first page, click "contact us" and tell me your story. Give us a chance to help you make it happen for you, as it has for so many others. Learn something that brings your Scottish heritage to life, or just pretend that you have Scottish heritage and come have fun entertaining others with us! It's even more fun when you bring your friends and family along.

 Janelle Starr is the pipe major for the Albeni Falls Pipes and Drums of North Idaho.