Make Music Clatsop County

A Pipe and a Pan

My main instrument has always been the Great Highland bagpipe, but for the last two years, I’ve also been playing the Caribbean steel pan. The two instruments are quite different in many ways, but both seem to attract listeners with their distinctive sounds. My history with the Highland bagpipes includes many years as a solo competitor and playing with pipe bands at various highland games on the east coast and in Canada. Now, as I play for indoor performances, I find my Blair smallpipes to be a great fit with their ability to control the volume while still bringing a bit of Scotland to Astoria. One of the biggest surprises and challenges I’ve had learning the steel pan is that it has 29 notes while my pipes have 9. My musical interests with the pan include the work of Caribbean, Soca, and Reggae artists, as well as, unexpected popular music adapted to the pan.