Dunaber Music

Tip #1: Be There

Not so long ago I was talking to Colin MacLellan. He was telling me (among other things) about one of his fairly recent bagpipe lesson experiences [sorry, CRM, hope this wasn't secret]. Anyway, his story involved bagpipes, teacher, student and iPhone.
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A Canary in a Coal Mine

Anyone who knows me knows my parents are real collectors, especially of interesting old things. My dad ["William Grey" the hornpipe] in particular has an eye that is drawn to the old and quirky – like so many of our best piping judges. And usually his “quirky” finds translate to rarities and bargains galore.
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A Tune in a Canoe

I’ve been inspired, I’ve a new aspiration: to play bagpipes in a canoe. And the inspiration?
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DDD: Signature Tunes

Most musicians have music that is associated with them, either through performance or composition. For the pianist Glenn Gould, for instance, it’s his interpretation of Bach’s “The Goldberg Variations“.
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Score Sheet Freak Out (Trust Your Teacher)

For those of you who live in a part of the world where judges of solo piping competitions provide score or, “crit”(icism), sheets, or some kind of recorded adjudicator performance comment, you may especially relate to this …
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The Secret to Making Good Music: “This Boy Needs More Practice”

Just so there’s no suspense on this one; the secret to making good music is simple: It’s practice.

We’re coming up to the bagpipe competition season and everyone who aims to seriously take part is hard at it trying to make the best music they can.
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It’s Free! Michael Grey Book 5: Music for Everyone

Here you go: my fifth book of music, “Music for Everyone”. First published in 2006.
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Alex MacMillan: It’s a Small World

“It’s a small world” must be one of the most often said bromides in the English language. But, surely for a reason: it is a small world. The top-of-the-small-world-pops in my family belongs to the story of my younger sister and her husband.

Here’s the scoop: After meeting and date number three or so they start talking a little about their families. He says to her something like, “my Mum’s family comes from a little place in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland: Benbecula”. “Yikes”, thinks my sister – or something like that. That’s where my father’s mother comes from!
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The Secret to Finding Good Reeds?

Many of us have always wondered. The truth is out:
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Happy New Year! Keep Right on to the End of the Road

Happy New Year to one and all. Here’s a New Year’s prezzie:
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