Hello,
We had a tremendously successful first meeting of the Chicago Pipers’ Club at the end of March, with sixteen attendees–a fantastic and most encouraging turnout. Pat Broaders and I laid out what we saw as our preliminary aim in getting the club going: hanging around with and among pipers. Pat Cannady generously gave of his time to teach a tune or two, while Kevin Henry, Pat, and I tried to troubleshoot some ill-behaved reeds, leaky bags, and dodgy bellows. We will try to see to it that at future meetings pipers get some one-on-one attention to playing or maintenance issues.
We have scheduled our next meeting for Sunday, April 27th, at 3pm, at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Avenue in Chicago. We hope that everyone can make it.
Also, Pat and I are trying to schedule a reedmaking clinic with Tommy Martin, the Dublin piper and reedmaker now living just a stone’s throw away in St. Louis. If you would be interested in such an event, please email me at kjpohare@gmail.com. Include in your email whether you would be up for an all-day Saturday workshop at some point in the (not-so-distant) future, and we’ll try to set one up. Let me know!
Best regards,
Kieran O’Hare