Just a quick question as to whether the spouses/significant others of pipe players understand why you play this instrument? My spouse wonders why I am interested in learning this loud and non-soothing (to her ears) instrument. I tell her it is so expressive and unique, yet so forlorn and beatiful at the same time? She just does not get it. She does state that my playing is less annoying than it used to be as I have not seen too many moons with this instrument.
See my thread on this same subject. My wife hates the sound the UP makes and will never care for it. But she loves the haunting tunes I play on Low Whistle so its a trade off for me. But I am forever banished to the sunroom when playing the UP.
Good Luck… 
Oh she did make me a bag and blow-pipe cover though.
KD, considering where you could have been banished to (basement, garage, storm cellar, Outer Mongolia) and that she made a cover for your bag, I think that your wife must understand how you feel, even if she doesn’t like the sound of UP.
Dude, this is a real compliment . As you grow even less annoying, maybe she will start to get why you want to play UP.
Borrow a tenor saxophone and have a go at learning that and guaranteed, your spouse/partner whoever, will never complain again. If they think a concert pitch UP set is loud they ain’t heard a sax.
Cheers,
DavidG
First words of the Dahlilama.
“As I was saying”
John S
I stunned my wife the other day when I told her that I might not be playing the pipes today if it were not for her. She shares my view of supporting personal and cultural growth, and understands the ongoing investment that this requires. She has encouraged me to go to tionoil and has juggled the finances so that I could acquire decent equipment. God, there have been a few nervous phone calls from me from some distant tionol that went along these lines:
“um, Honey? I know we are on a tight budget, and I said I would not be buying any more pipe stuff…but there’s this very special chanter for sale here…”
She plays the piano accordion (well!), so knows what it is like to pull out the box at a session and be about as welcomed as the sudden arrival of a mad dog. She knows what it is like to be a musical pariah. (Now, if we could only get our daughter to play banjo).
Before we ever dated, I kept running into her at bagpipe concerts. Eventually I figured it out and married her.
One lucky fecker,
T
Tommy, this is practically the same story as mine. In every musical ambition I have set out upon, ‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’ has been behind me 110%, and then some.
Her generosity of spirit, her words of encouragement, her own fine musicianship (whistle, bodhran, bones, guitar, mandolin and certainly the piano) along with a relaxed grip on the bank book have made it possible for me to explore the muse within myself, where ever they may lead me musically.
I am greatly indebted to my wife and soul mate, whose support and admiration has always been abundant, and whose love is eternal… as is my love for her.
Now, if you’ll pardon me, I need to get a tissue. 
Me too. I’m reaching for the _kleen_ex!
t
I get nothing but great support from my wife. She likes the music and the pipes and provides pretty good, objective and honest feedback when I need it. She also plays piano accordion, mostly at home, and we have some pretty good times working out new tunes and sets around the house. She’ll go to a tionol with me at the drop of a hat and is probably more willing to travel to one than me. Her response when I wanted a new full set: " Get it, You deserve it". Pretty nice gal, I think!
I think I may have got the stamp of approval from my cat today. I’ll preface by saying that I’m just a beginner rife with mistakes, but today she came out from her usual lair in the bedroom and settled into my comfy chair with that eyes-closed smile that cats do. After a while I started in on some little tweak sessions on the chanter reed and tenor drone quill (don’t worry about the chanter reed, it’s reasonably improved), and she got curious and jumped up onto the dining room table to watch. Started playing again, and she payed close attention, and watched my fingers in particular. It seemed as if she liked the sound of the slide-up into Cnat (Bb, really, as I play a C set) and the pippity-poppity stuff. After a while she hunkered down still atop the table and closed her eyes again, smiling. Those of you with cats know a cat smile when you see one.
And you know what? She didn’t even try to steal the strands of dental floss lying about. That’s really unusual.
When they curl up around your feet as you play you know that they are completely in the groove.
djm
Mine’s a major lap-lounger, and will do that when I play the flute or whistle. Pipes being the pipes, a lap is out of the question, so the proximity afforded by the table had to do. What with cats being creatures of near-unbreakable habit, if she ever took up curling around my feet, I’d know for sure I’m getting somewhere!
And Tom, if your wife ever came with her accordion to a session, you can be sure she would have my honest welcome.
I will add that my girls (6 and 8 years of age) like it when I play the pipes. My youngest one says, “I like it when you play the pipes, even though Mommy does not like them so much.” They are good at spotting the sound of the UPs when they hear them in a movie. They both want to learn, but I think that if they may not be ready for the onslaught of frustration. BTW, what is a good age to start?
I remember hearing somewhere that people sometimes start at age 7. I think the younger they are when they start, the easier it will be for them, as long as they are large enough to actually hold the instrument. Not sure though, and not an expert on such things.
Get them onto the whistle first. The pipes when they’re a bit older, 10 or so.
Patrick.
my problem is that my UP doesn’t like my wife : every time I play for her, it scurl, gurgle and crack 
I have the same experience
it takes about 21 years for my wife to be able to enjoy my
playing around.
But I know some woman who like it 
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MEANT TO SPEAK OF THE SUPERFICIAL INSENSITIVE NATURE OF SOME OF US MEN ON OCCASION
HER DIARY
Saturday night I thought he was acting weird. We had made plans to
meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with my friend all day long,
so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no
comment. Conversation wasn’t flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk, he agreed but he kept quiet and absent. I asked him what was wrong he said nothing. I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry.
On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept
driving. I can’t explain his behavior; I don’t know why he didn’t say I love
you too.
When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing
to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched TV He seemed distant and absent. Finally I decided to go to bed, about 10 minutes later he came to bed and to my surprise he responded to my caress and we made love, but I still felt that he was distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else. I decided that I could not take it anymore so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep. I started crying and cried until I too fell asleep. I don’t know what to do. I’m almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.
HIS DIARY
Tough day. Damn reed is too funky today. Must be these preposterous fluctuations in humidity. Couldn’t play a tight triplet to save my ass this morning. Wonder what is taking so long to get that new set of pipes. Got laid though.
It’s as if you reached into our minds, and drew forth the steaming truth!