Hello, My name is Christian Shackleton. I have been playing the uilleann pipes for 6 years now and the war pipes for 8. I am a college student attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and majoring in anthropology. Currently, I am enrolled in an anthropology project class where I have chosen to write a paper about the uilleann piping community. My thesis, which will be the only graded assignment for the class, focuses on specific aspects of the piping community, namely reed making. I am trying to gather some short answers/opinions for the questions I have posted below. Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated! Please copy & paste the questions you intend to answer into your reply to help me keep the information sorted. This post is intended to help me gather methodologies that seem influential to the piping community and is not in any way intended for commercial basis.
-In your opinion, of the several resources which can aid in the development of an aspiring reed maker, which would you assume is the most used, and the most useful?
-If you are a piper, how dedicated are you about attending reed making workshops? Would there be any reasons for attending some and not others?
-Do you make your own reeds, or do you purchase them?
-Have you ever constructed tools to help aid in the reed making process?
-Do you believe that there is a relationship between the people that choose to learn the instrument (Uilleann pipes) and their heritage? (i.e. Do you feel that piping students, on average, are more often of Irish descent?)
Hi Christian, As a first-time poster here, you may have even better luck if you identify your university affiliation (U. of Louisiana, Lafayette?), and include an abstract of your project (term paper? dissertation?), a brief description of your own involvement in piping and reedmaking, and a reassurance that there is no commercial purpose involved.
I am somewhat dismayed at that fact that I am having difficulties getting these questions answered. If some one might have an opinion of something that I could change that might be more inspiring to answer these questions…I’m all ears!
Your questions seem mostly unrelated to your stated objective of defining the community of uilleann pipers. Has you professor / tutur reviewed your project proposal and methodology?
-In your opinion, out of the several resources which can aid in the development of a successful reed maker, which would you assume to be the most used and most useful?
Direct instruction from an experienced reedmaker
-How dedicated would you be to attend a reed making workshop?I try to make it to at least one annually Would there be reason of attending some and not others?The usual suspects: Schedule conflicts, distance ,expense. The reedmaker’s reputation would not influence my decsion to attend as each reedmaker has a great deal to offer.
-Do you make your own reeds or do you purchase them?
Yes
-Have you constructed any tools to help aid in reed making?
Yes, as I have witnessed many different methods I have found that some of the tools suit my evolving method more than others
-Do you believe that there is a relationship between the instrument (the Uilleann pipes) and heritage, distinctly of Irish descent?
I love my pipes. The only Irish ancester that I have that I know of is a great-great-grandfather which makes me 1/32 Irish.
hey Simon, the questions I have posted are related to only a portion of my project. I believe that readers of this post would be more likely to answer these questions if they did not have to dig through a lengthy explanation. Thank you for pointing this out and I have revised my post to take that into consideration. Hey Simon, play pipes? Could you answer my questions?
If anyone is interested knowing more about my project, to either help you answer the questions or for your own personal interest, I will not hesitate to post it up.
Hi Christian, I´ve played the pipes for about three years now and I´m a still amateur pipemaker, I´ve decided to post my answers ´cause it will give you a different point of view as an isolated piper in Argentina with no Irish heritage and it could be interesting to have a black sheep in your research work.
-In your opinion, of the several resources which can aid in the development of an aspiring reed maker, which would you assume is the most used, and the most useful?
-If you are a piper, how dedicated are you about attending reed making workshops? Would there be any reasons for attending some and not others? The only reason for not attending reedmaking workshops is the distance/money fact, every workshop is worthy to pay attention to.
-Do you make your own reeds, or do you purchase them? I make my own reeds
-Have you ever constructed tools to help aid in the reed making process?
I´ve constructed every tool with exception of chisels and gouges.
-Do you believe that there is a relationship between the people that choose to learn the instrument (Uilleann pipes) and their heritage? (i.e. Do you feel that piping students, on average, are more often of Irish descent?)
I don´t completely believe in heritage, I believe in background. If you are an Irish descent you have more possibilities to get in touch or to hear a set of pipes. I´ll complete this with another question, How many people would play UP in Argentina if anyone could hear at least one from six years old on?
*In your opinion, of the several resources which can aid in the development of an aspiring reed maker, which would you assume is the most used, and the most useful?
— The most used resource is undoubtedly books. There are several very detailed books on the market that are full of useful details. Still one needs to learn from a live teacher.
*If you are a piper, how dedicated are you about attending reed making workshops? Would there be any reasons for attending some and not others?
------Even though I am a reed maker myself and have been so for over 35 years, I still attend workshops of good reed makers when I can. One can always learn.
*Do you make your own reeds, or do you purchase them?
---- I make my own
*Have you ever constructed tools to help aid in the reed making process? —Yes. I have several gouging devices, wedging and sanding tools that I have designed myself.
*Do you believe that there is a relationship between the people that choose to learn the instrument (Uilleann pipes) and their heritage? (i.e. Do you feel that piping students, on average, are more often of Irish descent?)
---- There are many more non Irish musicians and music lovers that there are those of Irish decent; and that includes the pipes.
That last line is rather confusing to me Pat - I can’t figure out if you mean non Irish Irish trad musicians or just musicians who are not Irish who quite like Irish music or what, and how do you mean that includes the pipes? If you mean that there are many more Irish trad musicians of non Irish descent than there are of Irish descent, how do you come by that notion - you sound very sure of it.
-In your opinion, of the several resources which can aid in the development of an aspiring reed maker, which would you assume is the most used, and the most useful?
Most used resource is books, closely followed by the internet with personal instruction in third place. The most useful is personal instruction.
-If you are a piper, how dedicated are you about attending reed making workshops? Would there be any reasons for attending some and not others?
Proximity to a workshop would be the main criterion for me.
-Do you make your own reeds, or do you purchase them?
I make my own.
-Have you ever constructed tools to help aid in the reed making process?
No.
-Do you believe that there is a relationship between the people that choose to learn the instrument (Uilleann pipes) and their heritage? (i.e. Do you feel that piping students, on average, are more often of Irish descent?)
To a small extent, yes. Specifically, in the playing of slow airs, some knowledge of the Irish language helps in learning to phrase a slow air. Most Irish people have some of the Irish language. Other than that, I wouldn’t see much of a difference based on ancestry.
a)In your opinion, of the several resources which can aid in the development of an aspiring reed maker, which would you assume is the most used, and the most useful? aa)The internet, as there is instant and plentiful references to many different reedmakers.
b)If you are a piper, how dedicated are you about attending reed making workshops? Would there be any reasons for attending some and not others? ba)I am not dedicated to attending anything.If I am making reeds I am happy with then that is ok.I might go to a class out of curiousity but have not done so yet.
c)Do you make your own reeds, or do you purchase them? ca)Both, I make and purchase.
d)Have you ever constructed tools to help aid in the reed making process? da)A template for reeds and a winder a mandrel a shooting block and a sanding block.
e)Do you believe that there is a relationship between the people that choose to learn the instrument (Uilleann pipes) and their heritage? (i.e. Do you feel that piping students, on average, are more often of Irish descent?) ea) I have no idea what the figures are so cannot be definitive.However most of the finest pipers alive and in the past are Irish,or have immersed themselves in Irish culture either by living there or by at least visiting there.That should tell ye something.
Im posting only because uilliam did,
and hopefully to also blow your curve
hahahahhaha.
-In your opinion, of the several resources which can aid in the development of an aspiring reed maker, which would you assume is the most used, and the most useful?
most USED books, videos, internet, email etc. The most USEFUL is sitting down with the instruments maker and wheedling his methods out of him over numerous alcoholic beverages, and carefully planned bribery and/or blackmail.
-If you are a piper, how dedicated are you about attending reed making workshops? Would there be any reasons for attending some and not others? 50/50, and yes. depends on WHO is holding a wkshp
-Do you make your own reeds, or do you purchase them? have done both, but ive given up trying to do it myself these days…just too busy.
-Have you ever constructed tools to help aid in the reed making process?yes, and no.
-Do you believe that there is a relationship between the people that choose to learn the instrument (Uilleann pipes) and their heritage? (i.e. Do you feel that piping students, on average, are more often of Irish descent?)does not matter where it came from if it sepaks to your soul , HOWEVER, those exposed to ITM as a part of their early childhood musical growth will be closer in touch with the instrumetn’s voice and origins then adult learners, no matter how talented or dedicated.imo
hey are you going to credit us all in your bibliography???
I thank all the people who have given their opinion. As to the last question asked by CHasR, I will be citing usernames within my bibliography. If anyone would be apposed to this I do not mind leaving your post out of my work. I thank you once again.
Christian
