This concurs with my own experience in playing sessions with other, non-piping musicians, which I do three or four nights a week at times, with boxes present most of the time. Sometimes I’m right on, sometimes not, it just depends on the weather, the number of bodies in the room, whether or not the AC or central heating is cranked up, etc. I’m on or very close most of the time, thank heavens.
Many box players do not get their instruments tuned as often as they should, so they could be way off of A=440, fiddle strings tend to stretch while being played, flutes and whistles go sharp the more they are played, too, so don’t let everyone point their fingers at you telling you that you have to adjust to them.
I would add that this is not an excuse to get precious about your instrument. Your intonation needs to be as correct as possible and I have had to resort to rushes, tape, etc. on more than one occasion to get everything in tune. There is one fellow I encounter from time to time with a perfectly nice set of pipes from a good maker that has a hideously sharp second octave. Easy to fix but he can’t be bothered. Don’t let that happen to you is all I’m saying.
BTW “antiquated authenticity” rubs me the wrong way. I know djm probably just means he doesn’t want to be a burden on other musicians, but it still bugs me. Part of the beauty (to me) of the instrument is that it’s “antiquated” - non-electric, difficult to play, difficult to maintain. Like any virtuoso instrument with high standards of performance, it separates the serious, dedicated musicians from the people who just like attention, or at least it tends to do that. If you want to appeal to the MTV crowd, for heaven’s sakes don’t play the pipes!
I’d rather get a nice compliment from a knowledgeable musician than the applause of people who don’t play anything at all, although the latter can be gratifying, too, provided the room is mostly sober and polite.
