some "pro" questions

Uilleann Pipes
1

I just played my grandfather’s funeral. It was simple to do, and I had done once before. I started with Amazing Grace, and would alternate with Nearer My God to Thee, Psalm 42, The Parting Glass, and Mo Ghíle Mear. This was interesting as this was my Italian grandfather, but hey, my dad’s side got to see and hear something they may never see again, and besides, he was a musician and this was my special tribute to him.

I’ve never really been at a loss for what to do at funerals as the sets basically write themselves. The day after the funeral, however, I had a wedding (preludes and afterwards…not the ceremony itself). Now, things seemed to go fine, as I only had one request for a specific song and he also requested that I not play any church music (about 1/3 of my repertoire). I basically just ran through all the slow airs that i knew about two minutes each, especially the shorter ones.

My first question is this: any advice for doing weddings and more demanding stuff like that?

After the wedding, I took a friend to dinner at a fancy restaurant. I was there in my tux with tails and white vest and bowtie so needless to say, I stood out. In addition, it was raining so I didn’t want to leave the pipes in the car (and of course that case I’ve got is friggin HUGE). So everybody at the restaurant (staffwise) was asking me what I played. Now they’re thinking of hiring me to play there once a week.

My second question: any advice for doing more demanding gigs like restaurants or receptions (where you have to fill, say, two hours)? 15 min sets? 20? How many songs should you play before repeating any?

My third question: how much should I charge the restaurant (a fancy one in North Jersey) if they hire me to play once a week for say three months? It’s about an hour from home, and I will need to learn more songs. I charged the wedding people $175 for their event about the same distance away, but there’s a big difference between $175 for a wedding event and doing the same for a regular gig at a restaurant (basically being paid $100 an hour). I don’t know what to ask for for such a gig. I want it to be worth my time, but I don’t want to ask for so much that it scares them off. How much to violinists and harpists get for regular restaurant gigs?

2

My Irish band played for about 5 wedding ceremonies this summer, four of them included a couple hours playing for receptions..including dance.

For the ceremony, we mostly play O’Carolan stuff, and by request will learn the brides choice. She often has an alternate musician, like a vocalist during the ceremony. We typically play a 30 min. prelude, selections for bridesmiads and/or groomsmen, brides processional-tune of choice (we even learned “There is Love” for the last wedding. Makes a nice pipe tune). Then we speed things up for the recessional/postlude and heat things up for the reception. Although, occasionally I get a harpist to help if elegant mellow reception music is desired.

For three of us, we charge $500 for these typical weddings (harpist is extra). The two Funerals we’ve done, it was by volunteer donation…last one they slipped us 3 one hundred dollar bills. We play at churches for free frequently, 6/8 hymns out of books like the Ould Irish Hymnal, we even found a 9/8 one in there. And yes, “Amazing Grass” is always a good one. Amazing what variations you can get on the U-Pipes…harmony notes on the regs and sustaining chords, along with alternative melody arrangements (with vibrato) that go higher into the 2nd octave. A few weekends ago, our band traveled to central Oregon for an all-service concert (and none of us are even slightly religious :smiley: ). One jig that we particularly enjoy is “All things Now Living” -right out of most hymnals.

For bars, pubs, St. Patrick’s Day, etc., we charge the same for two hours but always get the side benefit of dinner and free drinks. :smiley:

Try not to repeat any within two hours.

3

Thanks. I would think, tho, that there’s a big difference between a band playing and a single piper. A band can trade off who’s leading in a song from one to the next to “mix it up.” I really don’t know how long people can listen to an unaccompanied piper at a stretch.

I do know a harpist, tho, and am learning myself…

4

Bring along a low whistle or flute… they can sound great in these situations.

Patrick.