There is no doubt that the sound of pipes and ITM in general is changing as time goes by. For want of a better explanation its like the music is getting cleaned up in regards to intonation and tone and maybe style , to me it sound s as if its heading away from tradition and more “modern “ influenced . First of all do you agree, and if so whats driving the change?
RORY
I was mulling this one over the other day myself, definitely feels like there is are two groups to me, New Trad and Trad Trad. Or maybe it could just be defined as a Studio Trad and Kitchen Trad?!
Kitchen trad. 
Who would you say are at the forefront of the changing style? Pipers like John McSherry and Jarlath Henderson?
My own theory which of course is open to dispute is that ITM is getting more influenced by modern non-tradition music such as rock and pop music and a more non –traditionally educated audience.
Fifty or sixty years ago when ITM was nearly exclusively played in Ireland and when there was not as much recorded music around, the only outside influences were travelling musicians with different regional styles of ITM, but still ITM. Nowadays young trad musicians are bombarded with music from everywhere and this ever so slightly infiltrates their playing ,hardly perceivable but cumulative.
Audiences that are brought up on a diet of pop and rock or whatever ,who ears are used to equal temperament scales and rhythms outside ITM want a music that they still call ITM but has influences that they recognise that maybe a ITM musician from sixty years might not.
RORY
Very good topic Rory.
It’s changing alright. Piping styles are becoming more polished and even sanitized maybe?
I think a lot of is due to the amount of influences pipers are exposed to nowadays. For example, a piper in 1900 would have had some regular lessons and not much exposure to other piping styles during their development. By the time they got to hear other players their style of playing would have been well established and not prone change much.
So pipers of that era that we have recordings of, P Touhey, James Ennis, B Delaney, D Delaney, Mici Cumbaw, etc all had very distinctive personal styles largely due to limited exposure to other players.
Nowadays we can listen to hundreds of pipers at will and most pipers today have had lessons with several pipers and picked various elements of technique form all those players. Not to mention flute, fiddle, concertina, etc. players influences too.
Even if you listen to early recordings of tenor sax or electric guitar you can hear distinctive styles that you don’t hear that much nowadays too.
Who would you say are at the forefront of the changing style? Pipers like John McSherry and Jarlath Henderson?
I’d say that goes back to Leo Rowsome from his vast influences as a teacher and his recordings.
Also access to better pipes and reeds today mean that pipers can actually do some practice without hardship so they can work on polishing these stylistic influences.
My 2c
Tommy
Audiences that are brought up on a diet of pop and rock or whatever ,who ears are used to equal temperament scales and rhythms outside ITM want a music that they still call ITM but has influences that they recognise that maybe a ITM musician from sixty years might not.
Very true.
I would agree its a cumulative effect rather than one or two individuals. And as Tommy said, it is all about influence, the range of influences we are exposed to, even just within the tradition, is massive now. That might lead to more people wanting to play like modern pipers I suppose, but is that a bad thing really? I don’t think so.
Some of the pipers we look back at, and hold up as examples of the tradition, where just as influenced by their times and surroundings. Doran was a working musician who adapted/developed his style playing for people in the street. He performed in a way that entertained and earned him money. Touhey had a style that endured him to music hall crowds, the pop entrainment of his day! Both were masters of the instrument, but probably slightly different sounding to the master pipers before them.
Its probably something that happens in cycles, and repeats through history. The changing of the guard! Maybe we are just at that moment again now.
I think that one reason I like Éanna Ó Cróinín’s album Ceol Ársa na bPiob and Joey Abarta’s album Swimming Against the Falls so much is that both convey more of that “kitchen sound” or whatever you want to call it (“the groan and grunts of steel, wood and leather”). In the notes of the first CD Mikie Smyth wrote:
“There are two main issues at play with this album. Firstly the music and the arrangements are superbly delivered. However the second component is the fresh rawness of the recording. Smyth comments on “the groan and grunts of steel, wood and leather impeccably controlled by a young master” On this point his well chosen words hit the mark. Recording solo albums can be a risky business indeed and the decision to leave in the “grunt and groan” described above, lifts the recording onto another plain. Other squeaks and imperfections exist and they likewise have not been digitally cleaned up. Separate tracks have not been used for the drones, regulators or chanter and the sound of the bellows and foot tapping have been likewise retained bringing us back very much to the old recordings of Ennis and Clancy. The resultant recording captures the true essence and spirit of the instrument and the art. The tracks are well chosen with a mix of well known and lesser known tunes. Even though you may not be the type that sits around listening to solo piping albums too often, for this you may make an exception. Put on your headphones and use it as a moment to savour the sheer beauty of uilleann pipes as they should be heard. Listen to The Lady’s Cup of Tea set for example. A degree in music is not required - just an ear and a smile.”
Great stuff.
Apology redacted, forget it
An awful lot of musicians anymore sound like they’re playing in a session or a group, even on their own. Ensemble playing swamps any kind of other influence I think. We strive to blend into what the group as a whole are playing, lowering ourselves to the common denominator of lesser instruments, ahem. 
Scratchy fiddles, squeaky whistles, all to the beat set down by drums and guitars. In an environment like that you won’t see too many Tommy Recks develop an instantly recognizable style, unless they’re very definite personalities like Joey or Mikie, who I can recognize after the first bar.
Would you-guys say that the old traditional way of playing is staying preserved?
Yes. There are lots of great pipers scattered all over the world that hold on to a great style of playing. People like Joey, as already mentioned, Dickie Deegan, Donncha Dwyer, Seamus O’Rochain to name a few. There’s a skip load of young Mulligans, Dorans, Rowsomes, playing quality traditional piping not to mention the dozens of NPU students.
No danger of anything being lost at all.
Tommy
I find it’s a case of being adaptable.
When playing solo I like it to sound ‘like pipes’ with nice tight playing, conservative ornamentation, bounce in rhythm. Drones & regs.
In ensemble playing this style can clash. Id go for a more contemporary approach, fit more of the rhythm of the group/backing, leave space for other musicians to occupy, use more open and complementary ornamentation such as big legato runs, counter melodies, octave playing, multiple rolls.
It’s worth changing your style of playing based on circumstance.
A good example of a modern piper who does this would be Ronan Browne, with his solo/duet work compared with group stuff like Cran.
Or even listen to Paddy Keenans stark first solo record in comparison to the Bothy Band.
It’s these kind of observations that have pushed piping into the near sanitized direction. I’ve never heard that observation bestowed on Ennis or Clancy, and yet there are more than a few places where those things happen. This is not a comment on Joey’s playing, but an overall observation on the observation itself!!! Grit is where it’s at for me…. honest playing.
I wasn’t ‘dissing’ his playing. I guess I should have said that’s part of why I liked it. Besides I wasn’t listening for any squeaks or squeals, but the over all playing!
You know, I try to be nice here, and all you ever do is respond to me back in a rather harsh manner … Why is it that you always single me out? What did I ever do to you!? Almost every response in the past that you have said to me, it’s always abrasive and/or cheeky. I’m only a beginner here, of course I will make mistakes! Sheesh…
I’m going to step way out on a limb. I’ll probably voice what lots of people think (?) Being a beginner is great! Hats off to you for taking the plunge. This is a tough road and rewarding journey that’s open to all. Beginners could be doing way more listening than proclaiming. A master Irish traditional musician once told me, “Be a fly on the wall. Observe, decipher, consider, ponder, discover, question, and then do it all again, forever.”
Words to live by!
Couldn’t disagree more with this!!
Don’t be that fly on the wall, get in there with all the other flies…
I could extend the analogy but it might get tasteless 
Yes, do all that good stuff as well, observing etc but proclaim on internet discussion sites (be respectful, moderators will tell you if you go too far) and elsewhere all you want.
I personally find the opinions of newer players can be enlightening.
When you are deep inside the box, someone sticking their head in and making a comment can stop you sealing the lid behind you.
David
The fellow who got me started with the pipes mostly played the Scottish instrument, and introduced me to the concept of “crossing noises,” which are pretty much what they sound like - going from note to note with some inadvertent sounds on the way. In Scottish piping this is frowned upon and thoroughly ironed out of players in their formative stages - IIRC! Correct me if I’m off the mark here, I’m not really all that familiar with how military style piping instruction works.
Anyway, as my friend pointed out, you hear no end of these noises in the playing of Clancy, Ennis, etc. Even “cleaner” or more “professional” pipers like Rowsome or Touhey would display them from time to time. This guy was a fan of all of these, I should mention. At some point it occurred to me that “crossing noises” were just part of their sound, especially Willie’s. Hearing an old tape of his protege or biggest fan Sean McKiernan was illuminating here, too; Sean sounded much like Willie in tone, timing, ornaments, settings, but laid on the “sloppy fingering” even thicker. In fact in the decades since he’s cleaned up his fingering a bit. None of this is a criticism in any way, if anybody’s going there. It’s part of what gives these player’s music real personality, possibly at the expense of its dancability factor, I suppose.
These aren’t exactly “squeaks” necessarily, but it’s a related phenomenon. The odd squeak may or may not be a part of it. A friend of mine who took up the pipes at the beginning of the 80s has a distinctly “squeaky” style, I can always recognize it when I hear it.
Apology taken back, forget it