If you need a bagpiper for your event, feel free to send me an e-mail, or contact me at home at 513-535-9828.

For more information about piping services, check out the Cincinnati Bagpiper’s website.

I have Some other nice pictures of me piping in my Bagpiping Picture Gallery

Overview of Mike’s Piping

“Hi, and thanks for coming by my little blurb about my bagpiping. I started piping in 1998. I was very lucky to have had the instruction of some of today's premier players and teachers. I've invested a great deal of time to achieve what I have so far, and I’ll share just a bit about my work in the Piping community here in Cincinnati.

I’m Pipe Major of the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums Grade 4 Competition unit. This means I provide musical leadership to the Caledonian pipe band with specific regards to the competition subgroup. I enjoy the role but it does cut in on building up my solo career.

Here’s a partial history of my solo work:

Solo Piping Results, 2002

 * Arkansas Scottish Festival, Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
  First Place Solo Piobaireachd! Grade Three Solo Piobaireachd! Full submitted tune: The Boat Tune. Click here to see the official results announcements. Scroll down to the "Grade 3" section and you'll find this win located under the "Piobaireachd" section.

 * Ligonier Highland Games, Ligonier, PA
Middle of the pack in the 2/4 March event. 5th place in Piobaireachd, again playing the Boat Tune. The Judge loved my new bagpipe.

Solo Piping Results, Summer 2001

 * Arkansas Scottish Festival, Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
  Third Place Solo Piobaireachd! Grade Three (Equivalent to Intermediate MWPBA) Solo Piobaireachd! Full submitted tune: Clan Campbell's Gathering
 * Ligonier Highland Games, Ligonier, PA
  9th Place in the march against a field of 25, judge wrote, "Best pipe I've heard all day." 6th place in Piobaireachd, Clan Cambell's Gathering.
 

Solo Piping Results, Summer 2000

 * Kentucky Scottish Games: Carrolton, Kentucky.
  Disqualified: I discovered as I walked in, that no Field Registration was allowed at this games. I've vowed to never allow this happen again.
 * Glasgow Highland Games: Glasgow, Kentucky.
  Grade 4 Senior Piper Of The Day!!! I'm very happy about this!!!!
  First Place, Piobaireachd(Urlar): "Clan Campbell's Gathering"(Ground only)
  7th place, 2/4 March: Duncan McInnis
  Number of Competitors: 20-25
 * Ohio Scottish Games: Oberlin, Ohio
  Competed in Piobaireachd and the 2/4 March
  Number of Competitors: 30-40
 * Indiana Highland Games: Ft. Wayne, In
  Decided 2 days before the games to go. Competed only with Grade 5 band, we finished 3rd.
 

Music I Enjoy
There are various aspects of bagpipe music that I like. Most dear to me is a form of music completely unique to Scotland, known as Piobaireachd.

Piobaireachd is a very powerful and subtle art form. Much of my practice is spent on Piobaireachd.

It was originally taught orally, in a musical language known as Cantairreachd. Each phrase was sung by the teacher and sung in response by the student until the student knew the tune from deep within.

Then there is the Light music, in which category almost everything else falls. I've been drawn to Jigs lately ... playing jigs and reels are kind of like gymnastics for the fingers. I like the 'minor' sounding jigs and reels, and I really have grown to like soulful marches. Marches are actually harder and more subtle in expression than many other types of tunes one can play.

Instructors/Instruction

I've attended Oberlin's Ohio School of Scottish Arts in 2000, '01, '02, and ‘03. I was honored to recieve the Bob Callendar Scholarship my first year in attendance. I'm absolutely thrilled to have had these experiences. It's deeply enriched my piping, and I'm still working on what I've learned in each of those short week long sessions. Many top pipers are there, and I spend nearly all my time following them around and learning as much as I could.

I've studied Piobaireachd under Iain Macey, Reay Mackay, George Lumsden, Greg Abbot, and Jimmy Bell.

I am able to teach the basics of the instrument to willing students, and I really enjoy seeing progress as they improve.

Instrument
I currently play David Naill DN4 pipes, with a Gannaway bag, EZ drones and one Selbie in the middle tenor. Its like an italian sports car... nothing like a Naill, but it does have some particulars as far as its reeding. My favorite solo chanter is certainly the Naill, although I’ve had good times with Gibson chanters also.

Activities

As I mentioned above, I’m pipe major of the Cincinnati Caledonian Grade 4 Competition unit. We play locally in the Cincinnati area and regionally in pipe band contests throughout the Eastern half of the US.