The Great Highland Bagpipe is one of the most recognizable and soul-stirring instruments in the world. Highland Bagpipes have been a fixture in many different arenas from memorial services and weddings to the lore of their use on the battlefield. As pipers, we are often asked many questions when out playing, the most frequently asked being “Are those hard to play?” This presentation will focus on a narrative journey of becoming a piper, connect with the history and evolution of the instrument, its music, its mechanics, and engage with the world of pipe bands and pipe band competition. Much of this presentation will draw from the unique and engaging piping journey of Ron ‘Ringo’ Bowen and his more than 50 years of piping experience.
Ron Bowen is a recognized authority on the Great Highland Bagpipe worldwide. He has over a half century of piping experience including with top competition bands in Canada. He has authored three different bagpipe-focused books: The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method, The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Tune Book (which includes fifty original compositions written by Ron Bowen), and Care and Maintenance of the Great Highland Bagpipe. He is a bagpipe instructor and has taught hundreds of students worldwide.