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Many thanks for your interest in the Balmoral Piping and Drumming
Schools. If you will provide your mailing address, I will send you the
information on the upcoming sessions and we will include you on our mailing
list to receive the new brochure. See the upcoming sessions page for dates
coming up, or just past.
The Balmoral Schools were established in 1978, and we have sponsored
summer sessions in piping since that time as a non-profit, tax-exempt educational
corporation. Our goal is to encourage world-class quality of instruction
in piping and drumming whenever possible. We emphasize good tone, clean
playing, and the development of repertoire. The administrative guidelines
and the campus facilities of the universities we work with are very supportive
for a relaxed, focused and successful educational experience.
The Balmoral School accepts students of all ages, gender, regardless
of race or ethnic origin, with the school sessions consisting of mostly
adults between 25 and 50 years, with about as many senior citizens (20%)
as teenagers. The gender distribution is usually one-third female and two-thirds
male. Beginners usually make up a third, intermediate students a third,
and advanced players a third of the student population.
The Balmoral School instructors emphasize the traditional music of the
pipes, and we work within this repertoire to develop students' abilities.
We believe that the traditional techniques developed for the pipes over
the centuries are time-proven methods for producing musical results whatever
music is being played on the instrument. As in classical, jazz, or other
beginner music courses, our beginner course focuses on the correct movement
of the fingers, and covers the rudiments of music such as tone, tuning,
rhythm, and expression.
Small group instruction and attention to individual needs are essential
elements of the Balmoral Schools. Our instructors have many years of experience
teaching pipers and drummers from beginner to advanced levels of expertise.
The daily routine of the sessions usually consist of two one-hour classes
each day: One in the morning and one in the afternoon, in small groups
of a maximum of six students. Off-class daily hours are generally used
to study and prepare for the lessons of the next class. During the evenings
there are scheduled workshops on reeds, bagpipe maintenance, and other
topics, as well as recitals by instructors and students. Tape recording
of lessons and instructor recitals is permitted if done unobtrusively.
Students should plan to arrive between 12:30 and 2:00pm on Sunday. During
the remainder of the afternoon the school’s instructors meet with each
student individually to discuss his or her piping /drumming skills/experience
and to hear a tune or two on the practice chanter or practice pad. At the
end of these interviews, students will be grouped into classes. After dinner
and orientation, classes will begin on Sunday evening. Students usually
depart the campus on Friday afternoon (the last classes finish by noon
on Friday).
Since you indicated that you may be a beginner, I would like
to briefly describe what you get yourself into when learning this ancient
and fascinating instrument.
First of all, I must point out that it is not a particularly easy instrument
to play. However, we believe that anyone can learn to play the pipes who
has the following: A) The self-motivation, B) the ability to count steadily,
C) a minimum of 30 minutes a day of practice, and D) a good teacher.
One begins his or her learning of the pipes with a quiet instrument
called the practice chanter. This instrument is what all pipers learn on,
whether a beginner just getting control of the fingers or an advanced player
learning new tunes or refining existing tunes. As with the pipes themselves,
it is a reed instrument, and has the same number of finger holes as the
melody pipe or chanter of the bagpipes. However, you blow directly into
the practice chanter rather than into a bag, and the volume is much, much
less. In other words, we can quietly learn the correct fingering of pipe
music without blowing hard and making a lot of terrible noises. I also
need to point out that the fingering itself is specialized , and unique
to the instrument. It is highly advisable for learners to work with a qualified
instructor. Otherwise it is easy to pick up bad habits, making it impossible
to play good music.
After the student has memorized about 5 or 6 tunes on the practice chanter,
and plays them correctly, the time is reached to start making the transition
to the pipes. This point is usually reached after 3-6 months of weekly
or biweekly lessons on the practice chanter. The reason for the delay in
starting on the great pipes is because there are so many other things besides
moving the fingers that must be done, such as blowing harder, squeezing
the bag, and coordinating these two activities so that the pressure of
one equals the pressure of the other. The beginner has too many things
to do at once if he or she is trying to learn the music at the same time
as these other functions. The practice chanter allows us to control our
fingers and learn the music first, before we try to coordinate the squeezing
and blowing needed for the bagpipes. In summary, wisdom dictates that for
best results we must learn one thing at a time, a proposition that is true
not only for bagpipes but for most endeavors.
I should also point out that the Balmoral Piping School sessions are
excellent opportunities for making the transition from the practice chanter
to the full set of pipes, a change that few people are able to bring about
quickly or easily. Within the positive learning environment of the Balmoral
Schools, questions can be answered, individualized tips for improvement
obtained, and progress achieved in the least amount of time possible. In
fact, our slogan is: Achieve More in Two Weeks than in Twelve Months of
Weekly Lessons. Many of our students return for several years or more because
they know the truth behind this slogan.
A major feature of the practice chanter is that it represents much less
of an investment than the Great Highland pipes: between $80 and $180, depending
on the quality of the materials used in its construction (ie. Delrin, a
synthetic, dense material vs. African Blackwood or Grenadilla, the wood
from which other expensive woodwinds like oboes or bassoons are constructed).
So, this investment, coupled with $20 or so for an instruction book, is
what is needed to start finding out if the bagpipe is the instrument for
you. Full sets of new Highland pipes start at around $850, although occasionally
used sets can be found for about half this much. Also, beware of cheap
sets of pipes made of totally inferior materials. Most of these can be
identified by their weight and inferior craftsmanship: they are a lot lighter
in weight than the sets made of quality materials, and you can identify
shoddy craftsmanship by examining the inside of the drone and chanter bores
for unpolished roughness.
We can try to help you find an instructor in your area, using our database
of pipers across the USA. If this is not possible, the second best route
is probably to purchase a video or audio tape that goes along with the
written tutor book. In either case the Balmoral Piping School sessions
can be an excellent, intensive learning time each year to supplement your
regular learning routine. We are committed to individualized instruction
in small groups with a normal class size of five students. We accept beginners
who have no experience, but we must request that they attend for two weeks.
Experience tells us that novice students need the time that the second
week provides in order to learn proper fingering and technique.
Practice chanters and other piping supplies can be purchased from the
Balmoral School or from various suppliers in this country.
If you would like accelerated learning from some of the world's very
best piping instructors and performers, please do consider the Balmoral
School of Piping. We'll help you learn to play a wonderful instrument that
deserves more good players.
ADMISSION POLICY
Students accepted for the Balmoral School sessions
are expected to be highly motivated and self-disciplined. We accept students
under 21 years of age who are self-directed and require little supervision.
Adult chaperones are assigned to students under 21. Students 12 years or
younger must be accompanied by a parent or designated adult. All applicants
must sign the honor code pledge found at the bottom of the registration
form. A minimum $100 deposit (non-refundable) is required for registration.
Balance is due upon arrival at the session. A confirmation letter and statement
of balance due will be sent upon receipt of deposit.
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