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I will probably develop this list a little
more as time goes on. Scroll down for 
questions and answers. But for now here are some of the most commonly asked
questions I receive when people meet me at gigs and whatnot;
Q. How long have you been playing bagpipes?
A. Since 1989... it's been a while...
Q. How much do you charge for an appearance?
A. To be honest for that you will have to contact me for a quote. The price is based on an appearance of 1 to 2 hrs, but after that amount of time, the price will go up a bit. It is also based on WHERE your event is being held. If I have to drive 2 hours to get to your event, rest assured it will cost you more, because it is MY time that is being used to get there and return! All in all I will say my prices are competitive with "going rate" and I guarantee you that you are getting what you pay for. Many guys might charge less, but I say that is their way of doing business, and again... you are getting what you pay for!
Q. Are you Scottish?
A. Partly Scottish I would say, thanks to my great granny who WAS definitely a Scot! She lived half of her life in Jamaica, of all places. I was astounded to discover there is a Saint Andrew's Society down there. Another famous Scot who almost went to Jamaica was Robbie Burns. Imagine how much of his poetry would be in reggae music by now... LOL!
Q. Can you play Amazing Grace?
A. Why yes I can. It is commonly played at funerals, and every now and then I play it at a wedding. It is not really a Scottish tune. "Amazing Grace" is a well-known Christian Hymn. The words were written late in 1772 by Englishman John Newton. They first appeared in print in Newton's Olney Hymns (1779), which he worked on with William Cowper. The melody for this hymn is somewhat older then that and it's origins are assumed to be either Scottish or Irish. In 1972, an instrumental version by the Pipes and Drums and Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards spent five weeks at number one, it also reached the top spot in Australia. The record was a huge success in the UK. In my mind this tune is vastly overplayed but then again, "give the people what they want".
Q. Do you work out?
A. Not nowadays, but when I was a "wee bit" younger my friend from high school and I were meeting 5 days a week. We were pretty fanatical then, but then my friend moved away and I lost my inspiration. My family is a "stocky" folk, and so it didn't take much to build the mass onto this frame. And NO, I have never done steroids, nor will I ever.
Q. Do you play rugby?
A. All these non-musical questions! Ach, no I never did. But many a team has invited me to join them as a prop or some such nonsense, which is kind of a nice compliment.
Q. Do you play any other instruments?
A. When you've played the bagpipes as long as I have you'll see why I say "why would you want to?" The real answer is NO; I never have and I probably never will,
Q. What was your most memorable piping experience over the years?
A. I must say there were a few. The one that strikes me at the moment was in August 2000 playing on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the same file as most of the Pipe Majors of the British Army. It was something that happened every night, 6 times a week, for four weeks, and I must honestly say every night I got a shiver up my spine. Playing in the Edinburgh Tattoo, for me, was the most awesome experience. The city is never as vibrant as it is during the Festival. August brings people from all over the world to this magnificent old city, and to me the magic just culminates in the event that is the Tattoo.
Q. Is that a knife in your sock?
A. Yes but we actually call it a sgian dubh, which in Gaelic means black knife. Everyone thinks that the tradition behind this is that we carry it in our sock because we are all super-soldier tough guy commando types. Though some of us might fit that bill, we in fact are not trying to hide the knife. We are trying to show it to all by wearing it where it is quite visible. Hence our sock. If we were trying to cause problems for someone, the last place we would carry it would be in our sock! This reminds of a story of 3 Westmount guys going to see the film Braveheart decked out in their highland outifits, only to be stopped by the public security, for carrying their sgian dubhs! What would Wallace say at such a lack of respect?
Q. Do you wear boxers under that kilt?
A. Nope! That's really all that needs to be said.
Q. What is worn under the kilt?
A. Well, that is a question I'd like to take the 5th amendment on, but then I realize I am not an American! There is a certain mystique about what is worn under the kilt. Far be it from me to speak for everyone. Some people wear boxers, others wear briefs. Some wear other things a little more risqué, which shall go unmentioned here...! But what do I wear? Well don't ask me, ask my wife! Or look at the picture below...hehehehe! That is NOT me by the way, but a member of the 1st Battalion Black Watch at a ceremony in Hong Kong a few years back. Kilty kilty cold bum!
Q. Can you be a smoker and play the pipes?
A. Sure you can. Many pipers are smokers. It is probably not beneficial to their lung capacity, but that doesn't seem to matter too much. Look at Guy Lafleur, one of the Montreal Canadiens' most famous forwards. (Canadian Ice Hockey) He smoked a pack and a half a day and yet the guy could skate like the wind for 3 periods. I guess youth probably helps. Once you develop the lung capacity to blow a bagpipe, it is pretty much like jumping back on a bike, even after a bit of a break.
Q. Can you play bagpipes when it's freezing cold outside?
A. It's funny how these things only come to mind when you've gone through three weeks of -20 to -40 degree Celsius temperatures. Well all I can say is that we can, but it is not the ideal time to play any instrument outside, esp. not a wind instrument. If it is below freezing I would rather avoid playing outside. It is bad for the instrument and it is bad for the hands. Between 0 and -10 degrees Celsius it is bad, but the "damage" takes a little longer to set in.
Thermal shock can cause the pipes to crack... and repairs are very expensive. The piper's hands are uncovered, so heat loss occurs very quickly, and repeated exposure can lead to numb achy joints. Frostbite is always a real possibility. The piper usually can't even feel his fingers after a few minutes, so playing can become very erratic. Because it is a wind instrument, condensation in the piper's breathing can lead to a very stiff unresponsive reed. If I am playing in subzero temperatures I always try to make sure it is ONE SHOT only. Because normally there is little musical pleasure to be had in any subsequent attempts. It is just the nature of the beast.
The final note is that I do wear the kilt even when playing in subzero temperatures, so any prospective employers should understand that every minute counts when I am standing around outside waiting to play.
Q. Is it true that you were Mister Canada at one time?
A. Mister Who??? Where do people get these notions that I am some kind of bodybuilding action hero? The doorman at the hotel across from Ogilvy's asked me this one, and I must say the answer is NO! Nor was I Mister Quebec, Mister NDG or Mister West End Montreal for that matter. And I was never Mister Olympia either. Although you know, anything is possible, I could earn one of these titles ONE DAY, but right now my heart isn't set on that business.
Q. How long does it take to learn the bagpipes?
There are varying responses to this question, but in my opinion it should take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. It depends really on how much time you have to work on it. Most of my students are working or are in school full time; this usually means a 1-2 year period to learn the basics on the practice chanter. It will take another year or so to get going on a set of bagpipes. Some of the best players I know are people that started when they were around 10-12 years old. There are always exceptions to the rule, and I must say there are some amazingly gifted players that started later, and some earlier. There is no hard and fast rule really. If you practice hard you will get good results.
