Archive for Profiles
Member Profile – Richmond Johnston
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Richmond Johnston
Name: William Richmond Johnston
Age : 58
Where are you from originally? Virginia Beach, Virginia
Where do you live :High Falls, NY
What is your job or major if a student? I’m a piper and artist.
Where did you learn to play? Amerscot Pipe Band first…then many teachers.
Instrument: 1988 Naills
How long have you been playing? 21 years
What got you interested? My Father, proud of his Scottish ancestry, enjoyed pipe band recordings…I love the music.
How did you go about learning/finding – private teacher, class, band, parent or relative? I was almost 40 when I saw “Free bagpipe Lessons” in the local Pennysaver…
Teachers that had a big influence: Nancy Tunnicliffe, and 18 years as an Administrator for the Balmoral Piping Schools, I’ve been lucky to study with many of the world’s greatest pipers.
How long did you take lessons? 10-15 years…Still want to…only distance and $ in the way.
How long did you play practice chanter/pad before moving to pipes/drum? 6 months
How long from start to marching with the band? About a year
How long does it take you to get to practice? 75 minutes
Favorite bagpipe player or drummer? Alasdair Gillies
Favorite bagpipe band?CRC
What other music do you like? All good music.
What other instruments do/did you play? my voice; low, high d whistle;borderpipes; Scottish smallpipes; Flemish bagpipes; Uilleann starter.
What is the hardest thing about playing? Not playing.
Solo? Getting to compete enough.
Band? Getting a whole band together consistently.
Do you compete? Yes…
Level? 2…
What is the one thing you would tell a beginner about learning? Get a good teacher.
Do you play solo events like weddings and funerals? Often.
What hobbies or other pursuits do you have? I paint and sculpt. I’ve practiced Aikido 33 years. I’ve 3 adult sons…
Member profile – Martin Hatcher
Posted by: | CommentsWhere do you live: Albany
What is your job or major if a student? Sculptor
Where did you learn to play? I learned from Anne Spencer now Anne McLean Bell 
in the Taconic Pipe Band, Hoosic Falls, NY.
Instrument: Pipes
How long have you been playing? 14 years
What got you interested? My dad took me to see the Scot’s Guards in Denver when I was 16. Ever since then I have wanted to play but there weren’t any teachers in driving distance so I gave up. I was living in North Adams 29 years later when I saw an ad in the local paper saying the Taconic Pipe Band would teach interested people.
How did you go about learning/finding – private teacher, class, band, parent or relative? I just happened to see the ad in the paper. Donald Lindsay was teaching the band and after a while I started taking lessons from him. Later I started lessons from Nancy Tunnicliffe.Teachers that had a big influence: Donald and Nancy both in very different ways. Nancy is probably the best teacher I have had for consistent week after week lessons. Donald was great for the more esoteric “out there” stuff.
How long did you take lessons? 10 years once or twice a month and since then off and on depending on time and money.
How long did you play practice chanter/pad before moving to pipes/drum? How long from start to marching with the band? I started the class and at the end of the 22 week class period I moved to pipes. I was in my first parade within a year of starting the class.
How long does it take you to get to practice? About 10 minutes.
Favorite bagpipe player or drummer? Not counting players in CRC Jim McGillivray is the piper I love to listen to. He just has a sweet sound and makes it look and sound so effortless. Harvey Dawson for a drummer. He has a presence when he is playing – you can’t stop listening or watching him.
Favorite bagpipe band? 78th Frasers. They are always pushing things a bit. They aren’t the nicest group to hang with though or weren’t a few years back anyway.
What other instruments do/did you play? I played cornet and French horn in school. I messed around with a banjo on my own and I have a fiddle my wife’s grandfather played for country dances that I am eyeing. I might take up the hurdy gurdy when I can’t play pipes anymore.
Do you compete? In the grade 4 band. I competed solo up until I became the pipe major (for two years) of the grade 4 three years ago. I might start up again but . . . . .
What is the one thing you would tell a beginner about learning? Stick out the many bad times when you are so frustrated with your practice chanter, pipes or fingers you want to smash them to bits -piping might be worth the misery.
Do you play solo events like weddings and funerals? I don’t actively seek them out but I do play them when one comes my way.What hobbies or other pursuits do you have? I am building my house inside an old garage. I like to read and watch movies.
Member Profile – Dillard Waring
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Dillard Waring
Name: Dillard Waring
Age: 37
Where are you from originally? Born in Trenton NJ
Where do you live : Hudson ny
What is your job or major if a student? traffic observation engineering specialist
Where did you learn to play? Started playing in texas of all places trying to keep the rattlesnakes away.
Instrument: bagpipes
How long have you been playing? Started about 8 yrs old then stopped and started many times growing up but steady now for the past 12 or so years
What got you interested? My mother was british and my parents loved the pipes and the culture, so there were always bagpipe records playing in the house. also when my father played the pipes for show and tell in my 2nd or 3rd grade class in Texas and the principle asked him to play outside so the whole school could watch(couple hundred kids and staff) because they had never seen the pipes before, i’d have to say that stuck with me.
How did you go about learning/finding – private teacher, class, band, parent or relative? My father taught me, he learned from my uncle Hugh Stewart from PA.
Teachers that had a big influence: Nancy Tunnicliffe, Dan Curry,Jack Waring
How long did you take lessons? still do on and off
How long did you play practice chanter/pad before moving to pipes/drum? How long from start to marching with the band? I think about 1 year on chanter or so, marching with band took a while there were no bands in texas at time at least where we were, so till till we came to NY.
How long does it take you to get to practice? 30-40 minutes
Favorite bagpipe player or drummer? dont have one
Favorite bagpipe band? schotts I guess but always loved the 78th’s creativity and grew up with the old Red Hackle and the black watch
What other music do you like? country,metal,standards a lot of stuff – how can you beat a good mexican band with horns, but not big on the sixties hippie music.
What other instruments do/did you play? a little guitar
What is the hardest thing about playing? Solo? Band? all alone on solos, and not wanting to screw up in the band.
Do you compete? Level? grade 3 band last time I was still grade 4 solo years ago but contemplating a return
What is the one thing you would tell a beginner about learning? besides getting a good instructor and practice, get good finger technique, that was beaten into me and its bailed me out over the years, no curls and bends that way your not fighting to find the holes and fingers move easier.
Do you play solo events like weddings and funerals? yes when ever i can
What hobbies or other pursuits do you have? sports, motorcycling, music maybe even farming again someday
Member Profile – Scott Hunter
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Visiting his old band - The Taconic Pipe Band.
Age: 60
Where are you from originally? South Bethlehem, NY
Where do you live? Brunswick, NY
What is your job or major if a student? Retired school superintendent
Where did you learn to play? Invermark School of Bagpiping, Petersburgh, NY (Don Lindsay)
Instrument: bagpipes
How long have you been playing? 30 years
What got you interested? Scottish heritage
How did you go about learning/finding – private teacher, class, band, parent or relative? Took private lessons with Don Lindsay weekly for a year starting in fall of 1977. Joined Taconic pipe band in 1978 and continued taking lessons from Don monthly.
Teachers that had a big influence: Don (of course)
How long did you take lessons? about 5 years
How long did you play practice chanter/pad before moving to pipes/drum? How long from start to marching with the band? Played practice chanter for about 6 months before getting my pipes. I joined Taconic PB about 9-10 months after starting lessons. Played in my first parade about 12 months after starting lessons.
How long does it take you to get to practice? 20-30 minutes
Favorite bagpipe player or drummer? no favorite players
Favorite bagpipe band? no favorite bands (except CRC)
What other music do you like? classical orchestral, bluegrass, Celtic
What other instruments do/did you play? none
What is the hardest thing about playing? staying in shape
Checking out the plane before a flight.
Do you compete? Competed individually from 1980 to 1986. Participated in band competition with Taconic and Tara Hall PBs from 1980 until 2000
What is the one thing you would tell a beginner about learning? Soft fingers and a relaxed grip work the best for good chanter work. Stay on the beat; the end of the tune will still be there when you get there!
Do you play solo events like weddings and funerals? Did at one time, but not lately
What hobbies or other pursuits do you have? flying (private pilot), golf, shooting sports (skeet and sporting clays), flyfishing, woodcarving, hiking/camping
