• Open House for Bagpipes for Beginners

Have you ever wanted to learn the Bagpipes? The Celtic Arts Foundation is offering a beginner’s course in Bagpiping. No prior musical experience is required, just a willingness to learn and have fun! This ancient Scottish instrument evokes an incomparable emotional response among listeners and performers alike. In terms of traditional instruments, the Great Highland Bagpipe might stand alone due the duality that exists between the instrument itself and the music the instrument produces. The functionality of the instrument can seem mysterious and complex, yet the sound produced by the bagpipe is almost instantly recognizable. In this course you will experience first-hand the power and sonority of the instrument while gaining a fundamental understanding of this enigmatic Scottish art form.‍

Eight Tuesdays or Thursdays, March-June
8-class series starting March 25th and 27th

Youth ages 9 and up
Beginning - Thursdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm
Continuing (Chanter) - Tuesdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm
Continuing (Highland Pipes) - Thursdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm

Adult
Level 1 - Thursdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Level 2 - Thursdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Level 3 & 4 - Tuesdays, 7:15pm-8:15pm
Level 5 - Tuesdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm

In this course you will:

• Develop a foundational understanding of the Great Highland Bagpipe
• Learn both traditional and contemporary music
• Learn to read bagpipe sheet music
• Learn practice techniques and strategies to further develop your musical skills
• Develop confidence as a performer
• Meet new like-minded people

Tuition includes the 8 classes, printed materials to keep, and the use of a practice chanter while they are in class (and take home during the series).

If you or your student would like to register and need financial assistance, please email Cayley@CelticArts.org

If you would like to make a donation to support his program, please click here.

Your Instructors!
Instructor Zephan Knichel has been actively teaching the bagpipes for over 20 years. He is a veteran member of the world-renowned Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and competes with them every Summer at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The SFU Pipe Band is currently ranked 4th in the world. Zephan also competes as a soloist all over North America and in Scotland. He has competed at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban and the Northern Meeting in Inverness several times, winning prizes in both Light Music and Piobaireachd. Zephan works full-time teaching individuals, group classes, pipe bands, and at various piping schools all over North America.

Vienna Scheyer plays bagpipes with the grade 2 Cascadia Pipe Band in Seattle. Her first instrument is the fiddle, and she plays smallpipes too. She brings a unique perspective with one foot in the pipe band world and the other in traditional music and aims to give students a foundation to enjoy playing music in whatever settings they find fulfilling.

Program Dates
Tuesdays - March 25th, April 1st, April 8th, April 22nd, May 6th, May 20th, May 27th, June 3rd
Thursdays - March 27th, April 3rd, April 10th, April 24th, May 1st, May 8th, May 22nd, May 29th

If you are registering your kiddo for two programs this spring (Chanter on Tuesdays and Highland Pipes on Thursdays), please fill out this registration form two times. For the second registration, use the code BFB2 to receive a 50% discount on the tuition for the second program.