Two bagpipers from the National Piping Centre of Scotland are in town this week for several performances with the Aspen Music Festival and School.
But these are no ordinary bagpipers — if such a thing exists. While Findlay MacDonald and William McCallum have a large repertoire of traditional Scottish tunes to play, they also have an affinity for classic rock, and each says the other is like the Bruce Springsteen of bagpiping.
MacDonald and McCallum performed at the top of Aspen Mountain on Saturday, where they caught up with reporter Kaya Williams. You can listen to their audio postcards below, or hear them live at the Benedict Music Tent on Tuesday afternoon for the music fest’s Fourth of July festivities. The concert is free and begins at 4 p.m. It will also be broadcast live on Aspen Public Radio.
MacDonald: It's a very sociable thing, piping. You know, there's a great community spirit in piping. And that, for me, is the most important thing.
I'm lucky. I've been asked to play with some pretty famous mainstream music acts, shall we say? Including P. Diddy, a really famous Scottish band called Biffy Clyro. Primal Scream, another kind of famous rock band. And Bryan Adams, the singer.
We’re lucky that we get to travel all over the world pretty much. You know, we love it. So it's just taking it to other people and letting them hear the music and see your music and feel it.
You know, my best friends have all been met through piping and through music, and it's part of your life. You know, it's my vocation. It's just what I do, and I can't ever imagine not piping.
McCallum: I think it's one of these instruments that catches people's ear at first, then it captures their heart because it’s a very emotional instrument. It has just a special sound.
Some of our music, you know, it makes you cry, and hopefully not in pain, you know? [Laughs.]
But, it's the opportunity to pass on what you already have learned in your life, and hopefully, the future of the instrument and the playing of the music is safe. That's what you want.
When I started bagpiping, I couldn't wait. I was kind of immersed in it because it's a big family tradition going back to — well, we've got papers recorded back to 1782 or something like that. So it's been a long time, and the line hasn't been broken.
So I think if I wasn't a bagpiper, there would have been something wrong. It seemed the most natural thing in the world.
These interviews have been edited and condensed.
